r/SwissMountainDogs

I’m wondering if anyone has had both breeds and can give me a first hand opinion on how the two compare.

We lost our Saint last month. Although he was stubborn and messy (drool, hair, water everywhere), he was the best family dog we could have asked for. He loved to snuggle, romp through the woods, play fetch, etc. He was never aggressive, not overly protective, he just loved everyone - human or dog. That said, he also had several health issues - aortic stenosis, cherry eye, weak hips, and in the end, osteosarcoma. We did not get him from a reputable breeder, lesson learned.

From what I’ve read about GSMDs, they seem to be similar in temperament but smaller in size and neater. Is that accurate?

My dog Shaq has recently experienced urinary incontinence the last 2 months. He never had issues before and is very well potty trained. It happens most often towards the end of the evening after 7pm, once he has had his excercise for the day, eaten and drank water. He usually will lay down and fall asleep but will be awakened by small leakage. If it occurs overnight and he doesnt get the chance to pee outside, a larger pool may accumulate. It also does occasionally happen to a lesser extent during the daytime.

He has done blood and urine tests. His urine concentration has been consistently diluted. They also saw slightly raised levels to do with his kidneys and requested an ultrasound. The ultrasound ultimately showed no major damage or noticeable structural changes or growths or masses with his kidney (which has mostly ruled out the worry of serious obvious kidney disease). It looks mostly normal although may be slightly small.

The vet now thinks what he's experiencing may be most likely related to Diabetes insipidus or Psychogenic polydipsia. The vet has described it as still somewhat of a mystery though, because even those 2 conditions may not be the culprit. I've been instructed to track how much water intake he has on an average day and keep a record. Shaq has always been more of a guzzler with water, often waiting until he is very thirsty and then finishing a whole bowl. Im curious to see if his daily water intake is much above normal, as it does not seem obvious to me.

Has anyone experienced or heard of anything like this with a 3.5 year old Male Greater Swiss? Appreciate any commentary.