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Why is my senior Shih Tzu drinking and peeing a lot? Is it age?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | neutered | 14 years and 3 months old | 12 lbs

I have a 15 yr. old male Shih Tzu that has recently started drinking a lot of water and having to relieve himself often as result...could this be age related???

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 13th, 2020

Hello. It definitely can be age related. Disease, & loss of kidney function can cause increased thirst & increased urination. You should have Barney evaluated by your veterinarian at your earliest convenience. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Emily, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 30th, 2017

    Hello It's not necessarily a bladder disease or infection but those are possible causes for increased water intake with an increased urination. However there are other diseases like Cushing's, kidney disease and diabetes that could cause those signs. Either way there's really no home remedy you can do that will be effective for either an infection or those potential underlying disease. Having your vet do an exam and discuss possible test with you for your pet is the best and most effective way to make sure there isn't a serious underlying cause to Boo's changes.

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    Answered By Catherine Stecyk

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 12th, 2019

    Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You are correct that both diabetes and/or a UTI could cause Rocco to have to urinate very frequently. There are many other diseases including kidney disease, liver disease, Cushing's disease, Addison's disease, elevated calcium levels, etc, that can cause dogs to drink a lot of water and urinate a lot too. I recommend bringing Rocco to your veterinarian at their next available appointment for an exam and at least a urinalysis. This way your veterinarian can see if there is evidence of a UTI and/or sugar in the urine that would be consistent with diabetes. He/she can also evaluate the concentration of the urine to see if kidney disease may be present. Your vet may recommend bloodwork to evaluate for any other underlying diseases if a urinalysis is not conclusive. I hope this is helpful!

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