bonnie

[lily300806]

my dog has been drinking a lot more water and i've noticed she is weeing a lot more and even started to wee when she's laying down. she has lost a lot of hair, her stomach seems very big and bloated. Her back legs seem very weak and she struggles to get up and won't stand for long peroids and you can here them click. is she in pain and whats best to do for her.

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

The comment from Lucy is probably correct.  It does sound like Cushing's Syndrome (Hyperadrenocorticism).  This is an endocrine disorder in which the adrenal glands produce excessive amounts of cortisol either due to a adrenal gland or pituitary tumor.  Is sounds scary, but these tumors are usually benign.  It is a relatively common syndrome in older dogs.  It is easily diagnosed by blood tests performed at your veterinarian's office.  The blood tests are relatively inexpensive.  

Once diagnosed,  medication will be given to counter the overproduction of cortisol.

Please make an appointment with your veterinarian, and please don't hesitate to post again with any other question that you may have.  Thanks!

[Lucy_08092000]

It sounds like cushings disease, my dog has it, it is an increase in the cortisol production, the dog eats a lot more, drinks a lot more, and consequently, goes to the bathroom more. Also the weight gain is more apparent in the belly. Other symptoms are hair loss and excessive panting. A vet will need to run some blood tests to confirm and also to figure out which type it is, since there are more than one and the treatments are different. If it is cushings, once you figure out the correct dose of the medication, they respond well, at least mine did.
Hope this helps.