My unspayed senior dog drinks lots, won't eat. What vet tests?

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.

This is very concerning as PU/PD (drinking and urinating more than usual) and not eating, especially in an older intact female can be a sign of a uterine infection , which in turn can be life threatening. I strongly recommend you have Darla examined by your veterinarian. Your vet will want to do some blood work and possibly x-rays to see whether her uterus is filled with pus.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sasha. I recommend that she sees an emergency veterinarian as soon as possible. Based on her profile, she has not been spayed. Drinking an excessive amount of water can be a sign of a uterine infection. The veterinarian will examine her and likely recommend testing such as blood work and x-rays of her belly. Based on this information, treatment can be started. If it is a uterine infection, then surgery is typically needed as soon as possible. Of course, she could have another issue. Her exam finding will guide the veterinarian. I recommend seeking care as soon as possible. I hope this information helps.

Lola is extremely sick. I see that she is unspayed, and her symptoms could be caused by a pyometra. This is an infection of the uterus that is fatal without treatment. You have to take her into a vet immediately.

Thank you for submitting your question Sophie. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian for blood and urine testing. The signs you have described are most common with diabetes. They can also be seen with kidney disease, liver problems or an adrenal gland disorder. I hope this information helps!

If she is drinking or urinating more than usual, she should be seen by your veterinarian. Given her age, blood work should be done to assess major organ function, especially kidney function. Dogs can have kidney disease but show no symptoms until kidney function is greatly reduced. If diagnosed early, it may be managed.

Unfortunately, bloodwork will only tell us part of what is going on internally. Sometimes figuring out what is wrong can require additional testing such as urine samples, x-rays or ultrasounds. You didn't mention Luna's age, but have her listed as unspayed. Depending on when her last heat cycle was, you may want to discus with your veterinarian if she could have been bred or is having a uterine infection. Not eating or drinking is a serious medical problem, so I would strongly recommend contacting your veterinarian for their recommendation on the next diagnostic or treatment steps you can take with Luna to figure out what is going on and how to make her feel better. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.