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Why is my small dog peeing excessively, losing weight, and aging fast?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chihuahua | Male | neutered | 8 years and 8 months old | 5 lbs

He’s been peeing in the house lately even though he’s always been well house trained. Massive amounts for such a small dog. He eats well but appears to be loosing weight. Also the hair along his spine is becoming brittle and raised as if his hackles are up. What could be going on with him? He’s starting to look much older than he is.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Amy S. Eutsey, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on September 24th, 2018

Hello. Dingo is a cutie! There are a few main things to consider when a senior aged dog begins losing weight and urinating larger volumes of urine. Diabetes , kidney disease and Cushing’s disease are the main things to test for. Cushing’s disease involves the adrenal glands. It would be best to have your veterinarian examine Dingo and do some diagnostic tests including blood work and a urinalysis. Based on the results, a diagnosis may be reached or it may indicate that additional tests are needed. It is important to get these done as soon as possible. I hope you can get to the bottom of the issue. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    What you are describing is concerning for a long-term disease. This could indicate an infection and/or organ complications. This can also happen with conditions like Diabetes or Cushings. Many of these conditions can be easily diagnosed and treated effectively, so I reccomend having Dingo evaluated by a veterinarian sometime soon. These conditions tend to be more easily treated the sooner they are diagnosed, so I reccomend having him seen by a vet in the next day or two. I hope that helps and Dingo gets better soon.

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