Psychogenic polydipsia in dogs - a review of pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment.

Psychogenic polydipsia requires systematic exclusion of organic causes and multimodal behavioral and pharmaceutical management.

Psychogenic polydipsia in dogs is a primary polydipsia disorder characterized by compulsive water consumption rooted in neurologic, behavioral, or environmental factors. This condition presents with polyuria and polydipsia in young, systemically healthy dogs that often display nervous, anxious, stereotypical, compulsive, or hyperactive behaviors. The pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of canine psychogenic polydipsia remain poorly documented in veterinary literature despite being well-characterized in human medicine. Diagnosis requires systematic elimination of other causes of polyuria and polydipsia, as no specific test definitively confirms psychogenic polydipsia. Treatment employs a multimodal approach combining water restriction, environmental modification, behavioral intervention, and pharmaceutical management. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion in young, anxious dogs presenting with excessive drinking and urination after excluding organic causes.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.