calliecritturs
Posted : 3/18/2006 4:40:22 PM
Make sure when you clean up accidents that you use a non-ammoniated cleaner, for starters.
Next - a couple of questions: watch him carefully. When he pees does he race right in and GO DRINK? I see that often .... when one of mine begins to drink 'more' usually we've got a UTI on our hands. Dogs are smart and they often realize instinctively that if they drink more it burns less to pee. For us that's "learned" but for a dog it can be instinct. Now some dogs will stop drinking ... and then the urine becomes really concentrated, stinky and will burn -- that's when you see them try to pee 5 times before they CAN. But if a dog is drinking a lot to reduce burning, they can have to go more than normal.
This can build up very very slowly -- and you may not notice it.
Then, when the vet checks the urine it is so dilute that the "numbers" are skewed and not enough infection cells show to read 'bad'. But it's only because it's dilute. I've had MANY false readings on urinalysis tests.
TRY: add cranberry pills. Give him 2-3 a day (if you feed dry you'll have to put the pills in braunschweiger, butter or something like ricotta cheese -- if you feed wet/homecooked, then just empty the caps into his food).
Cranberry isn't going to 'cure' a UTI -- but it will reduce the alkaline nature and make the dog more comfortable, and it also helps the infection not linger in the system.
My vet understands me and trusts my judgment enough so that he will let me have antibiotic if I suspect a UTI. Some dogs can take sulpha but usually now they prefer to use amoxyl or something. But it can be the easiest way to attack the problem.
ALSO TRY: let him drag a leash in the house and watch him like a hawk. If you find an accident, put him where he can't 'see' you and soak it up with paper. Take the paper OUTSIDE and lay it where you want him to go.
Essentially I"m saying go back to housetraining 101, and re-affirm what he needs to dod.
I have to agree with you -- too many times I've had a vet say "Oh no, the numbers don't say it's an infection so it HAS to be behavioral". I don't agree. I've seen too many drink drink drink to try to cope with the infection and then the accidents start. If it's dark and stanky then yeah, it's infection. But if the 'accidents' you are finding are not horribly stinky, but more 'wet' than 'smell' then it's like an infection.
Good luck. Callie