What is polyuro-polydispsia?
Polyuro-polydispsia is a syndrome characterized by an increase in the amount of water ingested by the dog as well as the amount of urine it emits.
More concretely, we talk about polydipsia when a dog drinks more than 90 ml of water per kg of body weight per day and polyuria when it emits more than 45 ml of urine per kg of weight per day.
In reality, there are two forms of polyuro-polydipsia that it is not always easy to differentiate at first glance:
- primary polyuria in which the animal emits large amounts of diluted urine and then drinks more to replace the excess water emitted in its urine,
- primary polydipsia in which the dog drinks a lot and then must produce large amounts of dilute urine in order to eliminate excess ingested water from its body.
Polyuro-polydipsia is not a disease in itself but a symptom that can be caused by various conditions.
What causes polyuro-polydipsia in dogs?
In dogs, polyuro-polydipsia can thus be linked to:
- a deficiency in ADH, the anti-diuretic hormone, which is also called diabetes insipidus of pituitary or central origin,
- kidney insensitivity to ADH, also called nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. This type of diabetes insipidus can find its cause in renal failure, pyometra, pyelonephritis, sepsis, electrolyte imbalance, congenital deficiency of ADH receptors or even hypercorticism (overactivity of the adrenal glands or Cushing's disease) or hypoadrenocorticism (insufficient adrenal glands or Addison's disease),
- diabetes mellitus,
- a Fanconi syndrome,
- taking diuretics, corticosteroids or progestins,
- a behavioral disorder in which the dog needs to drink constantly (potomania),
- liver failure,
- a neurological lesion,
- etc.
What to do in case of polyuro-polydipsia in dogs?
If your dog drinks and urinates more than usual, there is only one thing to do: consult your veterinarian!
In order to determine the cause of polyuro-polydipsia, the veterinarian will take into account the other symptoms presented by the dog (polyuro-polydipsia is rarely the only clinical sign of the conditions aroused) and will carry out various tests such as urine tests and blood tests.
Additional examinations may also be necessary such as an abdominal X-ray and/or ultrasound or a water restriction test depending on the condition suspected by the veterinarian.