She finished the course of antibiotics for UTI last Monday and although she's obviously feeling better in herself they haven't cleared up the infection. So on Wednesday it was back to the vet for an Xray, ultrasound and a urine analysis. No bladder stones or struvites but the wall of her bladder is slightly thickened, which he said could be due to inflammation from an infection. From the preliminary litmus test of her urine she has an elevated protein level and some sediment, but he'll be able to tell me more when he gets the results back from the lab in around a week. The vet has taken he off all medication,apart from painkillers. until we know exactly which bacteria it is He also pointed out if no bacteria is present, she could have spay incontinence. She's eating well but drinking more water than normal. although that could also be partly due to the hot weather, and at night if she doesn't wake me up wanting to go out for a pee, she soaks her mattress in her sleep. Luckily she has two and I've enough material and stuffing from an old futon to make more if needed. It's all very worrying! On a lighter note we went to training early this morning and the little black devil disgraced himself by barking at Ronny, Kinga's Giant Schnauzer who was minding his own business in the garden. He's been a bit "twitchy" towards other dogs ever since his bad experience with the GSD and the cyclists a couple of weeks ago. For the next few weeks as part of training we'll be taking the dogs for LL walking around the residential area where she lives as there are dogs in practically every garden. That boy of mine is a cocky little so and so ... but then he is a terrier and can't resist a challenge! He actually did very well and only reacted to the dog in the first garden we passed and after that looked but didn't bark. Georgina, needless to say ignored the dogs completely with her usual disdain for such uncouth and ill mannered creatures!
Poor Princess G. I hope her incontinence clears quickly. The sediment sounds as if there is still some infection there, but the hot weather probably hasn't helped either. I hope it is just a case of finding the right AB.
Oh poor little Princess - not more of a UTI. Tikva does sometimes pee in her crate but it does not bother either of us - at least it does not get me up at stupid o'clock.and we both ignore it. Well, with 600 free pee pads, who cares. But it must be worrying for you and the Princess, Much love to you both - and the little black devil.
Must be very upsetting for poor Georgina waking up on a wet bed, is it possible to wake her up after a few hours [4 hours] to let her out for a wee, until she's better & is back to her old self again.
Haha! Have you ever tried to wake a sleeping Pei? Once she's put her head down Georgina sleeps like a log! If she does wake in the night and I find her bed is wet, I swop it for her other one and cover it with a clean blanket. Luckily with weather being hot I can get the soiled things washed and dried in a day, so at the moment we're coping. I've got enough ticking material and kapok in the storeroom to make two more mattresses. Just a matter of getting the sewing machine out then stuffing them, which doesn't take long. Hopefully 4 mattresses should be enough for HRH? She's such a particular girl in that she likes a really firm mattress. I bought her a new one for her birthday, which she hates because it's too soft for her and has now been taken over by the little black devil! Funnily enough last night she didn't wake me up or wet her bed. I'm now a bit puzzled because the only thing different to her normal routine was that we went to training where she was doing some quite energetic (for her) agility? To be honest I don't know much about UTI's as the last time one of our dogs had one was yonks years ago and the only thing I remember was us all nearly having a fit when my 3 year old fed one of the dog's tablets to his baby brother!
An update on Georgina. Dr Puskas phoned today with the results of her urine analysis. It's a false positive which he as explained could be due to a number of things. The bacteria they identified is one more usually associated with skin infections or vaginitis and to get a pure urine sample would mean aspirating urine directly from her bladder which apparently can't be done under a GA. As he doesn't want to put Georgina under more trauma than necessary, after consulting a urologist he's decided rather than giving her more AB's to put her on a supplement to support and improve the health of her bladder, which I'm collecting tomorrow (He did tell me the name of the tablets which I can't remember). At least it seems to be nothing too serious and thankfully after discussing her "peeing" habits (for lack of a better description) we've ruled out spay incontinence. She's not wetting her bed in her sleep or waking me up as often as she was doing. Monday night was the first time she woke me up wanting to go out for several nights and this morning was the first time in a week her bed was wet. Just keeping fingers crossed the supplement will do the trick!
I would be interested to know the name of the supplement when you get it. Merry had been completely dry since early May, so I tailed off her Propalin syrup in June, but still gave the CSJ herbal 'Hold It', ( which is Agrimony), on her dinner. Last Wednesday, I decided to try skipping the herb, and that night I took her to Obedience instead of Eddie. I was mortified, she wet the floor! I reinstated the Hold It that night, there has been no problem since. In the past she has wet in the car while Ed was having his Ob. lesson, but her Agility is in a different building at the same place, and there were no accidents there. So, was this stress related, the missed dose of herb, or just a coincidence? Blowed if I know!
Being a permanent chair user therefore sitting on "it" all the time, and having incontinence problems, I frequently get UTI's. The best thing I have found to calm things down [I am allergic to 90% of anti-biotics] is a Hylands homeopathic remedy for bladder irritation. Not that my GP believes me but then as far as I am concerned her medical knowledge is zero.
