lab - heavy panting and drinking lots - help please

[Bosworth]

My brother in law has left me his 9 year old lab bitch for a month while they are out of the country. I have told her she is overweight and they know that so we are going to try and diet her and up the exercise while she is here. I have bought her a magnotherapy collar which I put on her today as I am concerned that she is stiff on all four legs. I know she has a good hip score so I think it is her weight that is causing the stiffness. However I have been concerned as she pants for no reason - I find her wandering round the house panting when she has clearly not been exerting herself. She will drink whenever there is water and I am filling a large drinking bowl about 10 times a day. With my own two dogs I am lucky if it is emptied once a day. She pees an awful lot - and full pees - not just marking ones although she has never peed in the house. So she is never caught short. He poo is sandy coloured although she is eating the same food as my two dogs and theirs is dark brown. She will happily come out with me all day in the fields and runs around lots so she can't be too ill.

I am hoping the collar makes her more comfortable so I can then exercise her more and I am keeping her portions small - although unusually for a lab she is not a greedy dog. Any suggestions as to whether she is normal for that age lab, I am concerned it could be diabeties but I don't want to take her to the vets for a full check up without dicussing it with BIL but I don;t want to do that without having a reason as I don't want them to feel I am intruding on their dog.

 

[Kallibear]

If she is really overweight she will be constantly hot and find even just moving about hard work, hence the panting. And panting looses a huge amount of water vapour, which may explain the drinking.

However I suspect she may have Cushings. She's the right age (although less common in labs), it, it makes them fat and drink and pee a lot. It also gives them bilateral symetrical hair thinning along the body sometimes. A blood test for it isn't difficult so it'd be worth visiting the vets.

 

[Bosworth]

thanks for that Kallibear, I had not even thought of cushings - that makes sense, we haven't got the hair loss but we have got several of the other symptoms, the lethargy, the excessive urination, the panting, the overweight, etc so I think I will suggest a blood test. it certainly can't harm but it would help us to get the bottom of her weight problem.

 

[Bosworth]

have also just booked her in to see the vet, think it's worth while being sure - will take urine sample and blood sample and test for diabetes and cushings as the symptoms at the moment could be either.

 

[GinaB]

I would take her to the vet just in case but then again I am a paranoid owner

They will easily take a blood test and you can collect a urine sample for them.

I hope she's ok

 

[MurphysMinder]

Another vote here for a check up with the vet. I am presuming that the panting and drinking a lot has been going on for a while. If it has just started and she has not been spayed then you should probably take her asap. Hope the slimming regime works and makes her a happier dog.

 

[Bosworth]

She was spayed last year - which is good news. She has just had the blood taken so results due back next week. We have to keep her routine as it is - just keeping an eye on her water intake and outpouring. Vet agrees her diet is good and she should in theory be loosing weight - after all she is now out with my 2 lurchers most of the day and they don't stop. So now we just have to wait for the blood test results and see what they tell us.