senior cat suddenly drinking more water

Patty is drinking the pool dry. She's 12, a DSH, and we just got the bloodwork back. Creatinine is slightly high. Heartworm is negative. The vet said to wait three months and retest. I'm not waiting three months to see if she's dying. What are we missing? Is this just age? I've got Milo with thyroid issues and he drinks plenty, but Patty is on a different level.

Dan, I'm a vet tech, not a doctor, but I'll tell you what I see in the clinic. Elevated creatinine in a 12-year-old is the red flag. It points to kidneys, not thyroid or heart. The vet told you to wait because slight elevations can be noise. But if she is drinking significantly more, that is a symptom, not just a lab value. Check the Patty's bloodwork follow up thread I started; there is a discussion on whether to push for a urinalysis now instead of waiting. If her urine is dilute, that confirms the kidneys are struggling to concentrate it. Don't ignore the thirst.

Oh god, this is so stressful. I just read the pinned guide and it lists so many things. Diabetes, kidney disease, liver issues. I am looking at Patty's water bowl and feeling like I'm failing her. I keep thinking if I just buy a different type of water fountain or add flavoring to her food, maybe she'll drink less? Or will that make it worse? I feel like I'm overthinking it but I can't stop. I did the same thing with Kiwi and Mimi's vet visits and ended up canceling an appointment because I was too anxious. What do I actually do today? Do I call the vet back or just wait?

Anna, you are not failing her. But you should call the vet. In my experience with Bella, waiting when something feels 'off' is the worst thing. I know the advice was to wait three months, but if the behavior is acute, that timeline might be outdated. I remember reading in Bella's asthma flare ups that we needed to adjust meds when the symptoms changed, not just stick to the calendar. Does Patty seem tired? Is she eating? If she is lethargic, call today. If she is just thirsty but acting normal, maybe email the vet and ask if they can run a quick urine specific gravity test. It is less invasive than bloodwork.

I'm new to this, Mochi is only a year old, but I've been reading up on nutrition. I know water intake changes with diet. If Patty is on dry food, that is a lot of water she has to pull from her bowl. I switched [[4|Mochi's diet] to a mix of wet and dry and his water usage went down a bit. Is it possible Patty is just thirsty because her food is too dry? I know that's a long shot for a 12-year-old with high creatinine, but it's something to think about? Maybe a wet food transition would help the kidneys work less?

Mike, good point on the food. I'll look into wet food. But I'm still worried about the kidneys. Anna, I'm calling the vet in the morning. I don't like the idea of waiting three months when she's drinking like that. I'll ask about the urine test Paul mentioned. Thanks for the input. I just want to make sure I'm not being too reactive, but I've learned from Milo that you can't ignore the early signs. Milo's thyroid saga taught me that early catch saves a lot of headache later.