help fellow dog owners.....

[audie]

we gots a predicament here at the audies. my dory dog has a history of kidney/bladder infections. a round of antibiotics and it clears up. the last time she saw the vet dr senderak suggested doing an ultrasound of her bladder to check for stones due to the recurrent nature of the infections. i took a urine sample in a month ago, and instead of testing it for the usual stuff (whatever that would be) the vet tech accidentally sent it out to be cultured and it grew a nasty bacteria that is very very difficult to treat. the vet wanted another sample after she got groomed and she made sure the groomer shaved around her "rosebud" so she'd be clean. that was tuesday, so when i was outside getting her sample today she is passing lots of blood in her urine. so now we are talking blood work at 4 pm today and an ultrasound at 11:15 tomorrow. i can hear my checkbook screaming already, but i could care less how much it costs. i would sell mr audie to get treatment for my babydog. anywho - anyone else experienced anything like this with their dogs ? she just turned 8 by the way.....

[Ocean Lover]

I haven't Audie, but I hope Dory is okay.

[audie]

me too ol - she acts fine, not at all the way she usually does when she has a rip roaring infection. who knows what's going on....

[Smiling JOe]

I know people who have experienced that pain of Kidney infections / kidney stones. They say it is probably second to the pain of birthing a child. Good luck!

Regarding the costs, my sister has spent over $35,000 on their dog with proceedures such as cancer treatment and hip replacement surgery, etc. Her dog is on her last leg and could go any day. I love my dogs, but I don't know how I could afford spending so much money on them. Heck, I probably wouldn't spend that much on my own healthcare.

[Mango]

Audie:
I have cats now, but grew up with dogs. To me it sounds like stones. I had a similar problem with one of my cats. Blood in the urine was a symptom as well as recurrent infections. I also found out that you shouldn't give a cat tuna as this will increase their odds of getting stones and urinary tract infections.
Fortunately, it passed, and I maintain my cat on diet for adult cats. Has not had the problem again.
Boy I wish I had all the money I spent on my Mr. Roobie. But when it comes to your pet buddies, every dollar is well spent.

[Johnrudy]

Wow - pretty scary. First of all, I can't believe you were able to catch a urine sample. That's one thing I never been able to do with my 2 dogs!

Well, good luck this afternoon. I bet it will still be another bladder infection, hopefully. It just may mean more antibiotics. My Border Collie, Rudy, had an ear infection that took numerous antibiotics, to the point where I finally had to get a human rx for Cipro! It was a bear trying to get that cleared up!

Let us know.

[Mango]

Regarding the costs, my sister has spent over $35,000 on their dog with proceedures such as cancer treatment and hip replacement surgery, etc. Her dog is on her last leg and could go any day. I love my dogs, but I don't know how I could afford spending so much money on them. Heck, I probably wouldn't spend that much on my own healthcare.

WOW SJ- that's a lot of buckaroos. Sometimes people are so desperate to keep their pets hanging on, but it is not always the best thing for the pet.
I had a cat with cancer, and they discussed chemo etc.,. Thousands of dollars. He was 15, lived a long life. Asked how long he would live, they said 2 weeks maybe. Was he in pain- No, so I let him come home and treated him like royalty. Turned out he lived 6 months with steroids for energy, took out every chipmunk on my property, and had a grand time. When he couldn't jump on the toilet and cried, I picked him up and brought him to go to sleep, and he looked quite peaceful like he knew it was time.

[audie]

I know people who have experienced that pain of Kidney infections / kidney stones. They say it is probably second to the pain of birthing a child. Good luck!

Regarding the costs, my sister has spent over $35,000 on their dog with proceedures such as cancer treatment and hip replacement surgery, etc. Her dog is on her last leg and could go any day. I love my dogs, but I don't know how I could afford spending so much money on them. Heck, I probably wouldn't spend that much on my own healthcare.

i'm with you sj, i love this dog with all my heart, but would not put that kind of money into treatments, i couldn't afford it for one thing. and i definitely would not spend that much on myself.

[Mango]

I haven't Audie, but I hope Dory is okay.

Hope it all works out fine.

[audie]

Hope it all works out fine.

thanks everyone for your good thoughts - i will admit i panicked when i saw the blood, she has never done that before. she acts like she's fine, though pain-wise it is hard to tell, she's a very stoic dog and doesn't let on about pain.

[JT]

thanks everyone for your good thoughts - i will admit i panicked when i saw the blood, she has never done that before. she acts like she's fine, though pain-wise it is hard to tell, she's a very stoic dog and doesn't let on about pain.

