Drinking more water and peeing more, any ideas?

[theyremine]

My Stellar is 13 and recently (within the last two months) has started drinking more water and naturally peeing more. Mentioned it at her vet visit a month ago, but offered that it might be due the hot spell and my vet agreed. Now it's cooler here but she continues to drink 3-4oz a day and basically eat only wet food. So we returned to the vet yesterday for a complete blood and urine workup which today revealed that she is a perfectly healthy cat. She also lost half a pound in a month. (which she needed to lose) My vet seems satisfied that she is okay. I'm left wondering.

 

[StanAndAlf]

My initial thought was kidney disease or diabetes, but if she's had the workup and the results were good then that pretty much rules it out, unless you get a second opinion that says otherwise, which can't hurt. Do you know what the blood tests covered, exactly?

How heavy is your girl? As a general rule, cats should drink 44-66ml of water per kg of bodyweight. So if she is 4kg, then 6-8oz a day would be considered normal. The heat could definitely have sparked this sudden intake, but it could also be hyperthyroidism. Only a T4 blood test detect hyperthyroidism, I believe.

How is her appetite? Has her behaviour changed at all recently otherwise?

 

[Heart For Cats]

The vet should not have brushed it off as a response to the summer heat. Thirteen is a normal age for those symptoms to occur together for an extended period of time. Take Stellar and her medical records (not just the current blood and urine test results) to another hospital for a second opinion. Something is definitely wrong with her. Possibilities include diabetes, chronic renal failure, hyperthyroidism (likely if she also eats more than usual), and certain viruses.

Before scheduling another appointment, pinch your fingers between her shoulder blades. Count the seconds while watching it recover. If it returns to position slowly, Stella is dehydrated.

 

[theyremine]

Stellar was 15 lbs., now 14.5 lbs. (Vet thinks she should be 13-14 lbs) She shows no signs of illness except for the increased water consumption. She is not eating more than usual, just drinking more.
Vet report: " It's all good news! Her Complete Blood Count, Chemistry Panel (liver, kidney, blood sugar, electrolytes), Thyroid Level, and Urinalysis were all perfectly healthy!"

 

[StanAndAlf]

Ok, so I don't think she's drinking too much water, just more than usual. I would be getting a second opinion, just to be on the safe side.

Is she long furred? Is it still quite hot where you are?

 

[theyremine]

Stellar is definitely not dehydrated. I have 5 cats and have worked at a cat rescue for 12 years so I know dehydration is not the issue.. Kidney issue, diabetes, and hypertension were the first ideas I had but those have been ruled out.
I have faith in my vet and trust the results of the tests. I was looking for some ideas "outside the box" that perhaps my vet has not thought of.

 

[theyremine]

Stellar is not long haired but she does have very thick fur with an undercoat. It's hard to part the fur to see her skin.
The heat has let up the last week or so.

 

[theyremine]

I might get a second opinion just to see if another vet has any other ideas.

 

[StanAndAlf]

It definitely could just be the heat, lots of cats drink more when its hotter. If the temp stays cool and she slows down within the next week, then it was likely just the heat wave. It could also be stress, some cats do drink more as a stress response.