You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Urine production may increase or decrease in old animals for a variety of reasons. It is important to regularly monitor a pets toilet habits and if a significant change is noticed a veterinarian should be asked to check the pet.

Most owners are not good at observing their pet's toilet habits, but it is important to check that urine production is  "normal" throughout middle-age and old age because there are a number of common disorders that lead to changes in urination..

If you watch the urination behaviour of an older pet you may notice a variety of changes including :

• Increased frequency of urination. Common causes are :
  • Kidney disease
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Cystitis - infection of the urinary bladder
  • Cushing's syndrome - too much adrenal hormone
  • Pyometra - disorder of the uterus
  • Hyperthyroidism in cats
  • Liver disease
  • Brain tumour (diabetes insipidus)
• Decreased frequency of urination. Common causes are :
  • Dehydration
  • Kidney failure
• Increased volume of urine produced. Common causes are :
  • Kidney disease
  • Diabetes mellitus
  • Cushings syndrome
  • Pyometra 
  • Hyperthyroidism in cats
  • Brain tumour (diabetes insipidus)
• Decreased volume of urine produced. Common causes are :
  • Dehydration
  • Kidney failure 
• Difficulty (straining) during urination. Common causes are
  • Cystitis
  • Bladder tumours
  • Stones (uroliths) blocking the urinary tract
• A change in colour of the urine - eg pink, red, yellow, brown, black. Common causes are :
  • Cystitis
  • Bladder tumours
  • Urolithiasis - stones in the urinary tract
  • Jaundice - liver disease or blood disorders
• An abnormal smell in fresh urine eg ammonia, or a sweet acetone smell. Causes include :
  • Ammonia - bacterial infection eg cystitis
  • Acetone : ketones in the urine - in advanced diabetes mellitus

A change that lasts only a day or two may not be significant HOWEVER if a pet stops producing urine - or is having difficulty and is  unable to pass urine ...both situations are an emergency and veterinary attention should be sought as soon as possible.

Provet Recommendation :

Examine your pet's urinating habits regularly. If you notice any of the changes above you should seek veterinary advice because some of the underlying causes are serious and need to be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.

Updated October 2013