Hi everyone, felt like writing up what's going on with Molly as a bit of a log for myself, but also perhaps others may have been through something similar. This will probably be a long story so I can fully explain everything. so just a warning
So just over 2 weeks ago myself and my little brother went to the Sandringham Game & Country fair and took Molly (3yrs) with us. We wandered around there for a few hours, then drove just around to the country park bit at Sandringham to let her have a run and play with her ball for an hour.
When we got home, she was all happy to see the rest of the family. After a few minutes, I noticed - as I walked past - that her bed was all wet. Gave it a sniff (as you do!) and it smelt like wee.. How strange! Ok, maybe she just got over excited (she never has accidents in the house, very well toilet trained).
Later that evening, she's laying on my bed sleeping, suddenly she jumps down to her bed (a different one), starts digging at it and then wees on it!
Ok, now I'm concerned... that is very out of character for her.
I look up online and everything is pointing to a possible UTI. I thought, what i'll do is order some dog urine test strips and sample pots on prime next day delivery and have a see what it comes up with before dashing her straight to the vet.
So next day, she's seeming ok but then I notice she keeps licking at her paw. When I check it out it looks real nasty between her toes, I didn't have a clue what it was or why it was like that, all bumpy and pink, but I remembered someone saying to me about 'seasonal canine illness' at Sandringham and to check their paws for little red mites. Of course now I'm panicking! Phoned vet straight away and took her down there.
She barked the place down with her scooby-doo like voice (she's nervous around new people and places) and we had to wait a little longer due to an emergency that came in. I told the vet about her paw and her accidents. The vet took her off for an ultrasound and to look at the paw.
He came back and said that it was just an infected cut, gave me steroid cream to put on it for a week. He also said it looked like she did have some inflammation so said there was likely a UTI. He gave her Loxicom (anti-inflammatory) and some general amoxicillin antibiotics and told me to phone in 2 days to update if everything is ok.
2 days go by, and things are seeming to be getting better, Tuesday just a couple accidents, but Wednesday no accidents at all. So I phone and say yep she seems to be getting better.
After that, what do you know, things start getting worse!
More accidents again, straining and generally seeming depressed. I rang vet Saturday as things were obviously not getting better and they made me an appointment for Monday. They told me to get a wee sample Monday morning to bring in. By Sunday night, I was actually quite worried, she was really uncomfortable, moaning and groaning. I was up through the night keeping an eye, felt so sorry for her.
Monday comes round, I get the wee sample and then take her to the vets.
This time he does another Ultrasound and an Xray. Comes back to me and says there looks like something is in the way so can't see properly, it is possibly poo. So he gives her an enema and I had to take her for a walk about till she did some poos. After that he did the ultrasound again. He brought me to the room and showed me that everything looked ok, she had less inflammation this time and on the x-ray he showed that her bladder wasn;t in a strange position or anything.
So what he suspected was just a resistant bacteria. He gave me a different antibiotic this time which he said was more specifically used for urinary issues - Enrofloxacin. Again gave her a dose there and then I start the tablets the next day. Also told me to continue the loxicom.
I would hopefully hear back about the urine test results but the end of the week also.
So literally from that night, she was already soo much happier! from Wed onwards last week she'd had no accidents at all, she was playing with her toys again, wagging her tail, getting excited. I was feeling so relieved!
By last weekend, she was still doing ok, but I was noticing she had started lifting her tail up occasionally again and groaning. I then noticed she was licking herself quite a bit one night and when I had a look I could see some discharge around the area.
The receptionist called and said the test results have come back, everything looks fine and showing that the antibiotics are working. I mentioned to her about the tail lifting like she's straining again and also the discharge and she said ok, I think she needs to come back in again.
So got an appointment this Tuesday. I saw the other vet guy that was helping the previous vet I'd seen (he had done the ultrasound and xray for her) and told him what was going on. He said he thinks it was not a related issue, sounded like anal glands.
So he took her off, checked her over and came back. He said she had fully impacted anal glands which he's sorted out and put a cream on etc.. and he's checked over her lady area and it all looks fine, not swollen and didn't see anything else to worry about. He asked how much Loxicom I had left (bout a quarter bottle) and said to continue with it. She was quite aggitated after that, kept itching but they said it's because she had an injection.
I asked the receptionist about the anal glands thing and she said sometimes just upping fibre can help and there things you can add to their food etc..
I got home then noticed mum had left a note on the side. "Just wanted to tell you I've noticed Molly's poo's are a bit odd too, they look very flat". Ok, I will have to keep an eye out myself and see.
