My dog has incontinence, high calcium, and an enlarged adrenal. What's wrong?

I would recommend a biopsy of the nodule on the parathyroid gland. Poor guy. It sounds like you have done some extensive testing so far. However a parathyroid gland adenoma (tumor) is my top suspicion considering the labwork findings and symptoms of excessive urination, drinking and lethargy. Surgical removal of the tumor is indicated if this is truly the underlying cause of Max's symptoms. I hope that everything works out well for your pet Max. Best wishes and take care.

Hello. I am so sorry that no one has addressed your question earlier. Your veterinarians have done an excellent work-up to rule out any underlying conditions or issues so far, but have they been able to rule out the possibility that Cali has ectopic ureters or something else congenital like urethral hypoplasia or just plain congenital incontinence? Medically, you might discuss the use of Incurin ( estriol ) either by itself or added to the Proin. If there is no response to either/both of these together, there is some literature that indicates that GnRH ( gonadotropin releasing hormone ) may be effective. If Cali remains medically unresponsive, then there is a surgical procedure to implant a hydraulic urethral occluder. Your veterinarian will probably not be able to do this, but if you are near a veterinary teaching hospital, that would be a good place to have this done. Your veterinarian can research this for you. Anyway, I hope I have supplied a little more information that you can now discuss with your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Hypothyroidism can lead to drinking and peeing more frequently, as well as a higher likelihood to have a urinary tract infection, and can also lead to neurological disorders. Likely the peeing inappropriately and peeing when nothing is coming out is a problem associated with her hypothyroidism and not associated with having her anal glands expressed. Anal glands and the bladder are not anatomically related, and these would not be associated with one another. I do recommend you bring her in to have her urine checked though. Best of luck with Annabelle, I hope she feels better soon!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Shadow is having urinary accidents in the house. There are numerous health conditions that can cause increased drinking and urination, including urinary tract infection, kidney disease, liver disease, Cushing's disease, Addison's disease, behavioral conditions, even certain cancers. Shadow may have urinary incontinence, which is not uncommon in female dogs. I recommend having Shadow evaluated by your primary veterinarian, who may recommend blood and/or urine tests to see if she has an underlying reason for her increased drinking and urination. I hope this is helpful!

Cushing's or Hyperadrenocorticism is a fairly common endocrine disease in dogs. It can be caused by a bit of overactive tissue in the brain (in the pituitary gland, which is the master ruler of hormone secretion in the body) or a mass in an adrenal gland (sits by the kidneys, secretes hormones as directed by the pituitary gland). Basically what happens is an excess of a hormone in the body, usually a steroid called cortisol, if it is traditional Cushing's. This then causes some symptoms in the pet, blood work changes, and sometimes other changes like high blood pressure. I suspect based on the value that you report that this was a liver enzyme elevation call ALP. This very commonly occurs in pets that have Cushings, but is not specific for Cushing's and elevation can be caused by other disease processes. This value does not correlate with severity of disease as many dogs have a high value. It sounds like your vet is on the right track by recommending an ultrasound to look at the adrenal glands and also the rest of the abdominal organs to rule out other disease processes. Ultimately Cushing's Disease has to be diagnosed by some sort of endocrine testing which your vet may recommend as well. Treatment if then based on what type of Cushing's disease is present. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Mylie. Elevated calcium does happen with certain types of cancers. However, it can also be related to kidney failure, certain toxicities, or even a lab error. Typically additional testing is required to determine the cause of high calcium. I hope this information helps!

So sorry she is having these problems. Drinking and urinating more can be a sign of kidney disease, Cushing's disease, diabetes, Addison's disease, infections, thyroid disease, etc. The only way to know the cause is to have a vet run some bloodwork and a urinalysis. The lump could be a cyst, infection, benign or cancerous mass. A needle aspirate or biopsy may be necessary to diagnose. She really needs to be examined by a vet. Try to find a low cost clinic in your area or a vet that would take a payment plan. You could also apply for Care Credit which is a veterinary credit care. Hope you can find her the help that she needs.