not sure what to do....
Ever since we got Oscar a little over 2 years ago he has been both joy and also a struggle. Oscar has had more than his fair share of health issues. First it was his diagnosis of epilepsy and then eye surgery for his ectopic cilia. Even after surgery he has had a few eye cilia grow back and is still pron to eye infections. Oscar is also still on daily medication for his epilepsy and on a positive note has had no seizures. All of these things I have taken in stride, and I have paid, beyond my means over the last few years to take the best care possible of him. I noticed a few weeks ago that Oscar was drinking and urinating more frequently. After an appointment with his vet and blood work taken all looked well. As of today he is drinking more than ever. He seems to be constantly thirsty and now he is having accidents in the house. Today he has urinated a large amount in the house 3 times. He does not seem to be able to control the urge to pee and the amount he is going is not just a trickle. I'm so worried that this is another serious condition. His vet listed off a number of tests that we would have to run in addition to the blood work we have already done to try to narrow down the issue and find a treatment. My worst fear is that there is something wrong and I will not be able to afford to take care him. I am afraid that I may need to find Oscar a new home with a family that can afford and care for a special needs dog. Oscar is not even 3 years old but it has been just one thing after another for him. I just want him to be a happy and healthy dog.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on
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Many times medications can cause extreme thirst, and it may be a side effect of his meds. Any new meds? Increased dosages? Is he on phenobarbitol to control his seizures? A really common side effect of that medication is increased thirst. Before running a slew of tests I'd ask your vet about the possibility that his current medications are causing this. Also, has he done a urinalysis? Many of the common causes of increased thirst can be diagnosed through a simple urine test.
I totally understand how hard it gets financially with "lemon pups", as I like to call them. I've had the same experience with my Franklin. He's always been quite accident prone, which has cost me a ton of money, but last April he developed an exercise intolerance which causes overheating, disorientation, and collapse. He's not even 2 yet and I've spent well over $5,000 in medical bills on him. We've done countless blood panels, x-rays, ultrasounds, urinalyses, cortisol level tests, muscle biopsies, and the vets still have no idea what is wrong with him. I'd recommend having a serious discussion with your vet about fincances and explain you can't just do a million tests, and ask which ones would be the most beneficial, kind of like a "if it was your dog and you had limited funds what would you do?" They are usually pretty honest when you put it like that and can narrow the tests down to the fewest possible with the most information.
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Permalink Reply by Melissa on
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thanks for the advice, it helps to hear things for someone else who has been through something like this. Oscar is on potassium bromide, a very low dose for his epilepsy. We just had his levels checked and they are as low as they can be while still staying in his system enough to work. He has had no changes in medication or diet. We did a urine test at the vet as well as a bladder/kidney scan and the results all seemed normal. The vet was thinking of doing a water deprivation test to make sure that he is concentrating his urine and do another scan of his bladder when it is full(it was empty the last time we did one). If those results are all normal the vet thinks it is either a rare form of diabetes that has to do with some hormone that is really hard to diagnose or a behavioral disorder where Oscar thinks he is just always thirsty. He has never had that issue before so I find it hard to believe that would just come out of no where but with my dog I'm never really surprised anymore. We are going to talk to the vet again today to try to find a plan that works for us.
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Permalink Reply by Bev Levy on
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So sorry you are dealing with this. I hope that it turns out not to be as bad as you dread. Having lived with one with many expensive health issues I know a little about how you are feeling. In my case she just finally gave up and our dilemma of how long to prolong things was taken out of our hands but just trust in your ability to do the right thing for Oscar. Try not to feel too guilty about it. Corgi hugs to you and Oscar.
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