[ CHICAGO VETS ON PETS ]

Q. My dog has a problem, which is weird and a more than a littledisgusting. Calvin cleans up after himself while he is in the act ofvoiding his bladder. He has done this ever since I adopted him at age1. Now 2, he is neutered and seems normal in all other respects. Whydoes he do this disgusting behavior and how can I stop it?

A. Before we attribute this to some strangeness in your dog'sbehavior, we should first consider the possibility that Calvin has aphysical abnormality. Readers may be interested in knowing that themedical name for sugar diabetes is diabetes mellitus, Latin for sweetwater.

Individuals with diabetes spill sugar into their urine, whichmakes it sweet, and centuries ago doctors diagnosed diabetes bytasting their patients urine! Yuk! Thank goodness I'm practicingmedicine now!

If Calvin has diabetes, he may be attracted to the sweet taste.Another, different kind of diabetes, diabetes insipidus, causesafflicted individuals to be unable to concentrate their urine, andwithout constant water, they will become dehydrated.

Diabetes insipidus patients produce urine almost as dilute as purewater. There are also forms of kidney disease that can cause similardehydration. Please take your dog to your veterinarian for a full setof blood and a urinalysis. If it turns out he has a disease, let yourvet handle the problem.

If there is no disease, ask your vet to refer you to a veterinarybehaviorist for help in understanding what's going on. And, please,write back and let us know how Calvin is doing.

LARRY FOX, DVM

Members of the Chicago Veterinary Medical Association provide theanswers to this column. Write Chicago Vets on Pets, c/o CVMA, P.O.Box 5017, Oak Brook, Ill. 60522-5017. Or send e-mail to vetsonpets-@chicagovma.com.