Lymes

Not if he's on the wrong antibiotic.  Whenever they gave Willow just whatever antibiotic they thought was best to start with we almost always ended up having to go back either for a culture to find out what she really  needed or an extended course of the one they were using.

willowchow

Not if he's on the wrong antibiotic.  Whenever they gave Willow just whatever antibiotic they thought was best to start with we almost always ended up having to go back either for a culture to find out what she really  needed or an extended course of the one they were using.

Well he is on  Doxy...and I know thats not what we use for UTIs nor what Bubblegum got when she had one.......but the one for Lymes and I did read just yesterday on the Internet when I was trying to find what reactions it might cause...... that they use it for UTIs.  It might not be doing the trick for him......never know if its helping Austin.

The Doxy is for the Lyme disease.  He probably needs something else too to help with the UTI.

That would be a WEIRD drug to use for a UTI.  But that's the ***Purpose*** of a culture and sensitivity -- to find out what specific bacteria was causing the uti and what specific antibiotic **will** treat it. 

Bacteria are all different -- and what causes one may not be the cause of THIS one.  You can hopscotch drugs or use the wrong one for a long time and NEVER have it work.  You can cause all sorts of auto-immune problems using the wrong drug for *that* dog.  (hence Billy's reaction to doxy which is what triggered his IMHA to spiral so badly out of control -- that was a specifically BILLY reaction).

willowchow

The Doxy is for the Lyme disease.  He probably needs something else too to help with the UTI.

Yes I know that is why he is on Doxy...for the Lymes.  But as I was looking up what the adverse reactions might be to it....I came across several links that said :

Doxycycline is a tetracycline antibiotic. It fights bacteria in the body. Doxycycline is used to treat many different bacterial infections, such as urinary tract infections, acne, gonorrhea, and chlamydia, periodontitis (gum disease),

So...reading that it makes sense that the vet would prescribe it since that is the drug of choice for Lymes....BUT since the UTI tested as a mild UTI that it could help with that also since it is also used for UTIs.......... but of course it may not be working for him and needs another kind of antibiotic.

luvmyswissy

If the Lyme has attacked muscles, joints, organs, once these areas are damaged by the disease then the treatment will extend into those specific areas and many times are only managed and never cured - the damage is done so to speak.

I just thought of something...might be a stupid thing....but wonder if Lymes could affect him in such a way as a UTI..........They know he has Lymes, but he doesn't have symptoms of it. They took him in because he was dribbling...as a UTI.....and a friend of theirs that her DH hunts withs dog also has Lymes.   Austin is a hunting dog...plus they live in a the middle of country.....lots of woods surrounding their home and Austin is out a lot..he is a good baby and doesn't even need to be tied up.  He could have had Lymes for a while.....who knows.

I think he just happens to have them both at the same time. 

willowchow

I think he just happens to have them both at the same time. 

Yep...I think so too.  I am just thinking that maybe the vet figures that since the UTI didn't seem to be that bad that maybe the Doxy would clear it up. I'm sure Vicki will be calling him back first thing tomorrow if Austin isn't doing much better today.  She has diapers on him....he is so good he just lets them be.  Here is a picture of him. 

I just got an email from Vick last night. She said this:

We took a sample of urine in today and there is No infection but it has a high ph still   It is 8 and the med they gave him to lower it did nothing. Now we are giving him something that  helps the spincture muscle, but it still bothers me that the ph is so high.  Vet said there is a test they can do for a bacteria he could have picked up in the water up there and said if this doesn't work he will have that test run.  Very expensive , I guess.

When they took his first on it seemed a little UTI...nothing big...but now it shows none.  He is still peeing in the house.  He lets them put things on him so he doesn't pee much on the floor...he is so good.   She takes them off and lets him run outside which he loves to do. They live in the country pretty much in a wooded area and he loves it outside....but lives in the house with them.  She is able to let him out a lot but with the cold weather he doesn't stay out too long now.  They live in a city called Chardon...don't know if anyone heard that city...but I have been on several vacations and talking to people and a lot of people outside of Ohio have heard of it because of all the snow they get.  While where I live might see flurries...they are the extreem snowbelt and will be getting 2 feet of snow with blizzard conditions. And its only about 1 1/2 hours from me.         Austin is still happy and eating a lot...so he is not sick.  Thats good but who wants a dog that can't hold his urine running around your house?

It's a bit strange -- 8 isn't really very high at all -- it's kind of at the high end of "normal".

It honestly sounds **to me** like he has an undiagnosed UTI or maybe stones and he's drinking to compensate, so then he's not able to hold it.  This is one of the places I'd simply ask FOR a culture and sensitivity (even tho they did it before - it is NOT AT ALL unusual to ask for one later to be sure you "got" all of the problem).

Beyond that, they likely need to do bloodwork and find out if there is protein in his blood, etc.

calliecritturs

It's a bit strange -- 8 isn't really very high at all -- it's kind of at the high end of "normal".

It honestly sounds **to me** like he has an undiagnosed UTI or maybe stones and he's drinking to compensate, so then he's not able to hold it.  This is one of the places I'd simply ask FOR a culture and sensitivity (even tho they did it before - it is NOT AT ALL unusual to ask for one later to be sure you "got" all of the problem).

Beyond that, they likely need to do bloodwork and find out if there is protein in his blood, etc.

I will relay the message.  Thanks!

She has taken him to the second vet now....this one is their older vet who is now a vet in a school or lab or somewhere where he does not have a practice.    

Callie,,,wouldn't stone show up in the urine sample that they took in?  I thought my vet said I needed more Urine from Bubby when she had a UTI....I could only get a drop or two from her.......but it had blood in it so they treated her and it went away...but she told me if she had more trouble they would need more urine to check for stones.

I thought~~  LOL!

Vicki took Austin to another vet. She liked him real well...felt he gave them more information...but yet nothing has changed. She went on Monday..he sent a urine sample out to a lab for further testing and it came back negative.  HE also took another blood test for lymes.  The Lymes test is looking good too.   They are still waiting for the urine sample to "grow" something that they can treat but so far nothing.

I guess the next thing is an Ultra Sound. 

I don't remember how old Austin is...I asked her.  But the thing is...he went from FINE to this...almost overnight and almost since his last hunting trip.  The big thing he is drinking a lot more water....   this vet told her to limit it...but we all know how that is....     when you have a dog wanting more water than you can give him. No water after 7 PM so he gets up in the middle of the night for more water. Tries to drink out of the toilet.    But the vet knows all this....both of the vets know this...and also the vet friend they consulted....   they keep a diaper on him...and he lets them which is great. Gibby would have eaten about 10 diapers already.

Found out that Austin is 12 yrs old.

This new doctor thinks its incontinence, but that sure doesn't explain why he is drinking tons.   

When I put DRINKING A LOT OF WATER AND PEEING A LOT in search...the first thing that came out was Diabetes.   Don't know if either of these vets talked about that.   She keeps saying things like " sure worried about him...dont want to have to put him down" and it worries me.....I guess that they are thinking of it...but I feel that they should find out what is wrong with him first....see if its treatable.  I'm worried!

Vicki just wrote that Austin has Cushings....

I don't have any insight.  But have your friend check out his forum to learn more.

http://www.caninecushings.net/

There is a lot of infor here too:  http://www.kateconnick.com/library/cushingsdisease.html