Is Your Pet Just Thirsty or Is It Trying to Tell You Something

Initially it seemed innocent enough. Your pet was drinking and urinating more. The fancy term is polydypsia and polyuria. It can mean many things, and not necessarily bad.

An increased thirst may be as simple as an increase in environmental temperature or an increase in activity. If however, these factors are unchanged, you may be seeing early evidence of diabetes, kidney, liver, or bladder disease. Usually these signs are not seen alone but with changes in weight and general body condition.

You know your pet better than anyone else. Make a mental, or better yet, physical note of changes in your pet’s water intake and output. If the changes persist for more than a few days, if their appetite or the bowel patterns alter, this could signal a serious underlying disease.

It is impossible for your veterinarian to determine what is wrong with your pet merely on the basis of a physical examination. To rule in or out the various causes, it will be necessary for them to sample your pet’s blood and urine.

Laboratory procedures do not always give your pet’s doctor the answer with the first battery of tests. It may involve a series. One diagnostic procedure may rule out one disease but not another. The next step may still not give you a definitive answer. It can be frustrating for you and your veterinarian. You both want to find the cause of your pet’s illness before it becomes critically ill and your wallet empty.

Laboratory procedures do not always give your pet’s doctor the answer with the first battery of tests.

You can assist your veterinarian in finding the reason for your pet’s maladies by keeping seeking medical attention before the problem becomes advanced. A pet that is not improving after a few days is unlikely to make a miraculous recovery on his or her own.

Help your pet maintain the best quality of life possible by seeking the advice of your veterinarian in a timely fashion. Why? Because it is “Your Pet…Health Matters.”