Havanese Forum banner

at the end of my rope...

29K views 189 replies 52 participants last post by  Suzi 
#1 ·
... hey guys.
It's been a rough couple of months for us with Tillie and her health.
She has developed this horrible trembling that happens frequently, we can no longer take her in the car, she is a nervous WRECK in the car. and now she has started trembling at all other times of the day as well. I have taken her to the vet, he can't find anything wrong. She had the infection/crystals in her urine about 2 months ago... Honestly, she is stressing me out so much.
She isn't the same dog. I don't know what is going on.
I have been thinking and I thought maybe she just needs more one on one time, more attention as I have been busier than usual recently. So, over the past fews days I have been making a huge point of playing games, training, playing fetch, etc. I thought maybe it was helping as she has seemed happier today... Well, tonight, she pee'd on my sons bed. She hasn't done that since her infection. My husband is IRATE. insists it is behavioral and because she had an infection when we got her pet insurance, it won't cover any urinary issues. We can't afford another vet bill, he says business as 'usual' and that we have plans and that she can't interfere with our plans.
I fear if things aren't resolved soon, he may make me rehome her.
I can't believe I am even confessing all of this. Tillie has always been my light, my companion, our joy... and something is wrong. I have been saying it for weeks and weeks and no one will listen to me. The kids insist they hate her .... she has become fearful and aggressive. I KNOW she has to be in pain, something is seriously wrong, yet nothing can be found ... I haven't wanted to come here and tell you all what has been happening because I feel like I have failed. I have failed Tillie, I have failed myself and my kids.
I just don't know what to do. There is something wrong, I know it. For her to pee on the bed again tonight. I know she has an infection or the crystals are back ... she is trying to TELL me something. I want to take her to the vet tomorrow, but we have out of town plans and because of her recent fear of the car we can't take her with us, so a friend is going to come over mid day to let her out and play with her for a bit, but how can I leave her knowing there is something wrong and that she needs to go to the vet.. and then we run into Christmas.... my husband insists that we have plans and that Tillie isn't going to change those plans and that we can't afford another vet bill.
I don't know why I am telling you all this, I guess I just needed to vent to those that I know understand my heartbreak and frustration. I just don't know what to do and I miss my little girl so much... I haven't seen her smile in months....
 
See less See more
#148 ·
Ok. I thought of Tillie last night. We all came to my BFs house to spend the night. Bella was acting so strange. She wouldn't come upstairs with us. When I went to look for her she was shaking and just staring at the wall. When I reached for her she ran under the table and just shook. She wouldn't even come outside, which she loves. I couldn't figure it out. Then my BF said could it be the chimes? He just installed an alarm system and everytime we opened a door, chimes went off! That was it! He turned them off and she was soon herself again.
Tammy, has anything changed in your home?
 
#151 ·
Not sure if it helps any but Atticus trembles in the car if I have the blower on or put on the windshield wipers. So for him I think it is the noise and those scary wipers. I think in part he wasn't used to those things so now that it's winter he is having to adjust. I just turn up the music and carry on. He mellows out if it's a long ride.That Tillie is a sweetie and this must be so hard. Think of you two often!
 
#152 ·
Tammy, our Vet just called, and we are not at the end of our saga either. Augie's urine no longer shows bacteria, but it did contain a fair amount of blood and is quite concentrated. Same pattern as last year. So she is putting him on a 'urinary diet' for a month, which we also did last year and it restored his bladder health. Only thing different this time - we don't have crystals going on. Also, we are going to attempt a clean catch urine sample next time, no cath. since that seems to irritate him. He must have a high threshold for pain as he has never given any indication that he is in pain - he just has to pee often.

Any ideas from forum members on getting them to drink more water???
 
#154 ·
Any ideas from forum members on getting them to drink more water???
With horses that don't drink enough, we mix as much water in their food as we can and still have them think it's food. I know this is what the vet suggested when Kodi had his tummy trouble a couple of years ago too. (though that was to get his intestines cleared out!)
 
