Should I be worried

[whiskey104]

Hi,
I have a 2yrs old Staffy and when he sleeps he breaths really weird and seems to have heart palpitations.
Also he drinks allot of water and I mean allot, he is always at his water bowl and could be there for  about a minute or two each time. He does it when he hasn't done any activity so i figure he shouldn't be that thirsty.

Thanks

[Misfits4Me]

Good Luck Buckley & mom......Thanks for checking back in...I wish everyone would show the same courtesy!  I hope your appointment goes well!!
Come back and let us know...I'll be thinking about you both.....Karla

[whiskey104]

Buckley is being booked in to have a full blood work done. The vet isn't sure if it's his liver kidneys or Diabetes. But he is very worried that it could be something bad.

[whiskey104]

Kool thanks. I am having trouble finding a reliable vet.

[Misfits4Me]

You need to have a "Blood Panel" (At your Vet) done on your Staffy....Bloodwork will show any abnormalities that could contribute to the excessive drinking.....Kidney Disease, Diabetes, & Cushings Disease all come to mind.....

You need to at least rule these out as all are treatable if caught early & dangerous if left untreated........Good luck and let us know what you find out....Karla

[whiskey104]

Yeah  I have to talk to the vet and ask them. I have to talk to a few vets to see what they all say just to be sure

[ginger899]

Well, to be honest, it could be. You won't know unless he is properly checked.
Dogs with well-managed diabetes can live a perfectly good life and very often just as long as they would without the disease. Of course, this depends on the dog's general condition and fitness apart from the diabetes.
Another thing -it's important to be extra vigilant with a diabetic dog, that he doesn't get any "human" food loaded with carbohydrates, raid the trash, or get into any sugar-containing foods. Also, store-bought dog food is often high in grains and carbs. So if he eats this now, his diet will definitely have to change.

Of course, there could be another reason for his intense thirst. You need the vet to check him. A blood test will probably give the answer.

It does depend on how much water is "too much" as well. Only you know that -you know your dog. But feeding dry dog food always means that the dog will have to take on quite a lot of water, and will often become thirsty an hour or two after its meal.

[whiskey104]

The vet told us about his heart being irregular when he was a pup and she said he will grow out of it.. But i dont think he has. And yes it is his breathing I know when he is snoring. Is him drinking all the time a sign of diabetes??

[ginger899]

There's only one real sensible answer....and that is take him in to be checked out. Tell the vet everything, and they can check his heart, and investigate the reason for his thirst.
However are you sure that his breathing when he's sleeping isn't snoring? Some dogs do snore. This can sometimes be a sign there is slight airway obstruction, but very often, it doesn't mean anything very serious. Also when dogs dream their breathing changes.
But his intense thirst definitely does need checking out.