My Boxer has a UTI

382 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by JoanneF, 2 mo ago

samevans

Discussion Starter · 2 mo ago

Before posting this question I was talking to my vet and also I was talking to one of my friends asking for advice.

I took my dog into the vet to get a test done to see if she had a UTI. I suspected that she did because she was peeing blood. So of course the test came back and she basically has a UTI. I paid for a 14 day course of antibiotics treatment for my dog. Last week I took her in to get re-tested and I got the results today and was told that the dog still has the UTI. my veterinarian called me and we spoke over the phone. He said that some dogs needs to be on antibiotics for longer in order for the UTI to go away. He told me that he was gonna put her on another 14 day course of antibiotics treatment so tomorrow I’ll be picking up the antibiotics.

My friend has dogs so sometimes I asked her for some advice because lately I’ve been scared and I feel like she’s being too negative and not giving me proper advice. She basically told me the veterinarian don’t know what he is talking about and that I should see a specialist who handles UTI. She told me if the first round of antibiotics didn’t work then no antibiotics is not gonna work.

I told my friend that the only option I have now is to pay for another 14 day course of antibiotics treatment recommended by the veterinarian. My friend wants me to keep getting second and third opinions but for someone like me I can’t do that. I don’t have the money to get different opinions. Money is so tight that I have to borrow money from my cable, cellphone and sometimes my rent to take my dog to the veterinarian so right now I already feel suffocated. I maxed out all my credit cards on the dog and I’m trying to do my best for the dog.

When I brought up the idea of surrendering my dog to a boxer rescue as the last resort she started insulting me saying that I’m abandoning my pet and I’m giving up on the pet and I’m not trying my hardest. I literally maxed out all my credit cards on the dog. I borrowed money from my rent, cable, cellphone and used it on the dog. I went delinquent on my Verizon account because I used the money on the vet and I couldn’t keep up with the payment arrangements each month. I’m paying the minimum balance on my credit card every month and it’s hard to keep up the payments. I don’t even pay my rent in full because I take some money from the rent for the dog vet visits. I could get kicked out of my apartment for doing that. So it makes me a little angry how someone accuses me of not caring for my dog.

I got this dog in 2020. The original owners told me to babysit the dog. When I was babysitting the dog I noticed she was drinking lots of water, peeing in the house and peeing blood. The original owners told me that is normal but I knew it wasn’t. So one day the original owners didn’t want her. I grew close to the dog and she grew close to me. She helped me through my depression and I didn’t feel alone. So after I got confirmation that I could keep the dog I took her to the vet in 2021 and she had a UTI. So this is the second time she had a UTI. I tried contacting the humane society for help but they never returned my calls or emails. I contacted the ASPCA and they weren’t mucho help. I contacted other animal agencies but no one got back to me. I’m scared and worried because what if the antibiotics don’t work and if they don’t work then I’m gonna have to try and come up with more money to pay for these test. Before I got the dog I had around 2-3K saved up. All that went on the dog. I feel so hopeless and I have no clue what to do.

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MaisieAndGem

· #2 · 2 mo ago

I think it's a smart idea to follow the vet's recommendation and go ahead with another 14 days of antibiotics. The infection may clear up in that time and you won't have to worry about next steps. It's no abnormal for this to happen, but if the infection does not go away after this next round of medication, then you'll need to consider other options.

It sounds like this dog may be a little prone to UTIs. What sort of diet is she on? Does she have diarrhea very often? Make sure her bedding is as clean as possible, and perhaps even look at using some non-scented baby wipes to clean her lady areas once or twice daily. Also ensure she has access to clean water always, hydrating her is very important to help flush the infection out.

I'm unsure of how expensive it is, and have not used it personally, but I have heard other people having success with a good d-mannose (one specifically for dogs) supplement to help support the urinary system. However, this supplement is unlikely to clear an infection this severe, only help prevent future ones.

samevans said:
When I brought up the idea of surrendering my dog to a boxer rescue as the last resort she started insulting me saying that I’m abandoning my pet

I think you are doing the very best you can for this dog, which is commendable. However, considering funds are tight, NEVER feel bad about surrendering or rehoming a dog if you can't afford the medical bills. It's not abandoning them at all - it's putting the needs of the dog above your own and making sure they get help, even if you can't give it to them. Please keep this option in mind for any future medical issues you face with her.