#153 ·
Linda, Yogi had the UTI from hell, we had his urine sent out and cultured after the second bout of antibiotics to see what antibiotic it reacted to, we went through two rounds of Clavamox (may have not spelled it right), and then the Vet put him on Baytrial (in the dog world it is the big gun), after the test came back, he was put back on Clavamox...less side effects...as the bacteria reacted to it, he was on this for a long time a month or more. Two weeks after we finished the Vet did a culture, six weeks another, all were clean. He is due for another after six months from the last date...just to be sure. Yogi's probably had his UTI for a long while, it is harder to notice in males, it is also less common. I was also told I needed to get him moving...that was really miserable for me! He just wanted to lay in a ball and sleep...we would walk five steps, he would stop, five more same thing, a 15 min. walk took 1.5 hours of lureing him along, he also was surly with the other dogs in class and at home. We did x rays, and ultra sound when I first took him is as he was in so much pain, also he had two rectal exams from two different Vets (same practice) looking for growths, stones and growths were ruled out early on.

Augie may just need to be on the antibiotic longer. The getting them moving makes them thirsty, maybe you could practice healing in the garage. The special food is formulated to desolve certain types of crystals quickly, also dogs who form crystals can get sand like crystals they are too small to see in an xray the food really helps. I hope Augie is back to his old self soon...even after Yogi was clear it took him a few weeks to get back to his old self...and here I thought he had finally calmed down!
 
#155 ·
I remember Yogi had a MISERABLE time!!! I'm glad to hear that, at least for now, it's cleared up.

It's funny how male dogs don't seem to show it when they have a UTI. Cats get them too, and the symptoms in the girls are very much what you see in girl dogs. But it's a HUGE big deal in a male cat, because they block really easily, which can quickly lead to life-threatening complications.
 
#156 ·
I did NOT realize that male dogs don't show symptoms. The only thing that has given it away is that he had to go out more frequently and couldn't hold it all night. Oh, and the fact that Finn will not leave Augie's privates alone!! He must be smelling something wrong. For the past week, the frequency thing was pretty much gone....until the catheterization....and that seemed to stir the pot again. The long-acting antibiotic should still be in his system. And his Ua showed no bacteria. When I voiced my concerns over the things I had read about the Convenia inj., she seemed surprised, and said it concentrates in the urine and usually gives good results. When he was put on the urinary diet for a month last year, he gained weight rapidly, so I am definitely going to have to get him more exercise. I just felt like he should be resting to get over this, but maybe that was the wrong thing to do? I should have been getting him out more. I don't think he would give me problems with balking on walks. I am going to be the balker - I hate walking in the rain!!

Robbie, I hope Yogi will stay well!
 
#157 ·
WOW, poor Augie!! :( I can't understand why they needed to cath him!? poor guy...
The vet tech helped me get a urine sample with a sterile cup on a stick! worked awesome!
Hopefully it will be that easy this next time. The vet will be sending her urine out for a culture this time.

Good news/Bad news ... Tillie pee'd in her crate. again. this makes 3 times. sigh...
But the "good" news is that it doesn't smell strong at all!! yay!!
I had my husband check because when she went out first thing this morning she only poop'd. My first thought. OH NO, she pee'd in her crate. and I was right. sigh.
 
#158 ·
Karen, The Vet was concerned about Yogi because he said the same thing about male dogs as cats!!! The is way we ruled all of the other stuff out first. Yogi's was showings signs by the time I took him to the Vet his tummy was tucked up, it hurt for him to poop, and walking up and down the stairs was painful, I had no idea it was a UTI.

Linda, No licking!!! Vet told me not to let Yogi lick himself or let Boo Boo engage in the male dog ritual of licking each other's accessory.

Tammy, I hope they get Tillie better soon.
 
#159 ·
That is going to be a good trick - keeping him from licking himself???? He always cleans himself after going potty. I have been keeping him and Finn separated. Maybe if I wash him with a clean cloth after he goes potty? I am taking him in this afternoon for one of those subcutaneous fluid injections to help get more fluid through him.
 
#160 ·
Wow, I am so sorry that all of you are going through these problems with your babies and my thoughts and prayers are with you and your guys. I hope everything works out well in the long run. Hang tight, as it must be so tough to see your little ones have these problems.
 
