Minature Dachshund

Question
My minature Dachshund is 14 years old.  She is not overweight but she is
now deaf and she has a cateract that covers her one eye completely.  Over
the years she has had many teeth extracted and I do suspect that she has a
touch of arthritis.
Shotzi has been drinking water by the "truck loads."  I find that I am
filling her water bowl 2 to 3 times a day.  She is also wetting all over
the house.  Her urine is clear and has no odor.  However, she is urinating
everywhere.  She sleeps with us at night and has wet our bed 3 times in
the last month. I am wondering if this is a part of old age or is this a
symptom of diabetes or any serious problem.  It is VERY serious to us.  We
have scheduled a 4 week trip and Shotzi will be visiting with a neighbor
for the duration of that trip.  I can't very well give her to the neighbor
with this urinating going on.  Please give me some advice.
Thanks.

Answer
Hi Cheyanne,

I think you made the right call, this sounds like diabetes to me too. Whatever you do, do not limit your dog's access to water until you have had her evaluated by your vet. Not getting the water she needs at this point could lead to serious problems, including death.

I can't diagnose your dog, and won't try. In dogs, there are more than 65 different medical conditions that can stimulate excessive water intake and frequent urination.

That said, I think you can see how important it is to get Shotzi to her vet pronto. If it turns out that Shotzi does indeed have diabetes and your dog sitter does not feel qualified to care for her, then you can probably make arrangements with your vet for the dog to stay at the vet's office. Some kennels might be able to care for a diabetic dog, too.

I hope things turn out well for you and Shotzi. If I can be of further help please feel free to write back if I can be of further help.

-Patti