Like a urine infection, but it isnt - Golden Retrievers : Golden Retriever Dog Forums

Sam Hill · #1 (**permalink**) 12-19-2012, 09:01 PM

Please Help.If you dont know the answer, brainstorming is fine

Buddy, male, 10 yrs. Low kidney values. He eats Purina NF, a low protein prescription food. A good boy
Symptoms like Urine infection. Hard time peeing. Slow to get up. Frequent urination. Out of nowhere he will go on the floor which he never ever ever does. Gets eventually so bad he cant go at all and has to be catharized.
:
One Vet and one Specialist can not find an infection in his urine

Yet Keflex works will help after a couple days of doses.
The normal urine infection Antibiotic Baytral does nothing

Both Drs are trying to tell us it something with the bladder pee valve and how the bladder contracts ( or doesnt contract) and give him 2 drugs. He took these once and it did nothing. Yet he is being prescribed the same now by his specialist.
The first time we didnt give him the anti biotic and took their drugs he got so bad we had to get him catharized

Neither Dr will take us serious when we tell them Keflex helps him. All 7 times he got it they were coincidences.
.

We dont know which professional to turn to next. So Im turning to you

If you have any experience with this, heard of it from a neighbors friends cousin or even wild ideas, we would love to hear them
64Maxpower AT Gmail DOT com
Or here on the forums of course
Thanks

OutWest · #2 (**permalink**) 12-19-2012, 11:10 PM

I'm sorry I don't have any information to help you. Just wanted to say I'm sorry your dog is going through this. Please be sure to let us know what you find out. Im hoping others on here will have suggestions for you.

BajaOklahoma · #3 (**permalink**) 12-19-2012, 11:56 PM

Keflex is also used to treat bladder infections, though not usually the first choice. Baytril seems to be a common drug for vets to use, according to what I've read on a couple of forums. How long was Buddy on the antibiotics each time?
As an infection moves from an cute infection to a chronic one, the amount of time on antibiotics usually needs to increase (for instance, a chronic sinus infection can easily take 40 days of antibiotics to cure).

Has anyone done a sterile urine culture? This would be a priority for me if it hasn't been done.
Bloodwork done to check for diabetes?

Some of my students are on daily doses of antibiotics (low dose) to prevent recurring bladder infections. I would ask if this would be possible.

cgriffin · #4 (**permalink**) 12-20-2012, 09:42 AM

My nieces' dog had a problem with urination, but he would pee in his sleep. He had a sterile urine culture done and it turned out that he had a rare strain of bacteria which caused frequent infections. He was on antibiotics for an entire months and it cleared up, knock on wood.
I would also say have a sterile urine sample with urine culture done.

Also, have the vets done an ultrasound to see if they can see anything? Have they also ruled out an enlarged prostate?

Good luck to your boy, it has to be frustrating.

Sam Hill · #5 (**permalink**) 12-20-2012, 05:37 PM

Thank You for responding . I am flattered.
Buddy has had 2 ultrasounds. The first one saved his life. Found a bum pancreas with a large tumor. Never would have known without the ultrasound.

But nothing to do with urine problems. His prostate is good and he has been neutered .
He has had many urine test every one clean. Blood work too .No diabetes . It did showed his kidneys were not healthy. Can't help but think that was from Kirkland dog food. Had a culture Saturday and came up negative. I had just got off the phone with the Dr with the results and that's when I turned to you

Gave him 100mg Keflex 2x a day for 2 to 2 1/2 weeks every time . It clears up for 2 to 4 months. But the times he gets it is getting closer. I'm afraid to think should he not respond to antibiotic at all

And I just may be wrong. But the meds they give him to contract bladder and relax the valve does nothing. The Drs are sticking by their diagnosis and tell me Keflex does nothing and it's in our heads. The last time went by their instructions of taking their meds only he had to catharised and my first Dr I went to brought up euthanasia . So I give him antibiotic and I have my dog still. I'm thousands into this and no answer. Rather no good answer. I'd 2nd mortgage my house to fix him

I couldn't love this Dog any more than I do. I suppose I dont have to say that here.

Sorry for long post. Any input from you is good input.

cgriffin · #6 (**permalink**) 12-20-2012, 05:53 PM

Gosh, I am so sorry, that has to be so frustrating!
There has to be something else, you are right about that. I am hoping some of the vets on the forum will chime in.
Are his kidney values normal now that you stopped the Kirkland?

Oh, about the prostate, I have known a golden that hat prostate cancer even though he was neutered, so very strange things do happen.

I am hoping your boy does not develop an antibiotic resistance, but if the Keflex works, maybe you should push for trying it for maybe a month straight as long as all his organ functions are normal. Have they ruled out a kidney infection, kidney stones?
Just of the top of my head, have you had any tick borne disease panels done on him? I am just trying to come up with something that has not been tested for yet.
I had two of my dogs test positive for Ehrlichia this year. My vets say, the tick borne diseases are on the rise.

Either way about it, Good luck and I hope that you can get down to the root of the problem soon!

Sam Hill · #7 (**permalink**) 12-20-2012, 09:09 PM

What kind of Dr can we go to next? I thought the internist would have done a little more.

cgriffin · #8 (**permalink**) 12-21-2012, 09:22 AM

Yes, sounds odd that this is all he/she came up with.
Maybe you should check around and get a second opinion. Do you have another specialty/referal clinic somewhere or maybe a teaching hospital as in a university with a vet program?