#161 ·
sub-q fluids!? :( How do you know he needs them?
Tillie hasn't been drinking straight water for weeks, I am watering her food down SOOOO much, she is basically drinking her meals. lol It's the only way I can keep her hydrated, but her face is a MESS...
 
#162 ·
Tammy, I don't know if he NEEDS them or not. It was just part of the treatment plan last year and he got over his UTI then. And he is not drinking much at all, or eating today. And Finn is going nuts - I know he smells something amiss. I am hoping the extra fluid will help flush Augie out. I am about ready to smear Vicks Vapo Rub all over Finn's nose to keep him from smelling anything. He is getting on my last nerve today. :(
 
#163 ·
yeah Tammy I emailed Sabine days ago on how to help get more water into her. Still waiting for a reply. She's still on holidays. The nerve of the woman. lol
 
#164 ·
awwww, thanks so much Dave! I'm thinking we might need to adjust her diet if this continues to be a problem.. but both Sabine and her vet say that's not the case...?
But, I can't for the life of me figure out why she will NOT drink. I've tried everything I can think of, she flat out refuses. It's really odd. Thus the 1/2 a cup of water added to her am and pm meals. it may not SEEM like a lot of water. But try it. add 1/2 a cup of water to your havs food for a meal... lol. she literally laps up her food... :D
Hey, it's keeping her hydrated for the time being!!
 
#165 ·
she's probably getting enough water then. Wait and see what the tests show.
 
#171 ·
Well it wouldn't hurt to call the vet and ask if you were to try canned food what kind because of her allergies. Maddie and Zoey are itching and Maddie has a soar on her neck. Have you ever put a ointment on Tillie like one for humans? Zoey keeps sniffing her just like Finn is but on her neck. If it makes you feel any better one of mine peeded on my coat last night:frusty: Mine are just plan not trained well. I'm still praying Miss Tillie and Mr Augie will get back to their old self's very soon.
 
#175 ·
I think your Tilly and my Desilu are going through similar things. Desilu is not even a year old, and has reoccuring UTIs since she was spayed back in July. She's also seemed to have develop spay incontinence which means if she goes down for a nap, she ends up urinating on herself and whatever she's laying on. I may let her out once an hour, but she still manages to require a butt bath on a daily basis. She's been on several different antibiotics and the end of each dose, she still hasn't cleared the bacteria. The vets also found crystals in her urine. She's been on canned S/D for the past month.

I just dropped off another urine sample at the vet. At least now, I don't have to pay for the visit, just the urinalysis. If it comes back positive for bacteria, I'll have to bring her in for a urine culture. I am at the end of my rope because it seems like as long as I've had her, she's never been healthy, though to no one's fault. I've spent an enormous amount of money on vet visits, and she's peeped on my MIL's comforter and grandmother's chair...and multiple times on my lap. She's on DES, which is supposed to control the incontinence, but it doesn't seem to be working well.

I love my Desilu so very much, and it is heartbreaking to me that she could be in pain and discomfort because of this constant UTI.

I hope Tillie gets well soon.
 
#179 ·
I think your Tilly and my Desilu are going through similar things. Desilu is not even a year old, and has reoccuring UTIs since she was spayed back in July. She's also seemed to have develop spay incontinence which means if she goes down for a nap, she ends up urinating on herself and whatever she's laying on. I may let her out once an hour, but she still manages to require a butt bath on a daily basis. She's been on several different antibiotics and the end of each dose, she still hasn't cleared the bacteria. The vets also found crystals in her urine. She's been on canned S/D for the past month.

I just dropped off another urine sample at the vet. At least now, I don't have to pay for the visit, just the urinalysis. If it comes back positive for bacteria, I'll have to bring her in for a urine culture. I am at the end of my rope because it seems like as long as I've had her, she's never been healthy, though to no one's fault. I've spent an enormous amount of money on vet visits, and she's peeped on my MIL's comforter and grandmother's chair...and multiple times on my lap. She's on DES, which is supposed to control the incontinence, but it doesn't seem to be working well.

