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My dog tequilla is a Rottweiler/Shepherd mix. She is 14 years old.
About a year ago, she started peeing frequently, I took her to the Vet, and they said it was incontinence, and put her on Pro Choin. It seemed to help initially. Now, more recently I noticed a huge lump on her leg (size of a small egg), and blood in her urine. I took her to the Vet immediately. They, did not even examine the lump, were not concerned at all about it. They did not want to do anything with it.......
But the Vet did do an ultra sound/Urine/blood work and said that she has bladder stones (Kidney and liver functioning ok for a dog her age). The vet told me the only option was to operate and remove the stones. I did not want to cut open my very senior dog. Did some research on my own, and found out about S/D perscription diet to help desolve the stones. I went back to the vet, and he agreed the diet could work. So, anyway, she has been on that for 2 weeks, and when we rechecked the urine, they said it looks like the diet is helping. However, she still has blood in her urine.....
I have been with the same Vet for 14 years, he is very nice, but quite forgettfull, and can't seem to make up his mind. Two of my previous dogs have died on his operating table. Anyway, he kept saying she doesnt have any "white cells", and that means there is no infection. Also, he wants to recheck her urine every 2 weeks while on S/D...Is that normal?
Question 1: Could she have had a UTI a year ago, that was untreated, causing the bladder stones?
Question 2: What could be causing the blood in urine? Should we treat with antibiotics? We are still on S/D.
Question 3: What about the huge lump on her leg?
These are all questions I asked the vet, but I get a barrage of answers that don't relate, and he keeps pushing me to do the surgery.
Please help me. I love my dog and don't know what to do.
A high white blood cell count is an indicatin of an infection, in animals and in people. I currently have a sick dog that has a high WBC but no fever, yet she is definitely sick.
I think it's time for a new vet if there is one around. Animals do die during surgery but this one seems iffy at least to me. The lump on her leg is possibly a fatty lump that is OK to leave alone unless she starts licking it or it breaks open. I had a dog with one on his rump and I had the vet remove it. It was a huge thing and the poor baby had the incision break open in the car on the way home. Talk about a mess - blood everywhere, me frantic. Vet said to put pressure on it and if it stopped bleeding in some time (can't remember), it would heal from the inside. It did but I worried for 2 weeks at least. So, IMHO, if it is just there and they do a needle biopsy and it is benign, I'd leave it alone.
She could've had stones all along. Most vets can feel them in the bladder as they palpate the abdomen. S/D is an okay choice as long as you can make sure that she can always get urine out (sometimes when the diet is dissolving the stones, they can become small enough to slip out of the bladder and block the urethra). Did he do x-rays to determine about how many there were? It is a rare stone that won't be dissolved by S/D (some stones need a different diet, but not common). Your vet should be spinning down the urine after the urinalysis to check for crystals in the urine. These are the precursors to the stones. That is why all of the urine checks, that and to keep a check for red/white blood cells and the ph of the urine. Sometimes it can take quite a while for the stones to dissolve, that and the possibility of an obstruction is the reason why the majority of vets push for surgery.
My dog tequilla is a Rottweiler/Shepherd mix. She is 14 years old.
About a year ago, she started peeing frequently, I took her to the Vet, and they said it was incontinence, and put her on Pro Choin. It seemed to help initially. Now, more recently I noticed a huge lump on her leg (size of a small egg), and blood in her urine. I took her to the Vet immediately. They, did not even examine the lump, were not concerned at all about it. They did not want to do anything with it.......
But the Vet did do an ultra sound/Urine/blood work and said that she has bladder stones (Kidney and liver functioning ok for a dog her age). The vet told me the only option was to operate and remove the stones. I did not want to cut open my very senior dog. Did some research on my own, and found out about S/D perscription diet to help desolve the stones. I went back to the vet, and he agreed the diet could work. So, anyway, she has been on that for 2 weeks, and when we rechecked the urine, they said it looks like the diet is helping. However, she still has blood in her urine.....
I have been with the same Vet for 14 years, he is very nice, but quite forgettfull, and can't seem to make up his mind. Two of my previous dogs have died on his operating table. Anyway, he kept saying she doesnt have any "white cells", and that means there is no infection. Also, he wants to recheck her urine every 2 weeks while on S/D...Is that normal?
Question 1: Could she have had a UTI a year ago, that was untreated, causing the bladder stones?
Question 2: What could be causing the blood in urine? Should we treat with antibiotics? We are still on S/D.
Question 3: What about the huge lump on her leg?
These are all questions I asked the vet, but I get a barrage of answers that don't relate, and he keeps pushing me to do the surgery.
Please help me. I love my dog and don't know what to do.
Jodi
Hi Jodi & welcome to the forums! More than anything, I strongly urge you find another vet for a second opinion if you have lost confidence in the vet you have always used. It will give you peace of mind that your fur-kid is being taken care of in the best possible manner. I also suggest that you take a written list of questions into the vet with you and have them address each concern one at a time. That way you will get the answers you want without being side tracked.
