Question:
I have a 9 year old Silky male, who in the past 2 weeks has been lethargic and does not eat as well as before. He used to eat 1 bowl a day, and now has taken 2-3 days to finish it.

In the past 2 days he seems to have been more thirsty, and drinks frequently. This has led to accidents in the house. But the urination is clear instead of yellowish. He used to give indications of having to go out, but now does not (begging, sits by door, etc.) I have made an appointment with my vet, but they could not see him until Friday.

Is there anything I should be on the lookout for? Is there any way I can get him to increase his appetite?

Answer:
In a 9 year old dog many things can cause these symptoms. Two I can think of off hand is possible diabetes or kidney problems, but I'm no vet.

His appointment is only 2 days away, so just keep an eye out for anything drastic before then.

Answer:
Until you see the vet, like LR says keep an eye on anything changing.

If it seems to get worse don't wait call the vet and insist they see your dog immediately. If not then go somewhere else.

If your dog starts to pant and tremble or lose control of its functions then get to a vet immediately.

Pls keep us posted.

Answer:
Sammy saw the vet today. No kidney disease or diabetes. He may have Cushing's though. Going to moniter him over the weekend (he got some antibiotics) and possibly do some more bloodwork if he doesn't improve.

Thanks for the advice. I will let all of you know how this turns out.

Answer:
Antibiotics, whats with vets they are as bad as our M.D's with dishing them out like they're candy or cookies :(

Personally I wouldn't give antibiotics unless there was a specific reason for it. Reason being it actually destroys healthy bacteria and weakens the immune system. Not something you want to do with a dog already sick from some unknown illness.

So what did the vet give you Clavamox?


Many antibiotics can cause an upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting as well as loss of appetite and lethargy. So, that may just add to your dogs problem.

If I were you I'd call the vet and ask exactly what the antibiotics are supposed to be doing for your dog at this stage of the situation?

Don't be afraid to ask q's!

Answer:
Luba,you are sooo right,as with human docs who don't know for sure what's wrong antibiotics seems to be the cure-all
Remember our little Lucy :(
But if you have a sick dog,whom you love very much,I guess you do what the vet tells you,hoping it will help.After all,they are supposed to be the experts
On the other hand,always ask questions before medicating your animal,nobody told me my cat could get seizures from his meds,but he did

Answer:
If I am not mistaken, there is a yahoo group for dogs with cushings. If you can find it, that might help you out a bit. I would do a google search and see what you can come up with. You would be surprised at what kind of support groups are out there for us doggy people.

Answer: