Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Why two dogs with secondary polycythemia drink and pee a lot
By van Vonderen, I K et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·1997·Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Netherlands·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Polyuria and polydipsia and disturbed vasopressin release in 2 dogs with secondary polycythemia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
Two dogs with secondary polycythemia, a condition where there are too many red blood cells, were experiencing excessive urination and thirst. This was linked to a problem with how their bodies released a hormone called vasopressin, which helps control urine concentration. Tests showed that even when their blood became more concentrated, their bodies didn't respond properly to release vasopressin, leading to their symptoms. Treatment focused on managing the underlying cause, which was kidney cancer in these dogs, and addressing their hydration needs.
People also search for: dog excessive urination · dog thirst kidney cancer · secondary polycythemia treatment in dogs
Abstract
In dogs, secondary polycythemia (SP) may be associated with polyuria and polydipsia (PU/PD). The pathogenesis of this PU/PD has not yet been explained. We hypothesized that hyperviscosity and increased blood volume in SP might affect vasopressin (VP) release, resulting in PU/PD. This hypothesis was tested in 2 dogs with SP caused by renal neoplasia and PU/PD. Osmoregulation of VP release was studied by a modified water deprivation test and by investigating the VP response to hypertonic saline infusion. Water deprivation test results were consistent with an inability to produce concentrated urine despite increasing plasma osmolality. During hypertonic saline infusion, the osmotic threshold of VP release was markedly increased in both dogs, resulting in a delayed VP response to increasing plasma osmolality. The sensitivity of VP release was low normal in both dogs. We conclude that blood hyperviscosity and increased blood volume led to impaired VP release and polyuria.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9348498/