As for your questions, I've gone through a lot of the same experiences as you and maybe I can ease your mind a little until you can get a second opinion. However, this should not take the place of going to a qualified vet! Only a hands on exam of your dog and tests can give you a true picture of what is going on
As for question #1, a lot of stones are caused by diet but there are also other contributory factors that may have come into play. Rather than looking at what was, you are looking forward at how to deal with what IS and thats what matters. I agree with you that looking for options other than surgery for a senior dog is a good thing. As to question #2, stones will almost always cause some blood in the urine. Having stones does not mean that there is a bacterial infection. Antibiotics are only for the treatment of infections, not calcifications (which is what stones are). Unless there are indications of an active infection antibiotics would normally not be prescribed. An increase in a white blood cell count is one of the main indicators of an infection being present in the body. No increase is a good thing. As for question #3. Lots of older dogs get lumps, most of which are the benign variety. Did your vet call the lump anything like "fatty tumor" or "wart"? If so, both of these are normally benign growths and most times just monitored for growth and changes.
I hope this has eased your mind a little. Again - please go get a second opinion if you no longer have confidence in your own vet. Thats the surest way to ease your mind and get your questions answered completely. Good luck & let us know how it goes!
Many, if not most, stones will NOT resolve on their own. And unless you remove them, even with antibiotics, the infection won't resolve. I would suggest that surgery IS the only reliable treatment, even for your very elderly girl.
The lump doesn't worry me. If it were malignant, she'd be dead by now from your description of the mass. It would have metastasized and killed her long ago. Most likely it's a lipoma, a benign fatty tumor.
I would be more concerned about the stone. The infection is part of a vicious circle: the stone sets up the urine for infection, the bacteria live IN the stone, and while you can get rid of SOME of the bacteria with antibiotic, you won't eradicate the bacteria living deep in the crystalline structure of the stone until you get rid of the stone. If you've never had a urinary tract infection, it's EXTREMELY uncomfortable. If you decide NOT to do surgery, at least get your dog some antibiotics for symptomatic relief.
What kind of stone is this? You can usually tell from the pH of the urine and this is something your vet can help you with. It also will determine what KIND of diet your dog needs. I caution, however, that NO diet will eliminate large stones.
The antibiotics will work only temporarily, until resistant organisms arise and you'll see the blood in the urine again and she's going to be uncomfortable. You also run the risk of bacteria entering the bloodstream and your dog becoming gravely ill.
I would also add that, as an older dog, your girl might be particularly prone to stone formation because she has incomplete bladder emptying - very common in old people, too. The urine stagnates and becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and stone formation.
Sadly, the only way out of this will be through surgery, I'm afraid.
I don't really see any problem with how your vet is handling this case, from what you've described. However, if you truly think he's a 'bad' vet and have lost faith in him I would strongly consider a second opinion. IMHO it is vital that you trust your veterinarian. If you go in suspicious of everything he tells you, no one is going to end up happy.
To the OP: I like all the vets at Sugar House Vet Hospital in Salt Lake, on McLellan (about 1050E) and 2200 South (right north of the Fairmont Aquatic Center). I have seen all 3 of them over the 8 yrs I've been going there. I think they are conservative in their treatment plans. Good luck!
Many, if not most, stones will NOT resolve on their own. And unless you remove them, even with antibiotics, the infection won't resolve. I would suggest that surgery IS the only reliable treatment, even for your very elderly girl.
The lump doesn't worry me. If it were malignant, she'd be dead by now from your description of the mass. It would have metastasized and killed her long ago. Most likely it's a lipoma, a benign fatty tumor.
I would be more concerned about the stone. The infection is part of a vicious circle: the stone sets up the urine for infection, the bacteria live IN the stone, and while you can get rid of SOME of the bacteria with antibiotic, you won't eradicate the bacteria living deep in the crystalline structure of the stone until you get rid of the stone. If you've never had a urinary tract infection, it's EXTREMELY uncomfortable. If you decide NOT to do surgery, at least get your dog some antibiotics for symptomatic relief.
What kind of stone is this? You can usually tell from the pH of the urine and this is something your vet can help you with. It also will determine what KIND of diet your dog needs. I caution, however, that NO diet will eliminate large stones.
The antibiotics will work only temporarily, until resistant organisms arise and you'll see the blood in the urine again and she's going to be uncomfortable. You also run the risk of bacteria entering the bloodstream and your dog becoming gravely ill.
I would also add that, as an older dog, your girl might be particularly prone to stone formation because she has incomplete bladder emptying - very common in old people, too. The urine stagnates and becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and stone formation.
Sadly, the only way out of this will be through surgery, I'm afraid.
Thanks for the information. The vet did tell me, after 2 weeks of the S/D, that he thinks it is working, based on a UA they did, but was concerned about the blood....but a couple minutes later, he mentioned the surgery again. He told me there was no way to tell what type of stone it is. I'm going to ask him about the PH you mentioned.
I'm considering keeping her on the diet for now, and adding some anti - biotics, then retesting everything at a later date, and getting a second opinion.
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