Undiagnosed anorexia & dilute urine

[poodleowner]

My 9 year old standard poodle, normally active and lively, began walking slowly and became incontinent overnight 3 weeks ago.  Sono to check for kidney or spleen abnormalities (and anything else in general) proved negative.  Blood count is fine.  After noting that dog was drinking more than normal, her eating began to tail off, and now she is not eating voluntarily for past 2 days.  Today I began to put small bits of food down as if pilling her.  There is no vomiting or diahrea.  Urine was fine except for dilute when tested about 10 days ago.  We tried to start her on an antibiotic but that coincided with loss of appetite.  Stopping of antibiotic had no effect.  Dramatic weight loss and weakness are increasing.  Any ideas?

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

Has your dog been tested for the tick borne diseases (Lyme, Ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Anaplasmosis and others)?  Perhaps testing for endocrine disorders, especially Hypoadrenocorticism, Hyperadrenocortism,  and Diabetes Insipidus would help.  

Whatever the cause it is essential that your dog drink and eat.  Unlike cats, dogs can fast temporarily without problems, but they must drink.  She should be hospitalized and given IV fluid therapy if she is not drinking.  If she continues not to eat she should be given an appetite stimulant, such as Mirtazipine.  Please coax her with any kind of food, even people foods.

If this is an infectious process at fault, than antibiotics should be given even if she is not eating.  Antibiotics can be delivered by injection.  Your vet can give you prefilled syringes of antibiotics and can instruct you in giving the antibiotic.  Giving needles is not difficult.  Owners of pets with diabetes must give insulin to their pets, sometimes for the life of their pets.

[poodleowner]

Thank you so much for your response.  It was helpful to guide me toward keeping my dog hydrated while I waited for her symptoms to become clear.  Yesterday, we went to a specialist and she was diagnosed with Addison's Disease--a treatable disease, which is characterized by Hypoadrenocorticism.  The key signs of Addison's were that her adrenal glands looked smaller on second ultrasound and her blood had begun to show changes in her elecrolytes--in sodium and potassium levels and in cortisol.  An ACTH test confirmed the diagnosis. She had to be hospitalized while treatment is begun, but her prognosis is good.  I hope this is helpful to other dog owners out there.