Good luck Audie, I have 3 cats and 2 dogs. I love them all the same and would do anything for them.

[Cheering472]

Audie how scary! I know how you love Dory. Good luck. Keep us posted please.

[melissa]

I'll be thinking of you and Dory! Hope it's something that can be easily remedied...

(I would also just about sell mr melissa to take care of our dog, and I know he'd do the same with me...)

[Beach Crazy]

thanks everyone for your good thoughts - i will admit i panicked when i saw the blood, she has never done that before. she acts like she's fine, though pain-wise it is hard to tell, she's a very stoic dog and doesn't let on about pain.

I would have too but I bet she is going to be just fine!

[Beach Runner]

Audie, I'd take Dory to either a university vet school or a veterinary internal medicine specialist. Sounds like she needs to be on IV antibiotics, in addition to an ultrasound.

Our sweet Winnie had kidney disease. One infection led to bacterial endocarditis (as was later diagnosed). She didn't even seem sick to me, but one morning I went to the garage to feed her, and she had dragged herself from her bed and was trying to get to the back door. Her legs were paralyzed. A clot from the infection in her heart went to her brain, and she had a stroke. My husband was in Asia on business. Thankfully a FedEx delivery person just happened to arrive at our house. He helped me take the top of her crate off so she had something secure to lie in, and then he picked her up and put her in the crate in the back of my husband's SUV. I drove her to Auburn vet school, and they put her in ICU. We drove down every day to see her (except my daughter's birthday) because the doctors said that might help her recover. They were going to start water therapy for her stroke, but she kept having seizures from the blood clots. Finally they told us that there was no hope for her and that she was in misery, so we had to euthanize her. I prayed to God that he/she would take care of it so we wouldn't be forced to make that decision, but it didn't happen that way. That was January 2005.

See my 'tar? Our daughter has been missing Winnie a lot and recently created this graphic for her online portfolio.

[Johnrudy]

Audie, I'd take Dory to either a university vet school or a veterinary internal medicine specialist. Sounds like she needs to be on IV antibiotics, in addition to an ultrasound.

Our sweet Winnie had kidney disease. One infection led to bacterial endocarditis (as was later diagnosed). She didn't even seem sick to me, but one morning I went to the garage to feed her, and she had dragged herself from her bed and was trying to get to the back door. Her legs were paralyzed. A clot from the infection in her heart went to her brain, and she had a stroke. My husband was in Asia on business. Thankfully a FedEx delivery person just happened to arrive at our house. He helped me take the top of her crate off so she had something secure to lie in, and then he picked her up and put her in the crate in the back of my husband's SUV. I drove her to Auburn vet school, and they put her in ICU. We drove down every day to see her (except my daughter's birthday) because the doctors said that might help her recover. They were going to start water therapy for her stroke, but she kept having seizures from the blood clots. Finally they told us that there was no hope for her and that she was in misery, so we had to euthanize her. I prayed to God that he/she would take care of it so we wouldn't be forced to make that decision, but it didn't happen that way. That was January 2005.

See my 'tar? Our daughter has been missing Winnie a lot and recently created this graphic for her online portfolio.

I've noticed your 'tar & love it. Wondered if your daughter created it.

[audie]

sorry to hear about your winnie br. i am steeling myself for the worst with all this and hoping for the best. we are about 3 hrs from purdue's vet school and a lot closer than that to cincinnati, but i hope it doesn't come to that. i could get probably any iv drug they prescribe, and hopefully the vet here could give it.

[Jdarg]

sorry to hear about your winnie br. i am steeling myself for the worst with all this and hoping for the best. we are about 3 hrs from purdue's vet school and a lot closer than that to cincinnati, but i hope it doesn't come to that. i could get probably any iv drug they prescribe, and hopefully the vet here could give it.

Audie, blood in the urine happens a lot with infections, and crystals/stones in the bladder. The urinalysis and ultrasound will probably give you all the answers you need. I don't think you need to make plans to haul off to a vet school yet- most of this is stuff your vet can handle, including any surgery to remove stones/gravel. I have assisted in surgeries where there were unbelieveable amounts of gravelly stones- handfuls. The dogs do fine and feel so much better. After she gets well, your vet can recommend a good food for urinary issues, since you said that she has had infections before. To sum it up- blood in the urine is no reason to totally panic.