Thank you for the info - luckily I have a goodly store with a long expiry date, most not even opened and in a well sealed box, but I had better check iHerb to see if they say discontinued. - - - just checked and they are not listed. Booga. Not to worry, they are for temporary relief and as such they work, whereas antibiotics are liable to end me up in hospital. And I think it is more discomfort than a true UTI as getting relief and drinking litres of water seems to work. It is a chair/incontinence problem and nothing can be done so rather get relief from homeopathic or herbal products than risk ending up in hospital again due to antibiotic major allergic attacks. But - I also have Himalaya [brand] "UriCare" which is herbal, not homeopathic, and it says "Supports optimal Conditions in Kidneys, Bladder & Urinary Tract" which also helps. Trouble is they come in a bottle of 240 capsules and which need to be taken with meals, whereas the little bottles of Hylands things are just that. Little bottles containing 100 tabs for sublingual treatment.
I've just got back from the "big city". As it's another stinking hot day in paradise left the dogs at home which they weren't too chuffed about but as well as going to the vet to collect Georgina's prescription I needed to do some shopping and it's much too hot to leave them in the car for more than a couple of minutes, so despite being moaned at trying to make me feel guilty, they got left behind! Carole you wanted to know what Georgina's been prescribed so here goes ... It's Cystophan manufactured by Protexin a UK company. You can read all about it on their website which is www.protexin.com When you go to the website you'll have to look under the cat section but my vet assures me it's also suitable for dogs. 30 capsules cost me the HUF equivalent of £10 and will last 15 days, after which if there's no improvement I've been told to bring her back. She didn't wake me up last night and her bed was dry when I looked this morning, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed this supplement will do the "trick". Now have to work out how to get them into her because she's so "pill savvy" I swear she'd make a brilliant drug detection dog!
Thanks for that Barbara, I hope it works quickly, do keep us posted. My pair have the Protexin probiotic powder, so I do know the company. No further lapses with Merry, but it is always useful to have some other ideas in reserve.
Could try putting tablet in stilton cheese, it as fooled Miss Tinula & Ugly Thing when I give them cod liver oil capsules.
I bought liver paste as she's quite partial to that and will see how that goes down. The trouble is after a couple of days she gets wise to her mum's devious tricks and refuses to come anywhere near me when I offer a treat even though it hasn't been "doctored". And the little black devil isn't helping 'cos he's always good for a treat and I have to watch he doesn't take the one intended for Georgina! It really is a puzzlement! I just saw a comment about Shar-Pei which I thought was quite apt "Shar-Pei are a breed who behave as though they're doing the world a favour by just existing". Love it!
Stinky garlicky stuff used to work wrapped round Pereg's ginormous pills, but her Pb she would take wrapped in a bit of squidgy cheese triangle. I think she just got to the stage that she she knew she would have to have them or else. Tikva had always been sort of OK when Michal gave her her worm pills but I dread to think what is going to happen now Michal has left and Ram will be coming to jab and worm her. Somehow I cannot see him going outside and playing with Tik as Michal did. But he is a big guy who puts up with no nonsense [although all his four-legged clients adore him] - and Tik is so little.
Pleased that it’s nothing to serious and hopefully new tablets will do the trick. Might not work on Georgina but I find if I put mine in the sit and make a game of throwing a couple of titbits which they catch and quickly swallow, (usually liver sausage slices cut into bits) Then I hide pill in a bit and throw it for them, usually its gone so quick they don’t notice the pill.
I have always just opened the mouth and quickly shoved tablets over the hill. Ed has to have several tablets daily, I'm sure he would have soon got wise to any tricks. Merry is so greedy, she swallows anything small in one gulp!
Another update on Georgina and her UTI. We only have two more doses left of the supplement the vet prescribed her and although it hasn't cleared up, she has improved in that she now only either wakes in the night or wets her bed on average a couple of times a week. I'm reluctant to take her back to the vet because I was told the next step would be to take a sample of urine directly from her bladder by way of a needle.Apparently it can't be done under sedation and I would prefer to avoid the trauma it would inevitably cause her. I could be very wrong but as she's only incontinent during the night, but can last several hours without a pee when we go shopping where the dogs can be confined to the car for up to 4 hours I'm beginning to think she could have a slight spay incontinence or a hormone inbalance rather than an infection. Anyway I've decided as she's obviously not in a any discomfort,is eating well, and behaving perfectly normally, I'm going to put her on another supplement and see how it goes for a couple of weeks. Having done a lot of reading, on Friday she'll be starting on Bladder Strength made by Vetri-Science. It's a herbal supplement containing Pumpkin seed, Rhemannia, Wild Yam, Soy protein, Corn Silk, Olive Leaf, Saw Palmetto and vitamin. B6. If there's no further improvement then I'm afraid it's back to the vet!
