Why does my old dog drink so much water and pee a lot? Addressing common senior dog problems.

Okay, let's talk about this. My old boy, Max, he started hitting the water bowl like it was his full-time job a few months back. At first, I didn't think much of it. Maybe he was just thirsty? It was getting a bit warmer, perhaps.

But then it kept going. I mean, I was filling that bowl constantly. Like, multiple times a day, way more than usual. And what goes in must come out, right? So, the next thing I noticed was him needing to go outside all the time. Pacing by the door, whining a bit. Even started having accidents inside overnight, which he hadn't done since he was a tiny puppy. That’s when I really started to pay attention. Something felt off.

I’m not gonna lie, I got worried. Max is getting up there, you know? He's been my buddy for over 12 years. You see changes like that, and your mind starts jumping to conclusions. I did a quick check online, just typed in "old dog drinking lots of water," and saw all sorts of possibilities. Some sounded pretty serious, honestly. It just made me more anxious.

Figuring It Out

So, I stopped guessing. Made an appointment with our vet straight away. I gathered up my thoughts on what I'd been seeing:

• Constant thirst: Always at the water bowl.
• Lots of peeing: Asking to go out way more, day and night.
• Accidents: Peeing inside, especially at night.
• Maybe seemed a bit more tired? Hard to tell sometimes with old dogs.

Took Max in. The vet listened to everything I said, gave Max a good check-over. Then she suggested running some tests. Blood work and a urine test, mainly. Said it would help rule things out or pinpoint what was going on. So, we did that. Had to wait a day or so for the results, which felt like forever.

Turns out, Max's kidneys aren't working quite as well as they used to. The vet explained it in simple terms – they're just not filtering things properly anymore, which makes him thirsty and need to pee a lot. It’s pretty common in older dogs, apparently. It wasn't the worst-case scenario I'd imagined, which was a relief, but still something we needed to manage.

Now, we're on a new routine. Max has some special kidney-support food. It’s not his favorite, but he eats it. We also have to make sure he always has fresh water available, ironically. And yeah, more frequent trips outside, especially right before bed and first thing in the morning. It’s an adjustment, for sure. More work for me, keeping track of everything.

But you know what? He seems pretty comfortable. He's still my happy old guy. It's just part of looking after them when they get older. Seeing him lap up water isn't as alarming now because I know why he's doing it, and we're doing what we can. If your old dog suddenly turns into a water fiend, don't wait around wondering – just get them checked out by the vet. Better to know what you're dealing with.