Urine problems and diet change

[linz06]

Hopefully she's not just looking for evening work or something. We kind of NEED this to work out!

That is so cute that Ringo gets "medicine" too! I hope it helps with the jealousy issues.

[linz06]

I have not had replies from anyone else. We called the vet again after work and she was too busy and has not called back. We got home today and Layla had peed all over herself. I don't know what to do. I'm at the end of my rope.

[kdhawks]

Lindsey, I don't have any advice, but want you to know I am thinking of you and your sweet Layla girl. I hope you find someone that can help with her during the day. We'll keep you and Miss Layla in our thoughts.

[linz06]

Originally Posted by kdhawks

Lindsey, I don't have any advice, but want you to know I am thinking of you and your sweet Layla girl. I hope you find someone that can help with her during the day. We'll keep you and Miss Layla in our thoughts.

Thank you. The vet did not call us back tonight. She was open until 8 but we told her assistant that no time is too late to call. She said she'd write her a note and let her know in person, since she was leaving at 8 but the vet would be in later (I think she was doing a surgery... a cat had just come in that was bitten by a dog) It's 10:30 now and she hasn't called. We don't know what to do tomorrow. We will have to leave her at home again. I am going to tell work that I need to stay home Friday to take care of her, but I have important meetings all day tomorrow. I feel like I'm stuck. I wish more than ever that none of this had to happen to Layla.

I emptied her bladder at 5, and Scott picked her up at 7 and again she was squirting all over the floor. I put her in the shower to wash her off and she was so thirsty she was drinking the water coming off her in the shower. I just don't think this food can work out for us if it's changing her this much, but there's nothing else to do!

We need to talk to the vet so badly and I am getting really angry that she just will not call us back!!!! I have been crying almost all evening. I just can't hold myself together.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by linz06

Thank you. The vet did not call us back tonight. She was open until 8 but we told her assistant that no time is too late to call. She said she'd write her a note and let her know in person, since she was leaving at 8 but the vet would be in later (I think she was doing a surgery... a cat had just come in that was bitten by a dog) It's 10:30 now and she hasn't called. We don't know what to do tomorrow. We will have to leave her at home again. I am going to tell work that I need to stay home Friday to take care of her, but I have important meetings all day tomorrow. I feel like I'm stuck. I wish more than ever that none of this had to happen to Layla.

I emptied her bladder at 5, and Scott picked her up at 7 and again she was squirting all over the floor. I put her in the shower to wash her off and she was so thirsty she was drinking the water coming off her in the shower. I just don't think this food can work out for us if it's changing her this much, but there's nothing else to do!

We need to talk to the vet so badly and I am getting really angry that she just will not call us back!!!! I have been crying almost all evening. I just can't hold myself together.

Lindsey, the food is not doing this to her. My guess about the urine squirting is that she may still have a UTI. Gabby leaks urine whenever she has one. Not sure about the thirst...have they checked her labs recently? Does she have any kidney issues?
I am so so sorry this is so difficult for you.
I am praying for all of you. I know how stressful it is for me some days and I don't have a job. I cannot imagine how you must feel. Just wish I had an answer for you.
You are a very strong young lady...you can hold yourself together! It is perfectly normal to be upset and crying right now. This is a very trying time for you....but it will pass! I wish I knew what to say about the vet. Can you just take Layla there in the morning before you go to work? I would probably leave her there for the day and let them figure it out...and express her!

[linz06]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

Lindsey, the food is not doing this to her. My guess about the urine squirting is that she may still have a UTI. Gabby leaks urine whenever she has one. Not sure about the thirst...have they checked her labs recently? Does she have any kidney issues?
I am so so sorry this is so difficult for you.
I am praying for all of you. I know how stressful it is for me some days and I don't have a job. I cannot imagine how you must feel. Just wish I had an answer for you.
You are a very strong young lady...you can hold yourself together! It is perfectly normal to be upset and crying right now. This is a very trying time for you....but it will pass! I wish I knew what to say about the vet. Can you just take Layla there in the morning before you go to work? I would probably leave her there for the day and let them figure it out...and express her!

