Click here to read Tigger's Diabetes Insipidus Story - a history of the events and symptoms that lead to Tigger's final diagnosis of "Partial Central Diabetes Insipidus". WARNING!! It's long!
Diabetes Insipidus is a rare condition caused by a lack of the hormone that concentrates urine. This could either be because the dog's body is not producing enough of the hormone (this was Tigger's case) or else the dog's kidneys do not know how to use the hormone.
The general symptoms are: the dog will appear very thirsty and will need to urinate very often. In fact, the dog will need to urinate often even if he isn't drinking a lot - and the urine will be very dilute and clear. This means he/she is at high risk for dehydration if he/she does not have enough water to drink.
If the kidneys are working fine and there is a lack of the hormone, it can be treated easily by giving the dog the hormone. This is done in the form of a spray or drops, called DDAVP which can be given anywhere where they can be absorbed by a mucous membrane - such as in the eyes or nose. This treatment is fairly expensive, however! In Canada it's about $60 for a 2.5cc bottle.
There are no real dietary concerns with this disease. Vitamin B supplements might be a good idea since this vitamin is water-soluble and might wash through the system too fast to be absorbed if the dog has a high water intake/output rate. And of course, LOTS OF WATER is important!