Central diabetes insipidus in two related juvenile deerhounds

Abstract Two related juvenile deerhounds were evaluated 2 years apart because of polydipsia, pollakiuria and periuria. Until shortly before presentation, each dog lived outdoors from 6 weeks of age with its littermates, and each litter shared a single drinking water source. Physical examination findings were unremarkable. The most noteworthy laboratory finding was hyposthenuria, although both dogs also had serum sodium concentrations at the upper end of the laboratory reference range. Both dogs responded to treatment with desmopressin acetate eye drops, which relieved their clinical signs and increased their urine specific gravities, confirming a diagnosis of central diabetes insipidus. To the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first report of diabetes insipidus in deerhounds and only the third report to suggest that central diabetes insipidus might be heritable in dogs, as it is in humans.