I love my Desilu so very much, and it is heartbreaking to me that she could be in pain and discomfort because of this constant UTI.

I hope Tillie gets well soon.
I'm sorry Desilu is having such problems :( Has anyone ever used cranberry powder for dogs? Just thinking. It does sound like it has something to do with her spay.
 
#180 ·
Linda funny you just wrote about the cranberry. I started the sisters on vitamins. Its called springtime Fresh Factors. I bought it over a year ago and Bob didn't like me giving them vitamins but I figure what can it hurt.
 
#181 ·
hi Suzi, vitamin adding really isn't needed with kibble feeding. But be aware certain vitamins can be overdosed. here's a quote from Dog Food Project

Toxicity: Excessive vitamin D supplementation can result in increased calcium absorption from the intestines. This can

cause increased calcium resorption from the bones, leading to elevated levels of calcium in the blood. Elevated blood

calcium may contribute to calcium deposition in soft tissues such as the heart and lungs. This can reduce their

ability to function. Kidney stones, vomiting.

Toxicity: None known, but high levels of vitamin E can adversely affect the absorption of vitamins A and K, causing

deficiencies. In the case of vitamin K this can interfere with normal blood clotting

Toxicity: None, vitamin C is water soluble and excess is regularly excreted by the body, but overconsumption may cause

diarrhea since vitamin C is a natural laxative. Recent studies have shown that excessively high doses of vitamin C may

contribute to the formation of kidney stones, and in very rare cases anemia caused by interference with vitamin B12

absorption
 
#183 ·
Yesterday I had a cofee with vet I know and I told him whole story from this tread. He said that UTI is extremely rare condition in dogs here if you do not count those who are spayed and neutered. He told me that altered dogs seem to be more prone to UTI - girls because uterus is holding and protecting their bladder, and boys because the whole system is functionig worse without sexual hormones. I never had any kind of UTI, but after ovarectomy I had last summer, I have constant problem. I am keeping that under control with cranberry stuff and some other herbs. it seems that it has something to do with hormones!
 
#184 ·
7 years into dog ownership... I finally figured out that at least for my boys, less is more as far as vitamins go. The only thing they get daily is acidophilus. Fish oil when ithink of it. Food too. I stopped For the most part doctoring their food... With extra veggies, and Cash's stomach issues seemed to have resolved. He is allergy free (but itis also wi ter) They do still get to enjoy what ever it is we are eating for diversity :)

There is a dental product by vetri science that you sprinkle on their food however that does have cranberry in it and zeolites, and lots of probiotics... I wonder if it would also help with female uti issues..
 
#186 ·
I really hope Tillie gets better, I think home cooking for a few months would be agreat way to see if it is being caused by something in her food, additives, gluten, etc. There are some symptom specific threads in the dog homecooking group I joined a few years back, I think it was google or yahoo groups (a very large group) where people were venturing into it because of various illnesses/ conditions, etc.

i can't imagine your husband asking you to rehome her if he knows you love her as much as you do. :( And kids, I think kids can get jealous and the thing is, if they are mad at her, frustrated with her or have a bad vibe in general when they interact with her, she will immediately pick up on that and respond accordingly, they should try play acting happy and see how Tillie responds..I do think she is just sensing their feelings towards her and feeling the vibe of something being wrong in the house can cause some anxiety.

:grouphug:

hang in there,

Kara
 
#188 ·
I really hope Tillie gets better, I think home cooking for a few months would be agreat way to see if it is being caused by something in her food, additives, gluten, etc.
Kara, Tammy home cooks for Tillie already... a recipe Sabine helped her formulate based on Tillie's many allergies.
 
#187 ·
Biotin is a joint supplement and I suppose the yeast culture is to aid digestion. I don't like "shotgun" supplements. If your dog has a specific need, address it. Just giving them "stuff" in small amounts isn't useful. Also, the kind of supplements you get on sale like that can be of questionable quality. Unlikely to hurt them, but also unlikely to do anything positive either. To be useful, a supplement has to be in the proper amount for the size of the animal, it has to be high quality, bio-available, and FRESH. If you bought these over a year ago, I wouldn't be using them just for that reason alone.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top