Kodiak is neutered and will be two in February. He is up to date on all his vaccinations and tested negative for heart worms last January. His next shots and heart worm are due next month (January 2010). Other than a spot of slow healing local demodectic mange on his nose he is healthy with no history of physical problems.
The past 3-4 days when I look at Kodiak from certain angles he seems to have doubled in size. I do not mean the beautiful, large Pyr thing; I mean pathologically huge. He looks and feels like he has put on a solid 15 pounds since Monday.
He is constantly thirsty and drinks a lot of water (excessive thirst).
He yawns a lot as if he needs the oxygen rather than being tired.
There have been times he is in a steady constant pant rather than breathing. The panting doesn't seem related to physical exertion.
His appetite has decreased somewhat though his recent stools appear normal to me.
I can't tell how often he urinates.
He is not loosing fur. His coat is full and pretty.
He is not aggressive or whiny.
He does not negotiate going down the stairs with his usual agility.
I have not really heard him bark in the past few days.
On Sunday my husband took Kodiak on a leisurely six mile hike with a friend and his golden retriever and Kodiak seemed fine during and after. The next day (Monday) I was tempted to take him to the vet due to his constant thirst and the fact that he was panting most of the time. This was unrelated to heat and lasted several hours but later he seemed normal. It took me a while to catch on to the fact that he was sort of panting instead of just regular breathing. On Tuesday (day) he slept most of the time (as usual) and did not eat much. I took him for our usual walk later in the evening. It's about three miles but not a rigorous walk for a Pyr. Kodiak sets the pace and we do a lot of milling around and exploring. He was excited and happy to go but about 3/4th of the way home he didn't feel like walking anymore so we took a huge short-cut. Today, Wednesday he seemed kind of lazy though not lethargic. He still yawns a lot as if it is part of his normal breathing pattern and he is still constantly thirsty. Actually, now that it is technically Thursday it will have been almost 4 days and to me he seems...unlike himself. I have read that a constant pant is a sign a dog may be in pain but Kodiak truly does not seem in pain.
I am going to try to take Kodiak to the vet the first thing in the morning. I am hoping the holiday is not a deterrent. I have looked on Google in an attempt to piece together these 'symptoms' and have not had much luck. I understand there could be nothing or a myriad of things wrong with Kodiak and I am not asking for anyone to make a diagnosis. I would however like to ask the right questions and I am wondering if any of these things sound familiar.
Thanks to all and Have a Happy Holiday
Christine and ââKodiakââ