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Post by aheller on Nov 16, 2007 21:01:06 GMT -5
Hello,
My girlfriend and I were on vacation and left Charlie at a kennel. We picked him up yesterday and he seemed fine, but whenever we take him out, he seems to be urinating an awful lot, or at least trying to.
We thought he might have been trying to mark, but while he crouches as though he is going to go, nothing has been coming out. He will crouch to go 4 or 5 times each time we take him out, but he will only actually urinate once, if at all, and even then, it is just a few drops. He did have one accident a little while ago, but I think that was our fault because we thought he was
Is this systematic of a UTI? He has been very antsy since we brought him home and has been dancing around like he has to go out a lot more often than usual.
We are going to take him to the vet in the morning, but is there something we can do to offer temporary relief until morning? He seems pretty uncomfortable.
Thanks!
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Post by Aussienot on Nov 17, 2007 0:34:49 GMT -5
It does sound like a urinary tract infection could be suspected. If so, you'll need antibiotics to treat the little man, so there's not too much you can do until you see a vet.
Try to get him to drink as much water as possible. Putting a tablespoon or so of apple cider vinegar into his water dish will make the water more attractive to him, and the acid certainly won't hurt his condition. Adding water is about the only thing you can do to relieve the sensation.
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Post by aheller on Nov 18, 2007 15:26:37 GMT -5
Well, brought him to the vet and she said that the symptoms were indicative of a UTI. His bladder was empty, so she couldn't get a urine sample, but she checked for stones and said she couldn't find any.
We got some antibiotics and started them yesterday. The vet said that they should start working by Monday, but that if the antibiotics don't have him feeling better by then, we should bring in a urine sample for testing.
In the meantime, we're trying to get him to drink more water, but that is no easy feat. Thanks for the tip, Aussie. We tried the apple vinegar, but he won't even go near it. I tried a little low sodium broth, but he doesn't seem to like that much either.
Question: Can I use sugar? I know it isn't exactly good for dogs, but is it toxic? I tried a dab of sugar and he drank, but I didn't want to continue to do that until I found out how bad it is for him.
Is there ANYTHING else we can do for him to ease his suffering? He is so obviously uncomfortable, I feel terrible for him. He is pacing non stop and whining a lot.
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Post by Dom on Nov 19, 2007 8:40:56 GMT -5
We gave Sadie a liquid herb (at work and forgot the name ) we purchased from the Holistic doggie store down the road. It is suppose to be like doggie aspirin. We have used it after she was spayed and after her UTI. She seemed more comfortable. The Vet told us not to use ibuprofen and be careful if using regular aspirin. The aspirin dose she recommended was a VERY low dose. It was easier, and I felt better, using the herb because it was Pet Safe and I could either stick a few drops in her water or directly in her mouth. We also try to keep a bottle of Bach's Rescue Remedy around when she gets nervous or anxious. We haven't used it much after she passed a year old. I guess that is a good thing because my husband uses it to help him sleep. It is hard to keep a bottle in stock all the time. My mom uses benadryl for her itchy pooch and the side effect is that he rests more. I haven't tried giving Sadie benadryl. I know it sure makes me sleepy. I would ask the Vet if he/she recommends something for the discommfort. When Sadie had a UTI the Vet couldn't get a sample either. She told us to bring a fresh sample to her in the morning after Sadie's morning romp. The easiest way for us to get a sample was to use a shallow container that we slid under her as soon as she squatted. The Vet changed antibotic after she did the culture so I am glad we did take a sample. The antibotic the Vet had Sadie on wouldn't have helped her. We used broth with shredded chicken to get more liquids in Sadie. We also gave her a few spoonfuls of low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt. The Vet told us to replace her water daily so that it was fresh or to get one of those doggie waterfall thingies. We didn't get the waterfall. Changing the water X2 daily was a better option than Sadie splashing in the waterfall. I hope Charlie feels better soon. edt - I don't think I would use sugar in Sadie's water. When I think UTI I think what my doc told me when I had one. Drink cranberry juice WITHOUT sugar! Now, I don't know if that is because more sugar = less cranberry juice or sugar is bad for a UTI. I don't like giving dogs sugar anyway. If you do use sugar, I wouldn't use much.
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