When our vet gave us the food, she said the biggest side effect is we will notice her drinking more water because this food makes dogs feel more thirsty, and as a result her urine will be much more diluted. I asked if we'd have to express her more often and she said she can't say for sure, it depends on the dog and we'd just have to see how much more she drinks and adjust to that. She's had the UTI since December and has had no problem with leaking for the 9-9.5 hours a day we're away at work. A day and a half after she started the new food is when we noticed her drinking tons and overflowing constantly. It's like a full bladder completely emptying. Yesterday it was puddles halfway across a room, and today the floor was full of puddles and her whole back end was completely soaked. She drank so much water last night, I had to refill her whole water bowl 4 times in 5 hours.

The vet was pretty sure she didn't have any kidney issues and that all the infection was just located in her bladder. I don't know if she knows that for sure though.

The vet here is not open until we're already at work. I am in meetings from first thing in the morning, so I told Scott to please call her as soon as possible from his work and see if she has any ideas what to do, and he can give her the code to get into the house to get Layla if necessary. If he can't get ahold of her, I want him to call the vet college where Layla had all of her IVDD issues dealt with, and see if we can get another opinion. We just can't deal with it any longer.

I am feeling sick about this. Last night I was seriously talking to Scott about selling our home, our dream house, to move back to the city to be closer to pet sitters and emergency vets and anyone who could help out with Layla. He said no. He wants to stay here and deal with it here. But I kind of feel like I'm falling apart right now.

I just really need to vent I guess. It's past midnight and I have to get up in 5 hours and look professional and ready for meetings with some of the big people in our company that I am meeting for the first time tomorrow. It's hard for me to not let it show that I am a complete wreck at home, and while I'm at work I can't stop thinking about Layla and wondering if she's already sitting in a puddle of her own pee and she doesn't know it. I just hate everything right now. I hate feeling sorry for myself but I can't stop thinking why me?

[ladyjane]

This is the Urinary SO? I have two pups on it...Gabby is one of them and never had anything like that.

I am just so sorry. I don't know what to say.

[linz06]

Yeah it's Medi-Cal Urinary SO.

The thing I don't understand is that she can last through the night without peeing. She doesn't even seem to drink much at night (maybe half a bowl over 8 or 9 hours). She used to sleep all day while we were gone too. Now she just seems to drink water all day.

[linz06]

Okay so we're meeting with the person who had the babysitter ad this weekend. I thought it was a girl but the email says Aaron so I guess it's a guy! He loves animals and would love to take care of Layla.

I am staying home tomorrow to take care of Layla and hopefully this person can be trained to start next week! Wish us luck!

[ladyjane]

Awesome! Do hope it goes well!

[linz06]

The vet quickly called Scott back at lunch. She said that Layla's body might just be getting used to the new food and she will adjust on her own, or there may be something more going on. She was in the middle of something though, and would call us back probably tonight.

I also asked about this on Dodgerslist, and I was told that Medi-Cal SO is designed to have a high salt content, which makes dogs thirsty and flushes out their systems with all the water they drink. I guess that's fine when the dog has the option to pee whenever it wants, but it doesn't help much in our situation. This person also told me that a high protein diet might help to make the urine more acidic and get rid of crystals that way.

So those are some things I can bring up to the vet when we get a chance to talk to her.

[ladyjane]

If you are not happy with the rx diet, you might want to do a consult with a vet nutrionist. That can be done on the telephone and/or through emails.

My vet sent the records for one of my pups to the vet nutritionist at Texas A&M years ago and I did a home cooked diet suggested by him.

As for this food, as I said, I am really surprised. Gabby, who is also in the same position as Layla, is on Urinary SO and doing well. She does not have any of those symptoms, so maybe something else is going on.

[linz06]

Yes, I'm not sure if this is really "normal" behaviour because although the vet did say it would probably cause her to drink more, she didn't really press the issue so I didn't think it was going to be this much of a change. I guess if she wants to see her, I will be home all day tomorrow and I'll be available to take her in whenever I can. I think it would be a great food if she weren't peeing so much Obviously it doesn't happen to all dogs if Gabby is fine and they are pretty much the exact same dog lol. I'm glad I have you around for some comparison!

[ladyjane]

Maybe this link will be of interest to you:


Canine Struvite Bladder Stones

[ladyjane]

Checking in on Layla...I bet she is happy to have her mom home today!