My senior dog pees a lot, tests are normal. Should I get an X-ray?

You might want to check back in with your vet and see if there are any other tests they would recommend. Increased urination and thirst (polyuria/polydipsia) can be caused by a number of diseases, and if screening lab work looks normal some of the other tests to consider include a urinalysis, test for leptospirosis, test for Cushing's disease, abdominal ultrasound, or even a modified water deprivation test or medication trial for central diabetes insipidus. If your veterinarian is not receptive to running more tests you may want to ask about referral to an internal medicine specialist.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The urinary tract symptoms you describe could be due to a urinary tract infection, urinary stones, a tumor, among other possibilities. I recommend that you have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further diagnostics would include abdominal imaging and lab work. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a good night!

I am so sorry that Puffy is having this issue. I would recommend having an x-ray performed to rule out or in stones. If she has bladder stones then ideally she would have surgery. If she is about 10 years old I wouldn't be concerned about the surgery as long as her physical examination is good and her blood work is good. If she does not have bladder stones I would recommend getting a urine culture performed and potentially an ultrasound of her bladder. The urine culture will definitively rule out a urinary tract infection while the ultrasound will make sure there is no mass in her bladder. I hope Puffy feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

At her age there are several things it can be. Your vet can collect a urine sample to check for a urinary tract infection. They can always draw some blood to check her kidneys and blood sugar and for Cushings disease. All these can cause an increase in drinking and urination which will lead to accidents. If all of that is normal, than she may be getting incontinent and they have medication for that also!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It becomes concerning when an older dog develops blood urine that is non-responsive to antibiotics. Having blood in the urine with out bacteria can mean a bladder stone or a bladder tumor. Tests I would consider next would be a urine culture, one belly X-ray to look for a bladder stone and full blood work. If the culture is negative and the X-ray doesn't show a stone then I would worry about a bladder tumor. An ultrasound of her bladder would help diagnose if she has a bladder tumor. Another option before doing more testing is to try a more powerful antibiotic for 3 weeks. But if the blood is still present with out the presence of bacteria then I would go forward. I hope this helps!

Blood in the urine is never normal, even if it only occurs intermittently. Likewise, it’s unusual for Tilly to experience so much inconsistency in her urination habits. Some young female dogs can have recessed or hooded vulvas, which can make them more prone to developing urinary tract infections. However, since Tilly’s urine has twice not shown evidence of infection, it sounds as though it’s time to look in a different direction. I would start by asking your vet if they can take x-rays of her abdomen to check for evidence of bladder stones. The crystals associated with bladder stones often show up on a urinalysis (I’m assuming that’s what was done with her urine samples), but not always. If the X-rays are clear, your next step may be an ultrasound of her bladder with a veterinary radiologist to check for any other abnormalities. Bladder tumors can also cause similar signs, although that would be highly unlikely given how young Tilly is. I hope this helps and that you can find some answers soon!

I recommend a geriatric blood panel. It's for senior dogs to check for a range of illnesses. I also recommend a urinalysis and possibly an x-ray. I see that Dahlia is not spayed, and her symptoms could be cause by a pyometra, which is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment.