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Diabetes Insipidus in Dogs
Written By hannah hollinger
Published: 10/28/2016Updated: 11/04/2021
What are Diabetes Insipidus?
Diabetes insipidus (DI) is rare in dogs and is distinct from diabetes mellitus (DM). There are 2 types of DI and both are related to the pituitary gland in dogs. Your dog will most likely present with issues with urination frequency and amount of water intake.
Other diagnoses may have to be ruled out due to their similar symptoms, some of those include diabetes mellitus, Cushing’s disease, renal failure, liver disease and infection of the uterus amongst others.
Diabetes insipidus (DI) is an issue with your dog’s ability to control his water intake and urine output. This is a pituitary gland disorder that is rare in dogs and causes your dog’s urine to become diluted due to his inability to concentrate his urine and can lead to dehydration in your dog if left alone.
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Symptoms of Diabetes Insipidus in Dogs
Symptoms are quite simple to identify, however once again they are similar to other disorders and cannot be used solely to diagnose.
- Excessive urination (polyuria)
- Excessive drinking (polydipsia)
- It may appear that your dog has incontinence problems, however, it is probably the excessive urination he is experiencing
- Weight loss
- Failure to thrive
Types
There are two types of diabetes insipidus and both are directly related to the pituitary gland and how it interacts with the body.
Central Diabetes Insipidus (CDI)
- Caused by the pituitary gland not releasing enough of the hormone called vasopressin which is an antidiuretic hormone
- May be due to birth defect, trauma, tumor on the pituitary gland, or possible unknown cause
- Found in any breed, gender and age of dog
- Can begin anywhere from 7 weeks to 14 years of age
Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus (NDI)
- Caused by your dog’s kidneys not responding to vasopressin that the pituitary gland produces
- May be due to birth defect, drugs, other metabolic disorders
- Found more often in Huskies as a primary diagnosis
- When it is a primary diagnosis it is found in puppies 18 months and under
- Most often it is found secondary to renal failure or metabolic disorders
Causes of Diabetes Insipidus in Dogs
Causes are related to the pituitary gland and how it is working within your dog’s body. At times there may be an underlying issue such as injury or other medical concerns resulting in secondary DI. Some causes are identified below.
- Birth defects – Your dog may be born with a pituitary gland that does not work within his body and his production of vasopressin
- Trauma related – Injuries
- Drug related – Possibly side effect of medications your dog is on or has taken
- Tumor on pituitary gland
- Other metabolic disorders being a primary diagnosis
Diagnosis of Diabetes Insipidus in Dogs
Diagnosing is done by your veterinarian and it will be very important to go in prepared with any symptoms or concerns you may have with your dog. Some things to pay attention to are an increase in urination, incontinence (or what appears to be incontinence in a trained dog), insatiable thirst, discomfort, and your dog’s inability to relax or remain calm.
Your veterinarian may want to rule out other disorders and may ask for tests in order do that. Images via x-rays, CT scans or other imaging devices may be used to see if there are any tumors on his pituitary gland as well. A water deprivation test may be used; this test allows your veterinarian to see if your dog produces a better concentration of urine while withholding water or providing the typical medication used to treat DI. Tests may be run to determine your dog’s plasma levels of vasopressin and whether they are absent, too low or too high.
Treatment of Diabetes Insipidus in Dogs
Treatment for CDI is typically done by providing your dog with medications to mimic his pituitary gland hormones via a synthetic hormone replacement such as desmopressin acetate.
Desmopressin Acetate (DDAVP) is a synthetic form of vasopressin and will help your dog to no longer urinate at such a dangerous frequency. This medication can reverse all of your dog’s symptoms. This medication is administered via the eye or nose. While this medication is a cure for your dog’s DI, it comes with 2 downsides. DDAVP must be given to your dog for the remainder of his life and It can be expensive.
Treatment for NDI is a bit different as even high doses of DDAVP are only found to be somewhat effective. The use of diuretics, oral salt and chlorothiazide are also used in NDI. The diuretics will help your dog to concentrate his urine reducing the risk of dehydration.
Your veterinarian may inform you that you can choose to not provide any medical treatment, however your dog will need to be provided with plenty of water at all times, you will not be able to limit his water intake and he will need to frequently use the bathroom.
If you choose not to provide treatment, it is important to remember that dehydration can lead to death in your dog if left untreated. Without medications to help him concentrate his urine, your dog runs a higher risk of developing dehydration which is why providing him with water at all times is necessary.
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Recovery of Diabetes Insipidus in Dogs
Diabetes insipidus is a lifelong diagnosis for your dog and you and he will be dealing with this forever. There is a high rate of recovery for dog’s with CDI if given medication management and symptoms can disappear as soon as 2 weeks after treatment is started.
If your dog is diagnosed with NDI however, it can be a bit trickier. This diagnosis comes with a guarded outcome. If the NDI is secondary to another underlying disorder and that is treated, your dog’s prognosis will be better. However, in the event treatment does not provide your dog relief, he can continue to live a good life with continuous water available to him and monitoring of any symptoms.
Diabetes insipidus is expensive to treat. To avoid high vet care expenses, secure pet health insurance today. The sooner you insure your pet, the more protection you’ll have from unexpected vet costs.
Diabetes Insipidus Average Cost
From 334 quotes ranging from $300 - $4,500
Average Cost
$3,000
Top
Diabetes Insipidus Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
Boxer
Bella
11 Years
12 found this helpful
12 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Weakness
No Appetite
Excessive Drinking
My dog was just diagnosed with diabetes insipidus. She was at the vet for a few days and started treatment. When she went in she was pretty weak and now she does not have much of an appetite. How do I help build up her strength and appetite? Also, how long does it typically take for a dog to start to get back to "normal" after starting medication. Thanks!
Aug. 18, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
12 Recommendations
Treatment for DI varies, and it depends on the treatment chosen as well as Bella's health status as to how long it will take to see recovery for her, but typically, dogs show improvement over about 2 weeks.
Aug. 18, 2018
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Standard Schnauzer
Stella
Three Months
7 found this helpful
7 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Thirsty
Urinating In House
Urinating Everwhere
Urinating Every Fifteen Minutes
I just got my puppy a week ago and ever since, she has peed all over the house, my bed, her bed, her crate, shes peed on me while im holding her, shes peeing everywhere, constantly. She is constantly wanting to drink water, ive limited her intake though. I put her in diapers and shes been wearing them the past 4 days and I have to change them every 30 mins. I dont even think shes noticing that shes peeing, its that bad.
Aug. 17, 2018
7 Recommendations
There are various different causes for urinary dribbling or a loss of urinary continence which may include ectopic ureters (not common in this breed), weak bladder sphincter, hormonal conditions among other causes; without examining Stella I cannot say what the specific cause is, however you should visit a Veterinarian for an examination to make a diagnosis. The use of diapers/nappies are not great as they can cause urine scalding even when changed regularly. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
Aug. 17, 2018
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Shepherd
Misty
10 Years
6 found this helpful
6 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Loss Of Mass
Dog is around 10 or 11 yrs. rescued mix shepherd/husky. During day, urinates normal..drinks a lot of water for a number years. For the last several months, even though she is out before bedtime and pees, during the night she will pee a large amount in house. Took her to vets this week for lack of appetite and just not active. Vet says urine test may suggest diabetes indipidus, but wants a urine test from first ruination in am. Can’t seem to relax at night ..just walks around. What treatment is available?
July 7, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
6 Recommendations
If Misty has DI, there are medications to help her body replace the missing hormone that she needs, which your veterinarian will be able to prescribe for her. I hope that everything goes well for her.
July 7, 2018
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Basset Hound
Bailey
13 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Difficulty Administering Med
Our 13 year old Basset Hound was just diagnosed with DI. We have the nasal spray and were told to put a drop 2x a day in each eye. We cannot remove the cap to get to the liquid, so was wondering how others are administering the medication? Thanks!
Chihuahua Terrier mix
Abby
8 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Excessive Drinking
Urinating In House
My vet started my dog on the desmopressin trial. First we started with. 1mg pill 12 hours a day. But she was still drinking alot of water. So we increased her medicine to .2 mg pill 12 hours a day. She drinks less water but she has an accident everyday from 7:30 am to 8:30 am. And it is always when we are not home (when we are at work). Could the accidents be DI or something else?
Mixed
Caramel
16 Years
1 found this helpful
1 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Urination
My 16 year old Jack Russel/Chihuahua was diagnosed with Nephrogenic Diabetes 6 months ago. Her urination and need for water has become progressively worse. She goes thru 8-10 diapers a day and is up in the middle of the night begging for water. Our Vet has suggested based on her quality of life it maybe time to let her go. I am struggling with this decision as perhaps if I continue to provide water and deal with the urination issue she still has a quality of life. Any input or experiences from others who have been in this situation would be appreciated.
Bedlington Terrier
Rosie
9 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Increased Thirst, Eating, Urination
My bitch has just started on desmopressin. 2 x 0.1mg every 48hrs. How long before I might see a change in her water in take, and urinating . As I have 4 dogs it’s harder to check how much she is drinking.
Pug
Pug
10 Years
0 found this helpful
0 found this helpful
My pet has the following symptoms:
Increased Thirst
Increased Appetite
Increased Urine
Dog has had increased drinking and peeing, great appetite. The last few days drinking and peeing is outrageous, drinking every 5 minutes and up at night. Doctor suspected Cushing's a year ago, but both test results were normal. Dog is also on Royal Canin SO to make him drink and pee from previous bladder stones. Vet now suspects diabetes insipidus, as abdominal ultrasound is fine. What do I do? I really feel like they're just guessing at this point and I cannot afford more testing like this. They want to start pills for the diabetes insipidus from a local pharmacy. Pug, maybe boston terrier mix.
Diabetes Insipidus Average Cost
From 334 quotes ranging from $300 - $4,500
Average Cost
$3,000
Get a free pet insurance quote in less than 60 seconds!
Easily compare quotes from the most trusted pet insurance companies in the United States.
