My dog drinks too much water, has red eyes, and dandruff. Is she sick?

Red and watery eyes may indicate an issue such as an allergy to something, or even illness such as respiratory issues. You may see additional signs such as fever, lethargy, loss of appetite or even nasal discharge. An increase in drinking water may be related, or may just be an attempt to stay hydrated if your dog is dehydrated from not feeling well (you can check this by gently pinching the loose skin on the back of your dog's neck- if it is quick to go back to normal, your dog is hydrated, if it is slow or sticky in returning back to normal, it is an indication of dehydration). If her symptoms do not resolve within the next day or so, or if she shows additional signs of illness or worsening of already seen symptoms, then scheduling a veterinary checkup is best.

These signs could be compatible with a metabolic or possibly endocrine disorders. Diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, renal failure, liver problems can be all responsible for those signs. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Blood tests and urine analysis would be ideally needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

A sore, weepy eye may indicate infection or injury. The excessive thirst has several causes including diabetes, renal disease, liver disease, endocrine disorders, fever or infection. Ideally, an exam with your veterinarian would be recommended. The eye can be examined to diagnose any cause and blood and urine samples can be submitted to assess major organ function. These may lead to a definitive diagnosis after which the appropriate treatment can be administered. Place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent pawing or rubbing at the eye until she sees the doctor.

I would recommend having your dog seen as soon as possible if her symptoms are not improving tomorrow, even if this means taking her in to another vet or an emergency vet. Diseases we worry about with these symptoms include Cushings Disease (where the adrenal glands produce too much steroids), diabetes, kidney disease and liver disease. Some of these conditions can worsen quickly and become life threatening so having her examined and having bloodwork and urinalysis done as soon as possible to determine the underlying cause is the safest way to proceed.

I am sorry your dog is not feeling well. The information provided and picture don't really match. If a patient is drinking more and losing weight I would be concerned about endocrine diseases like diabetes and cushings disease. However the picture looks more like possible skin mites or an underlying autoimmune disease I would recommend taking her to a veterinarian to help you resolve the issues. They most likely will need to run basic bloodwork and possible a skin scrape to determine if mites are present.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I recommend giving Shilo free access to water as she may have something going on internally that requires water. I recommend taking her to a vet for blood work to rule out diabetes, Cushings, or kidney disease. These are all illnesses that cause increased thirst and she may need treatment. Good luck and kisses to Shilo!

Poor Yoni! Unfortunately without seeing her in person, it is impossible for me to say for sure what is going on. Red eyes can indicate an infection, an ulcer on the eye, or simple allergies. You could try Benadryl twice a day to see if this helps. You can also try some artificial tears drops in both eyes 3-4 times per day. See link below for Benadryl dosing. An increase in urination could be an indication of a UTI. They don't always lick their privates when they have a UTI. She is also a very young dog so it could be behavioral. If these issues aren't improving, I would strongly recommend to have her seen by your vet. Your vet can determine if there is any infection or scratch/ulcer in the eyes and also determine whether she has any true urinary issues or if it is just behavioral. Depending on what they find, they will be able to get her started on the best treatment for her to help her feel better as soon as possible. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/