Is my dog's increased thirst and urination a sign of kidney issues?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Romeo. Yes if he's drinking a lot of water, you can expect him to pee more and to see clear urine. His urine is very dilute from drinking lots of water. If he had a problem with his kidneys, you could see blood in his urine, peeing multiple times but in small amounts, lethargy, and possibly a loss of appetite. I hope this helps!

KG is lucky to have you!! It is wonderful that you have already taken him to your veterinarian for a check up. The urinalysis and bloodwork should have indicated if KG has any kidney failure (high creatinine or BUN or SDMA with a low urine specific gravity). If all of those were normal- it is highly unlikely that he has kidney failure!! Other things that can cause a dog to drink LOTS of water are diabetes (2 kinds) and psychogenic polydipsia (a fancy way of just saying they like to drink water) and a few others. Your vet can work through the blood work to rule many of these out as well as do a water deprivation test (this must be supervised by your vet!) to determine what is the root cause of KG’s behavior. Thank you for using Pet Coach!!

There are many possible causes but age related kidney failure or interstitial nephritis would be most common in an otherwise well dog. Diet manipulation and monitoring of salts in blood can minimise the progression of disease

Hello. I am so sorry for your worries with Romeo. Urine volume can absolutely vary during the day(s). What usually concerns us is if there is an increase in water intake & also increased urinations which could be an indication of some underlying condition. It is impossible to make any conclusion based on your picture, but I see nothing that overly concerns me. If he is acting & eating normal, there is probably no immediate concern right now, but as a pet ages, things can start to happen. If it has been a while since Romeo has seen a veterinarian, it may be time for a good wellness checkup. This would include blood work & a urinalysis. This will hopefully show that all is well with Romeo. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

These signs are usually related either to urinary tract infection, or to kidney problem (failure) or to urinary incontinence. A blood test and urine analysis can rule out kidney failure and urinary tract infection. Urinary incontinence usually derived from a weak urinary sphincter (quite common in old age females). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chewey. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian. He will need a urine sample tested to start. If he does not appear to have a urinary tract infection, then he will likely need bloodwork. Common causes of increased thirst and urination in a dog are diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease or an adrenal gland disorder. In the meantime, do not limit his access to water. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Romeo and for providing a picture, it's helpful. I'm sorry that he's been sick. If he's been vomiting and not drinking much, yes it is possible that he's a bit dehydrated. His urine in the picture does look a bit yellow, but if he is now drinking water and feel better, I expect he will become hydrated again in due course. It's fine to increase his water intake, and you could add some gently warmed, low sodium chicken broth to his food to help with increasing his fluid intake. I hope this helps.