Our boxer won't stop drinking water

Leslie · 01-10-2013, 10:58 AM

Our 11yr old boxer Phoebe drinks until the bowl is empty. Then she'll lick the bowl, or try to drink from our mastiff's bowl. If that doesn't work, she'll go outside & eat snow, or find a puddle. She also urinates frequently & in massive amounts (both inside & out). She's been to the vet, had complete blood screens & they've found nothing. She is otherwise healthy & happy & eating well. Has anyone else experienced this? Tests for diabetes & Cushings came back negative. She eats low sodium, organic dogfood.

**GoudasMom** · 01-10-2013, 11:02 AM

Drinking lots of water can mean a lot of things. There was nothing at all "off" on her bloodwork? Have you seen the numbers for yourself?

Leslie · 01-10-2013, 11:13 AM

My vet went over the blood work with me line by line. The only thing that was off was her thyroid function, and she's been on medication for it. And he said that shouldn't cause the obsessive drinking anyway. She's been healthy her whole life & I'm just stumped. I'm also reluctant to have any tests performed that involve sedation, as I'm wary of putting such an old girl put under anaesthesia.

**GoudasMom** · 01-10-2013, 11:36 AM

Oh I know I would feel the same way if my pup was a senior. Did the Vet bring up the possibility of cancer. NOT saying thats what it is just saying with her age, her breed, and drinking lots of water that is a real possibility.

WholeLottaBoxers · 01-10-2013, 12:06 PM

Sounds like hypothyroidism. Did they run a thyroid screen?

winnie · 01-10-2013, 01:27 PM

I agree with Cait. If she is on thyroid meds, has she already had a second course of blood work to make sure the dosage is correct?

Leslie · 01-10-2013, 08:40 PM

The vet didn't suspect cancer as he said nothing really pointed to that possibility (no appetite loss, weight loss, or change in activity level). He did check her lymph nodes, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Hes been her vet since she was 6wks old, and he is pretty much stumped. Except for the obsession with water, she acts like a typical, goofy boxer.

**Gypsiemouse** · 01-10-2013, 08:43 PM

Did they check for UTI or bladder / kidney problems (stones/crystals)?
Urinalysis?

Saw you said they did blood work, but didn't see if they checked urine.

Leslie · 01-10-2013, 08:45 PM

They did run the thyroid screen, and discovered that she had virtually no thyroid function at all. We were all surprised by it, because she hadnt shown any symptoms other than the excessive thirst (which came on very suddenly). But shes been on meds for almost 3mo now, and the recheck on her thyroid came back nearly normal.

**Roccosmom** · 01-10-2013, 08:51 PM

Did the vet mention diabetes insipidus?

01-10-2013, 10:58 AM	#1 (permalink)
Leslie New User Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Michigan Posts: 7	Our boxer won't stop drinking water Our 11yr old boxer Phoebe drinks until the bowl is empty. Then she'll lick the bowl, or try to drink from our mastiff's bowl. If that doesn't work, she'll go outside & eat snow, or find a puddle. She also urinates frequently & in massive amounts (both inside & out). She's been to the vet, had complete blood screens & they've found nothing. She is otherwise healthy & happy & eating well. Has anyone else experienced this? Tests for diabetes & Cushings came back negative. She eats low sodium, organic dogfood.

01-10-2013, 11:02 AM	#2 (permalink)
GoudasMom Super Moderator Join Date: May 2011 Location: Duncan Oklahoma Posts: 1,833	Drinking lots of water can mean a lot of things. There was nothing at all "off" on her bloodwork? Have you seen the numbers for yourself? __________________ Gouda 9/6/01 - 7/19/12 Sue - Mom to Kippah rescued 8/19/12

01-10-2013, 11:36 AM	#4 (permalink)
GoudasMom Super Moderator Join Date: May 2011 Location: Duncan Oklahoma Posts: 1,833	Oh I know I would feel the same way if my pup was a senior. Did the Vet bring up the possibility of cancer. NOT saying thats what it is just saying with her age, her breed, and drinking lots of water that is a real possibility. __________________ Gouda 9/6/01 - 7/19/12 Sue - Mom to Kippah rescued 8/19/12

01-10-2013, 12:06 PM	#5 (permalink)
WholeLottaBoxers Super User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 1,317	Sounds like hypothyroidism. Did they run a thyroid screen? __________________ Cait, Mom to: Max (11), Tucker (5), Sam (9), Cinnamon (13), Titan (8 ), Honey (9), Piper (3) & Virgil (10) Jake ~1/1/98-10/31/08~ ♥ Saba ~???-7/28/11~ ♥ Baby ~1998-11/25/11~ ♥ Lillie ~3/10/05-1/17/12~ ♥ Sadie ~2001-2/14/12~ ♥ Chief ~1998-2/20/12~ ♥ Barkley ~2000-2/28/13~ ♥ Maggie ~1999-4/22/13~ ♥ "Adapt yourself to the things among which your lot has been cast and love sincerely the fellow creatures with whom destiny has ordained that you shall live." ~ Marcus Aurelius

01-10-2013, 01:27 PM	#6 (permalink)
winnie Super User Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,709	I agree with Cait. If she is on thyroid meds, has she already had a second course of blood work to make sure the dosage is correct? __________________ Molly, Mom to Winston (at the bridge 12/6/12 and deeply missed) and Porter

01-10-2013, 11:13 AM	#3 (permalink)
Leslie New User Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Michigan Posts: 7	My vet went over the blood work with me line by line. The only thing that was off was her thyroid function, and she's been on medication for it. And he said that shouldn't cause the obsessive drinking anyway. She's been healthy her whole life & I'm just stumped. I'm also reluctant to have any tests performed that involve sedation, as I'm wary of putting such an old girl put under anaesthesia.

01-10-2013, 08:40 PM	#7 (permalink)
Leslie New User Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Michigan Posts: 7	The vet didn't suspect cancer as he said nothing really pointed to that possibility (no appetite loss, weight loss, or change in activity level). He did check her lymph nodes, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Hes been her vet since she was 6wks old, and he is pretty much stumped. Except for the obsession with water, she acts like a typical, goofy boxer.

01-10-2013, 08:43 PM	#8 (permalink)
Gypsiemouse Super Moderator Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New Jersey, USA Posts: 9,621	Did they check for UTI or bladder / kidney problems (stones/crystals)? Urinalysis? Saw you said they did blood work, but didn't see if they checked urine. __________________ Lynne- Owned by and Slave to Maggie and Mongo

01-10-2013, 08:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
Leslie New User Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Michigan Posts: 7	They did run the thyroid screen, and discovered that she had virtually no thyroid function at all. We were all surprised by it, because she hadnt shown any symptoms other than the excessive thirst (which came on very suddenly). But shes been on meds for almost 3mo now, and the recheck on her thyroid came back nearly normal.

01-10-2013, 08:51 PM	#10 (permalink)
Roccosmom Super Moderator Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: MA Posts: 3,192	Did the vet mention diabetes insipidus?

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