UPDATE NO UTI YAAYYYYY Thanks to all !

[Cindidoxiemom]

Oscar had a UTI about a month post op. It took us 6 weeks to clear it up, so my vet put him on preventative antibiotic. For the last year he has been on a half tab of zeniquin (sp) every other day.

Wellllllll......... I'm pretty sure my baby has a UTI..darn it. I guess he became imune to the antibiotic. I'm taking a sample to the vet today for culture.

Paul...others with UTI experience...what antibiotic would you suggest? Any advice?

Darn UTI's are a menace!

Hugs,
Cindi

[Paul Coover]

Well, actually, I do not havany first-hand experience with UTI's. My gang has never had a UTI, and all that I know about them I have learned from the rest of you here on this site! Sorry Cindi!

[Cindidoxiemom]

Well you sure are blessed...for some reason I though you had dealt with a few.

Cindi

[CarolC]

Well, not much help here, I think we've always gotten plain old amoxicillin. Anita Chavez (Sydney's mom) and Stacy (Blue's Mom) both ended up using some special antibiotics (I could find the names for you), but I think they were specific to whatever was cultured. I'm sorry to hear he has one. When do you expect your results?

[Cindidoxiemom]

I'm taking a sample in today after work. I should hear if he has a UTI today. The culture may take until tomorrow.
Cindi

[critters]

Definitely have it cultured; Buddy's first UTI was E.Coli, which took Baytril, and the second was plain old bacteria, which took Clavamox. Our vets also won't accept old pee for Buddy because the blood cell lysis gave bad results the first time; they like nice, fresh expressed clean-catch or cysto pee from his royal highness.

[Dianne]

Never had a UTI here either, but I was told that Clavamox (a penicillin based drug) is one of the drugs of choice.

Sorry that Oscar is not feeling well. We hope he gets better soon.

Dianne

[Cindidoxiemom]

Thanks all for the responses.

Critters it is fresh catch. I express him when I get home into a ziplock and take it directly to the vet...MAYBE 5 minutes from here. It isn't old.


UPDATE: Just got the results back from the vet. No UTI. No protien, no white blood cells no red blood cells. She said just to watch him and we can retest in a month. YAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! no UTI!
Cindi

[Dianne]

...Long sigh of relief..... good news!

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

YAYAYAYAYAYAY! IS RIGHT! Whew!

[Christine]

Good for you and Oscar!!! Now, take a deep breath. Just curious, what made you think he had one and did the vet have any idea of what was causing those symptoms?

Bailey's recent blood test showed that she is fighting some kind of infection (not urinary) and I am going to be giving her a natural antibiotic. I will share that info as soon as I get it.

So glad to hear your news.

Love,

[Cindidoxiemom]

Symptoms were urine that was dark in color, and strange, strong odor. Sounds like a UTI right? Well...no white or red blood cells...no protien...no UTI . My vet thinks it is something Oscar has been eating.
Hummmmm I did change his dog biscuits...he has been outside more because the weather has been nice, and he has been eating more grass....
Tis a mystery....
He is feeling fine...no other outward symptoms. I'll retest in a month.

Do they have any leads on where they think the infection is?
Cindi

[Christine]

Hi Cindy,

My traditional vets have no clue and basically I now use them for prescriptions, titers testing, blood tests and rabies shots. The recent new holistic vet is convinced that she has protozoa (parasites) which are destroying her spine. She is the one who said that it was time to put her down a month or so ago.

After that last traumatic event, I am doing more research than ever - hanging on to every word I read here with my new friends and working with the owner of a local health food store (who happens to have a phd in nutrition and loves her animals as much as we all do - so much that she has added supplements for them to human supplements).

She read the last blood test that I had done and this is what she told me:

" It looks like she has an infection of some kind. The ALT is normal which is good. I feel like we can get the white blood cells and lymphocytes down with concentrating on some anti-bacterial herbs. She may not need the milk thistle/dandelion anymore.......up to you. The gravity is elevated which shows that her adrenals are not functioning correctly. We can work on those glands, as well. The Alkaline phosphate is up which can be due to either the liver or bones. "

Right now, Bailey is on the final two stages of stepping down the pred. (One week of 1/2 of 20mg pill every other day and then one more week of 1/4 of 20 mg pill every other day). When that is finished, I will work with Jane (the phd on some different supplements to address the issues she saw.

Right now, Bailey is still blind and has weakness in her hips and back legs - when she is inside. When we go for walks, she trots like a Lippizan - go figure. I think that is how she compensates for her blindness, but it is precious and so curious when you see her trying to lower herself into a lie down in the house.

Her appetitie has returned and I am always conscious of feeding the best that I can keeping in mind the touchy liver (Levels of 900 two years ago, back down to normal for nearly a year, back up to 750 this February with return of blindness and now down to 248 (which is still high, but a major improvement for her).

Well, I did not mean for this to be so long, but that is what is going on with my girl. Perhaps this should be moved to another thread, but I'll let someone else decide that.

Don't know what I would do without you guys!

Love,

[GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily]

Yee.
Haw.

[Cindidoxiemom]

20 mg of prednisone? Holy cow! I'm assuming Bailey is bigger than my dachshund....I think Oscar's dose was 5mg.

As you have stepped down from the prednisone have you noticed any of the old symptoms returning? Have you considered a small maintenance dose of Pred? I know it isn't good for them to be on it long term, but I was thinking in Bailey's case, if it helps with quality of life, it might be an option.

Milk Thistle is for the liver? I know a lot of the pups that have cushings were put on it. Refresh my memory.

Sounds like you have a lot of caring people looking out for Bailey.

Give Bailey an nose kiss from me.
Cindi