I’ve been noticing some health issues with my Miniature Schnauzer lately. He’s been more thirsty than usual and seems to be losing weight. IDK if it’s just old age, but it has me worried. Anyone else dealing with this? Should I take him to the vet?
Yeah, that sounds like it could be diabetes. They’re prone to it, unfortunately. My Schnauzer had it and had to change his diet and get regular checkups. You might want to get some blood tests done to check his sugar levels.
@Caden
Oh wow, I didn’t know they were more likely to get diabetes. I’ll keep that in mind, thanks for sharing!
Same here, I had to deal with liver issues with my Mini Schnauzer. They can have elevated liver enzymes. Definitely get him checked out soon, just to be sure.
Denver said:
Same here, I had to deal with liver issues with my Mini Schnauzer. They can have elevated liver enzymes. Definitely get him checked out soon, just to be sure.
Did you have to do surgery or just medication for the liver issues? Trying to figure out what to expect if that’s what’s going on.
@Emery
It was just meds for us, thankfully. But surgery might be needed in more serious cases. Better to get a vet’s opinion ASAP.
Has he had any skin problems? Schnauzers are also prone to skin allergies or ‘Schnauzer bumps.’ Could be related if he’s been scratching a lot.
Amar said:
Has he had any skin problems? Schnauzers are also prone to skin allergies or ‘Schnauzer bumps.’ Could be related if he’s been scratching a lot.
He hasn’t really been scratching too much, but I’ll keep an eye out for that. Thanks for the tip!
One of the major causes of death for Mini Schnauzers is heart failure. If he’s getting older, it might be worth checking his heart health too, especially if he’s acting off. My older Schnauzer had some issues that I didn’t catch early enough.
@Torrance
Yeah, heart issues seem to be common in older Schnauzers. I’d definitely get a checkup to rule that out too. Better safe than sorry.
You should also watch out for kidney or bladder stones. Schnauzers are more likely to get them and they can be really painful. If he’s straining to pee or having accidents, definitely see a vet.
Ridley said:
You should also watch out for kidney or bladder stones. Schnauzers are more likely to get them and they can be really painful. If he’s straining to pee or having accidents, definitely see a vet.
Good point. I had a Schnauzer with bladder stones before, and it was really tough. It’s worth asking the vet about it just to be sure.