I did some reading online about the anal glands. Says lack of exercise can contribute as well as not enough (or too much) fibre. I thought, well she hasn't been getting as much exercise as usual because of her cut (which was is healing up but if she runs about too much it opens it up again). So I thought all the rest of this week I will take her for a decent walk through our village and back again - not running and fetching at the park to try keep her cut from re-opening. I can also keep an eye out for what her poops are like.
Sure enough, she does 2 - 3 smaller sized poos on her walks, they are not hard or pellet-like or particularly dry. Just flatter than a normal cylindrical poo and sometimes but the 3rd attempt more longer and stringy.
Looked it up and everything was pointing to constipation. It also said canned pumpkin is good for diarrhea but also also constipation. I had some in the drawer so have added a couple scoops to her dinner as well to see if that made any difference.
It's now Thursday this week, no accidents, happy, playful temperament, not really seen much more discharge, but still funny poops. Last antibiotic taken too. I had to phone the vet to update how she is. She's doing really well I said, the only thing is that she has been doing some funny poos now, very flat/thin. Could this perhaps be a bit of constipation, maybe a side effect from the meds?
The receptionist said said that may be. I then asked when did I need to stop the loxicom? She says it usually taken for a week. I said she had been on it for like 2 weeks as the vet said to continue it. She said ah that's ok then and that she would have a word with the vet but he was in a conference at the minute. She'll call me back later.
I didn't receive a call back but wasn't too worried, they were probably busy. I would just call again Friday. Thursday evening and I notice she is standing there and walking about with her tail up again! Something is still not right. Not only that but she is excessively licking herself, like every 5 mins.
She is then laying on the kitchen floor next to my chair, she turns to lick herself and I hear a wet fart sound (sorry, bit gross). I got down and had a look and there is a small puddle of clearish discharge on the floor and around her back end.
She then went off into the living room and next thing I hear is my stepdad saying she's done a wee on the carpet.
So, so saddening - something is still not right!! At this point it's later evening so I sent the vets a facebook message explaining and also a couple little video clips of her holding her tail up and the discharge.
They got back to me and said that was strange and they want to see her again. I need to phone at 8:30am and get her an appointment.
So this is currently where we are at. Well done if you've read through all of that!
Wondering if anyone else been through anything similar to this or have any thoughts?
I will update once I know any more.
Best get to bed now.
So just over 2 weeks ago myself and my little brother went to the Sandringham Game & Country fair and took Molly (3yrs) with us. We wandered around there for a few hours, then drove just around to the country park bit at Sandringham to let her have a run and play with her ball for an hour.
When we got home, she was all happy to see the rest of the family. After a few minutes, I noticed - as I walked past - that her bed was all wet. Gave it a sniff (as you do!) and it smelt like wee.. How strange! Ok, maybe she just got over excited (she never has accidents in the house, very well toilet trained).
Later that evening, she's laying on my bed sleeping, suddenly she jumps down to her bed (a different one), starts digging at it and then wees on it!
Ok, now I'm concerned... that is very out of character for her.
I look up online and everything is pointing to a possible UTI. I thought, what i'll do is order some dog urine test strips and sample pots on prime next day delivery and have a see what it comes up with before dashing her straight to the vet.
So next day, she's seeming ok but then I notice she keeps licking at her paw. When I check it out it looks real nasty between her toes, I didn't have a clue what it was or why it was like that, all bumpy and pink, but I remembered someone saying to me about 'seasonal canine illness' at Sandringham and to check their paws for little red mites. Of course now I'm panicking! Phoned vet straight away and took her down there.
She barked the place down with her scooby-doo like voice (she's nervous around new people and places) and we had to wait a little longer due to an emergency that came in. I told the vet about her paw and her accidents. The vet took her off for an ultrasound and to look at the paw.
He came back and said that it was just an infected cut, gave me steroid cream to put on it for a week. He also said it looked like she did have some inflammation so said there was likely a UTI. He gave her Loxicom (anti-inflammatory) and some general amoxicillin antibiotics and told me to phone in 2 days to update if everything is ok.
2 days go by, and things are seeming to be getting better, Tuesday just a couple accidents, but Wednesday no accidents at all. So I phone and say yep she seems to be getting better.
After that, what do you know, things start getting worse!
More accidents again, straining and generally seeming depressed. I rang vet Saturday as things were obviously not getting better and they made me an appointment for Monday. They told me to get a wee sample Monday morning to bring in. By Sunday night, I was actually quite worried, she was really uncomfortable, moaning and groaning. I was up through the night keeping an eye, felt so sorry for her.