[Cheering472]

Audie, blood in the urine happens a lot with infections, and crystals/stones in the bladder. The urinalysis and ultrasound will probably give you all the answers you need. I don't think you need to make plans to haul off to a vet school yet- most of this is stuff your vet can handle, including any surgery to remove stones/gravel. I have assisted in surgeries where there were unbelieveable amounts of gravelly stones- handfuls. The dogs do fine and feel so much better. After she gets well, your vet can recommend a good food for urinary issues, since you said that she has had infections before. To sum it up- blood in the urine is no reason to totally panic.

I was hoping you'd bring your experience in to help Audie feel better...and me too.

[seagrovelover]

Audie I hope everythings turns out ok with your baby dog

[skippertoo]

Audie I hope everythings turns out ok with your baby dog

Same here !!

[audie]

Audie, blood in the urine happens a lot with infections, and crystals/stones in the bladder. The urinalysis and ultrasound will probably give you all the answers you need. I don't think you need to make plans to haul off to a vet school yet- most of this is stuff your vet can handle, including any surgery to remove stones/gravel. I have assisted in surgeries where there were unbelieveable amounts of gravelly stones- handfuls. The dogs do fine and feel so much better. After she gets well, your vet can recommend a good food for urinary issues, since you said that she has had infections before. To sum it up- blood in the urine is no reason to totally panic.

thanx for the input - it is muchly appreciated. we just got back from the vet. she said dory's rosebud isn't anatomically correct, it is recessed and air doesn't get to it so it never really gets dry which makes it a breeding ground for bacteria. she does want to rule out the stones with the ultrasound tomorrow, and if it comes back negative she wants to trim the skin around her area there to help with all that. my god, my female dog needs circumcised ! this afternoon there hasn't been any blood in dory's urine, just this morning. dr senderak said the same thing you did, don't panic, blood in her urine can indicate many things not all bad. we are also gonna do another urine culture to be safe. her urine sample didn't show any bacteria and no crystals, but there were some wbc's and some other cells too, so she is sending it to a cytology lab to be looked at. this is worse than having a kid !

[audie]

a great big thanks to everyone for your kind wishes and good thoughts. i feel so helpless with dory because she can't tell me what's wrong, although i don't think she feels bad at all.

[Johnrudy]

a great big thanks to everyone for your kind wishes and good thoughts. i feel so helpless with dory because she can't tell me what's wrong, although i don't think she feels bad at all.

but she sure knows you love her.

[DD]

Audie, I'm sorry I've been gone all day and missed this, but my thoughts and prayers are with you and dory.

[audie]

well, we just got back from the other vet, and dory did not have any evidence of stones in her bladder, now we just have to wait for her cytology and culture results to rule out everything else. looks like it may just be yet another infection.... she starts her antibiotics today ... thanks to all for sending good wishes and thoughts our way !

[Teresa]

audie: so glad it seems to be a simple infection. Dory is lucky to have you... If you need some real advice and guidance talk to jdarg, as you know. she has helped me a lot with Lulu before.

[Beach Runner]

well, we just got back from the other vet, and dory did not have any evidence of stones in her bladder, now we just have to wait for her cytology and culture results to rule out everything else. looks like it may just be yet another infection.... she starts her antibiotics today ... thanks to all for sending good wishes and thoughts our way !

That's great. Hope the other tests are normal.

Pepper sends a get well wish to Dory.

[Johnrudy]

A sigh of relief - - whew!

John and Rudy are happy for Dory, too

[Sheila]

well, we just got back from the other vet, and dory did not have any evidence of stones in her bladder, now we just have to wait for her cytology and culture results to rule out everything else. looks like it may just be yet another infection.... she starts her antibiotics today ... thanks to all for sending good wishes and thoughts our way !

Good news girl! I have had a dog that had similar problems and I didn't post because, diffrent breed, different circumstances. I am so glad you got a good report! By the way our Bailey and Guinness turned 2 today. What happiness and joy, not to mention trash, leaves and occasionaly smelly things they have brought to our lives! I'm glad your sweet Dory is going to be OK!

PS Tootsie has offered great advice regarding jdarg. Jdarg knows "dogs", and a great gull to know!

[audie]

Good news girl! I have had a dog that had similar problems and I didn't post because, diffrent breed, different circumstances. I am so glad you got a good report! By the way our Bailey and Guinness turned 2 today. What happiness and joy, not to mention trash, leaves and occasionaly smelly things they have brought to our lives! I'm glad your sweet Dory is going to be OK!

PS Tootsie has offered great advice regarding jdarg. Jdarg knows "dogs", and a great gull to know!

tell b+g that dory says happy birthday - and many more !!!