elderly dog hasnt peed for 3 days

Question
My 19 year old black lab mix has started day #3 today without voiding. her health, as expected, has slowly declined and other than being deaf and blind, she is still eating, drinking, walking and shows some attempt at playing. I have also noticed that her stool seems drier than usual. her hind quarters have "dropped" in the past couple of days but she does not seem to be in amy pain or distress. I know with a dog of this age it is only a matter of time, my problem is knowing when the time is right.  does this sound like the beginning of the end and should I think even more seriously about the dredded ending? thank you

Answer

Hi Karen,

Sadly, at 19 years old, this might indeed "be the time". Suppression of urine production is most often associated with acute kidney failure. But despite the seriousness of that thought, this may be treatable with medication if an infection is the cause.

It's really good that's she's still eating and drinking, but this condition still should be treated as an emergency. As soon as your vet's office opens in the morning, you should give them a call if there is not an emergency vet clinic in your area that's open now.

The only way to know what's going on is to have your vet examine your dog, which should be done promptly. Dogs are pretty stoic about showing pain, and may be in pain even if she she isn't acting like it.

If medications are not effective in stimulating urine production or clearing up the problem, then dialysis would be needed. At that point you may want to consider putting your beloved girl to sleep.

I hope I've been a help.
Best,

Patti