Does my dog have diabetes???

Hi
I have a 7 3/4 year old castrated Westie.
I have owned him since he was 4 years old. I also have two 4 1/2year old Westie bitches (one spayed, one due to be done in 3 months!).
My problem is my boy. He has always wee'd quite alot, marking every tree and blade of grass he can get to. When my girls come/came into season he has always acted like an entire male (much to their delight).
Over the last year or two he has had the occasional 'accident' indoors, in a couple of specific places.
Late last year (Sept time) he started to drip in his bed, mainly at bedtime so off we went to the vets who said he is suffering with incontinece, so he is now on Propalin (2ml twice a day).
Over the last couple of weeks he has started to wee ALOT in the house (most nights and sometime during the evening), everynight he is wetting the bed.
I've tried lifting his water at 9pm, he always has a big wee at bedtime (11ish) and another in the morning (8ish).
I've been reading 'things' and now think it is a possibility he may have diabetes. I've also noticed his eyes have gone ever so slighty blue, (another thing I read, cataracts).
I'm not jumping to any great home made conclusions and I think I will be booking him in for a blood test but would like to know what others think.
ps Bitch is just coming out of season and he has been rampant for 8 days, not really eating, anxious and a bit nervous. Its been the worst season we have gone through. (she's fine, happy as a pig in ...)

Sorry this is a bit long, but I thought I'd give you as much info as possible from the outset.

Thanks for your help

Hi there

Excessive urination and excessive drinking can be a sign of diabetes, but can also be a sign of kidney problems, so that would be worth checking out too. Although as you mention cataracts, this can also be caused by diabetes.

Lifting his water unfortunately won't prevent the urination at night. The excessive urination always causes excessive drinking in any health problem, not the other way around as many people think.

The best thing to do would be to book him in to the vets for a check and bloods if need be. Diabetes if left untreated will become very serious quite quickly. However when treated and managed effectively the condition needent be as much of an issue.

There are other things that it could be, but a vet visit would definately be the best option.

Good luck

Agree totally with Mummy2Max - this is definitely a visit to the vet one. Males can get a type of cystitis too; which causes either sex to wee little and often. There's also prostate troubles in males. Please don't worry your self about the 'may be's'. Much better to get him checked and find out what is going on.

Diabetes is treatable - but you don't mention excessive thirst and sleepiness. My beloved first dog had kidney failure and drank excessively, but with good vet care she had 5 additional years with us before I had to let her cross the Rainow Bridge at nearly 15 years of age. No matter what, limiting access to water is not the answer and might make things worse. Make that visit to the vet soon and good luck - hugs and kisses to you all and please let us know how things go. xx

I'd definitely get him checked out but it could be the inseason bitch causing it, hen my bitch is worried or aroused she drinks a lot more than at other times so this could be what he is doing.

Thank you for your replies so far.

The bitch in season may well be a big part of his problem, he is just beside himself with love I think!!

The cataract thing is just something I read earlier today. I do not know much about them at all but on reading that their little eyes can/do go a misty blue colour I checked out my boy and did notice a blue tint.

I think he has been drinking more recently but they always have water available so its hard to monitor him properly.

He isn't lethargic and has only left some of his meals this week, (they all have a small breakfast and regular dinner, dry), which I've put down to his lustfulness!!

We will be off to the vets tomorrow for a few blood checks.
Hopefully he's just being a dilly and will sort himself out but worse ways we'll know wht it is and can act accordingly.

Any more suggestions and remarks will be welcome.

Ooooh a difficult one. I guess it could be so many things.
Diabetes is the one we all jump to but without blood tests etc you cannot tell. Did the Propalin help? Maybe he needs an increase in the doseage.
Maybe it is a simple wee infection.
Glad you are taking him to the vets tomorrow. Let us know how he gets on.
Not very helpful am I? Just wanted you to know we will be thinking of you.

Propalin seemed to work for a few months, he certainly stopped dripping in his bed, but he still wee'd up 'things' namely washing machine, radiator and corner of sofa occasionally.
I lowered the dose and then raised it up a bit until I felt it was working best for him.
I did get a 15 day course of antibiotics for him incase it was an infection, that didn't seem to change anything though.
I'll let you know what happens tomorrow.

Good luck

Glad you've got him into the vets so quickly good luck and do let us know how he gets on xxx

May not be aproporite but my cat has diabetes and kidney failure. She wees an awfull lot. Has he ever had any fits of any sort?