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samevans

Discussion Starter · #3 · 2 mo ago

MaisieAndGem said:
I think it's a smart idea to follow the vet's recommendation and go ahead with another 14 days of antibiotics. The infection may clear up in that time and you won't have to worry about next steps. It's no abnormal for this to happen, but if the infection does not go away after this next round of medication, then you'll need to consider other options.

It sounds like this dog may be a little prone to UTIs. What sort of diet is she on? Does she have diarrhea very often? Make sure her bedding is as clean as possible, and perhaps even look at using some non-scented baby wipes to clean her lady areas once or twice daily. Also ensure she has access to clean water always, hydrating her is very important to help flush the infection out.

I'm unsure of how expensive it is, and have not used it personally, but I have heard other people having success with a good d-mannose (one specifically for dogs) supplement to help support the urinary system. However, this supplement is unlikely to clear an infection this severe, only help prevent future ones.

I think you are doing the very best you can for this dog, which is commendable. However, considering funds are tight, NEVER feel bad about surrendering or rehoming a dog if you can't afford the medical bills. It's not abandoning them at all - it's putting the needs of the dog above your own and making sure they get help, even if you can't give it to them. Please keep this option in mind for any future medical issues you face with her.

Thank you. Well I also believe that the dog is prone to UTI but my main concern is that if she’s prone to it the. Will she have to be on antibiotics forever? The vet recommended the Hill science urinary care. I bought her like 3 bags but those goes fast and it cost $64
Per bag. The vet said her PH levels was high and that dry food would help bring it down.

my dog seems to have a weird reaction to certain foods. First the vet recommended me blue buffalo but she kept getting diarrhea. Then she was on Purina pro plan and she was doing great on it until the recent recall so I got afraid and switched her to hills science. She’s doing good on hill science. Without dry food her stool comes out wet. On top of that I have a feeling she may have stomach issues because sometimes I hear weird sounds coming from her stomach. One night those sounds were so loud it kept me up at night. In 2020 when I got her I started noticing that she was pacing back and fourth at night as if she had to use the bathroom.Then it stopped until recently I noticed she was pacing back and fourth again. Sometimes when I take her out she does have to pee and poor but other times when I see her pacing back and forth and I take her out she doesn’t even use the bathroom. At this point I don’t even know if that’s anxiety related or something else because this dog is afraid of everything. She’s afraid of bikes, to go in elevators, motorcycles etc.

Then sometimes at night I notice small stains of piss on my bed sheet. She sleeps with me. Sometimes when she sleeps she pisses. Also at night she barks, shakes and cries in her sleep which keeps me up at night. I don’t know if this is behavioral issues or she’s trying to tell me something. I don’t have a lot of money to address all these issues to the vet. I have to do one at a time and right now I’m dealing with the UTI.

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Curls

· #4 · 2 mo ago

What a tough situation. I think it makes sense to follow your vets advice for now. I kind of see where your friend is coming from. If the dog has an antibiotic resistant strain of bacteria or something else going on, then indeed more antibiotics won't help. However, antibiotics are pretty much the cheapest experiment you can try. And, since it sounds like whatever is wrong has been going on for three years at this point, another two weeks isn't that much of a delay before trying a more expensive step.

Regarding your friend, it's really easy to criticize what someone else is doing. However, finances are a real concern for many dog owners. When you don't have the money, you don't have the money. If she wants to be useful she can call your vet and leave her credit card on file. If she's not willing to do that, then she she should just back off.

It's not going to help matters for you or the dog if you end up homeless because all your rent money went into vet care. If it ends up that you can't manage this dog any more, you might find it helpful to consult the list of rescues maintained by the Boxer Club of America. Sadly, a lot of rescues these days are overwhelmed with dogs; people are being pushed over the edge by the end of Covid benefits and also layoffs in certain industries, plus puppy mills got caught off guard by the sudden end of the demand for pandemic puppies. Some of the breed rescues are in a slightly better position to deal with needy dogs.

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JoanneF

· #5 · 2 mo ago

I'll just add a link to this thread in case there might be something helpful there -

If/when you can't afford vet care (solutions, not...

Nobody's financial status is ever completely secure, and even emergency funds run dry unexpectedly sometimes for us all, so please no shaming or blanket assumptions about the supposed immorality of not being able to afford vet care. There is a stickied thread about Care Credit in this forum...

www.dogforum.com

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