wenqyang
08-31-2016, 08:30 PM
Hi Everyone. Newbie here needing help with the next steps in diagnosis for my 11 year old retriever/chow mix, Mollie.
I'm very active when I want to be and Mollie's energy level fits my personality perfectly. We spent the majority of weekends rock climbing and hiking. She is excited when she is outdoors but relaxed and calm and can sleep 20 hours during off peak times. When she was 9 I picked up mountain biking and she was a trooper to run next to me for 12+ miles days. At 10 years old, she started slowing down so I dialed back the mountain biking rides to less than 3 miles. This year, I haven't taken her on any rides. She is still a happy and excited dog and I'm just as happy to have a senior dog as my companion.
Last December 2015, I had several warts removed and cleaned her teeth. In the pre-anesthesia profile my vet at the time commented on elevated ALP of 212 (normal range on report is 0-140U/I). Since this was the only elevated marker and Mollie is in good health and mood, the vet told me to not worry about it. However, recently I noticed Mollie is drinking ALOT of water (approx. 4L a day for a 65lb dog with mild activities) and her pee is watery. She has alwvays been a heavy drinker but this was excessive even for her. And recently she peed in an apartment while we were traveling for the first time ever. I became worried and took her to my new vet who performed a senior wellness blood panel, urinalysis, and stool sample. Her urinalysis showed low specific gravity but otherwise normal. Her bloodwork showed elevated ALP, this time at 515 and slightly elevated cholestrol, 9 months later. Otherwise all is in normal range.
My vet is still considering diabetes, cushings disease, and endocrine disease as possibilities for her recent increase in excessive drinking and urination, though they suspect cushings since there are no indication in other markers.
What would been the appropriate next steps to help confirm diagnosis or rule out other causes?
Are the current elevated levels of ALP a concern? I've seen Cushing's levels in the 1000s rather than the 100s.
I'm very active when I want to be and Mollie's energy level fits my personality perfectly. We spent the majority of weekends rock climbing and hiking. She is excited when she is outdoors but relaxed and calm and can sleep 20 hours during off peak times. When she was 9 I picked up mountain biking and she was a trooper to run next to me for 12+ miles days. At 10 years old, she started slowing down so I dialed back the mountain biking rides to less than 3 miles. This year, I haven't taken her on any rides. She is still a happy and excited dog and I'm just as happy to have a senior dog as my companion.
Last December 2015, I had several warts removed and cleaned her teeth. In the pre-anesthesia profile my vet at the time commented on elevated ALP of 212 (normal range on report is 0-140U/I). Since this was the only elevated marker and Mollie is in good health and mood, the vet told me to not worry about it. However, recently I noticed Mollie is drinking ALOT of water (approx. 4L a day for a 65lb dog with mild activities) and her pee is watery. She has alwvays been a heavy drinker but this was excessive even for her. And recently she peed in an apartment while we were traveling for the first time ever. I became worried and took her to my new vet who performed a senior wellness blood panel, urinalysis, and stool sample. Her urinalysis showed low specific gravity but otherwise normal. Her bloodwork showed elevated ALP, this time at 515 and slightly elevated cholestrol, 9 months later. Otherwise all is in normal range.
My vet is still considering diabetes, cushings disease, and endocrine disease as possibilities for her recent increase in excessive drinking and urination, though they suspect cushings since there are no indication in other markers.
What would been the appropriate next steps to help confirm diagnosis or rule out other causes?
Are the current elevated levels of ALP a concern? I've seen Cushing's levels in the 1000s rather than the 100s.