Car accident recovery

[Beegees]

Hi everyone, our dog was hit by a car 12 days ago. She had an operation last Friday to pin her pelvis back together (they had operated last Thursday but messed up and admitted to causing more inflammation to the nerves so had to redo it on Friday!). Our dog can now walk very slowly with a towel under her back end as support, can wag her tail a little, and she has some control over her poop (she will sit down on the yard and very slowly is able to go but she will also go in her crate). However, she doesn't seem to be able to control her bladder. She lay flat out on her side last night and was pushing hard with all her tummy muscles but it was only trickling out. We took her to the vets and they scanned her and said her bladder was huge so they've put a catheter back in for now. Does anyone know why she can't go for a pee even though she must feel it is full? Is it likely to be nerve or muscle damage? Any hope she will regain control? Thanks x

[CarolC]

If she can walk and wag her tail, I would hope it would be temporary. It sounds like you might need to express her bladder for her, for a while at least. They can show you how at the vet. It is a technique where you squeeze her tummy and she pees. The vet should be able to show you how to do it to work around the incision. Another option might be medication. There are medications that can help the urinary sphincter relax, and medications that can help the bladder contract. Possibly medication would enable her to go on her own, since she has the signals.

[Beegees]

Thank you so much for your reply. We are trying her without a catheter tonight and so far she has not been. We are back at the vets in the morning. Do you know the name of the medications you referred to as we could mention them in the morning to the vets?

[CarolC]

There is a list of medications at the end of this article, but your vet may have something else (s)he wants to try as well.

https://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/P ... R00442.htm

If it is a problem of too much tone, the meds listed in the article are very commonly used and a lot of people here have had dogs using them.

[Beegees]

Thanks again, hopefully we will get our girl sorted tomorrow

[critters]

I agree with Carol. Meds can help bladders a lot.

[Beegees]

Thanks for replying. When we took her the vets last week they didn't seem too clued up on the medication side of things and just put a catheter back in for now. They said the meds to relax the sphincter are usually given to cats? Also would that be the right medication or is there one which would help her to contract her bladder too? (She is unable to pee at all until it becomes so full it leaks) Thanks again x

[critters]

Phenoxybenzamine (PBZ) relaxed my Buddy's bladder, and Bethanechol increased the muscle action (which wasn't a good thing for him). I'm not sure if any newer stuff is available.

[Likebemi52]

I have no idea of it.