Monday comes round, I get the wee sample and then take her to the vets.
This time he does another Ultrasound and an Xray. Comes back to me and says there looks like something is in the way so can't see properly, it is possibly poo. So he gives her an enema and I had to take her for a walk about till she did some poos. After that he did the ultrasound again. He brought me to the room and showed me that everything looked ok, she had less inflammation this time and on the x-ray he showed that her bladder wasn;t in a strange position or anything.
So what he suspected was just a resistant bacteria. He gave me a different antibiotic this time which he said was more specifically used for urinary issues - Enrofloxacin. Again gave her a dose there and then I start the tablets the next day. Also told me to continue the loxicom.
I would hopefully hear back about the urine test results but the end of the week also.
So literally from that night, she was already soo much happier! from Wed onwards last week she'd had no accidents at all, she was playing with her toys again, wagging her tail, getting excited. I was feeling so relieved!
By last weekend, she was still doing ok, but I was noticing she had started lifting her tail up occasionally again and groaning. I then noticed she was licking herself quite a bit one night and when I had a look I could see some discharge around the area.
The receptionist called and said the test results have come back, everything looks fine and showing that the antibiotics are working. I mentioned to her about the tail lifting like she's straining again and also the discharge and she said ok, I think she needs to come back in again.
So got an appointment this Tuesday. I saw the other vet guy that was helping the previous vet I'd seen (he had done the ultrasound and xray for her) and told him what was going on. He said he thinks it was not a related issue, sounded like anal glands.
So he took her off, checked her over and came back. He said she had fully impacted anal glands which he's sorted out and put a cream on etc.. and he's checked over her lady area and it all looks fine, not swollen and didn't see anything else to worry about. He asked how much Loxicom I had left (bout a quarter bottle) and said to continue with it. She was quite aggitated after that, kept itching but they said it's because she had an injection.
I asked the receptionist about the anal glands thing and she said sometimes just upping fibre can help and there things you can add to their food etc..
I got home then noticed mum had left a note on the side. "Just wanted to tell you I've noticed Molly's poo's are a bit odd too, they look very flat". Ok, I will have to keep an eye out myself and see.
I did some reading online about the anal glands. Says lack of exercise can contribute as well as not enough (or too much) fibre. I thought, well she hasn't been getting as much exercise as usual because of her cut (which was is healing up but if she runs about too much it opens it up again). So I thought all the rest of this week I will take her for a decent walk through our village and back again - not running and fetching at the park to try keep her cut from re-opening. I can also keep an eye out for what her poops are like.
Sure enough, she does 2 - 3 smaller sized poos on her walks, they are not hard or pellet-like or particularly dry. Just flatter than a normal cylindrical poo and sometimes but the 3rd attempt more longer and stringy.
Looked it up and everything was pointing to constipation. It also said canned pumpkin is good for diarrhea but also also constipation. I had some in the drawer so have added a couple scoops to her dinner as well to see if that made any difference.
It's now Thursday this week, no accidents, happy, playful temperament, not really seen much more discharge, but still funny poops. Last antibiotic taken too. I had to phone the vet to update how she is. She's doing really well I said, the only thing is that she has been doing some funny poos now, very flat/thin. Could this perhaps be a bit of constipation, maybe a side effect from the meds?
The receptionist said said that may be. I then asked when did I need to stop the loxicom? She says it usually taken for a week. I said she had been on it for like 2 weeks as the vet said to continue it. She said ah that's ok then and that she would have a word with the vet but he was in a conference at the minute. She'll call me back later.
I didn't receive a call back but wasn't too worried, they were probably busy. I would just call again Friday. Thursday evening and I notice she is standing there and walking about with her tail up again! Something is still not right. Not only that but she is excessively licking herself, like every 5 mins.
She is then laying on the kitchen floor next to my chair, she turns to lick herself and I hear a wet fart sound (sorry, bit gross). I got down and had a look and there is a small puddle of clearish discharge on the floor and around her back end.
She then went off into the living room and next thing I hear is my stepdad saying she's done a wee on the carpet.
So, so saddening - something is still not right!! At this point it's later evening so I sent the vets a facebook message explaining and also a couple little video clips of her holding her tail up and the discharge.
They got back to me and said that was strange and they want to see her again. I need to phone at 8:30am and get her an appointment.
So this is currently where we are at. Well done if you've read through all of that!
Wondering if anyone else been through anything similar to this or have any thoughts?
I will update once I know any more.
Best get to bed now.