|
Post by Curtis & Moet on Feb 27, 2017 16:07:20 GMT -7
Paula, she got herself up like that. She does quite often when walking around the house too. She doesn't always make it the whole way on all 4 legs going back and forth down the hall between our bedroom and office, but she is the one that gets herself back up to keep walking every time. When she tries to run she usually ends up dragging her rear legs because they can't keep up, but when she goes slow, she is almost walking every time. We give her help downstairs on the wood floor getting up because she doesn't have traction to do that herself, but she manages to walk on all 4 even on that slick surface quite a bit. She prefers her cart to get around really fast there though . We like to let her walk around without a diaper on because she seems to be able to do so easier, and we see her tail wagging more when she does, however it almost inevitably ends up with pee on the carpet.
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on Mar 2, 2017 10:48:46 GMT -7
Another interesting update. Yesterday my wife had Moet in her cart out in the backyard without a diaper on. She apparently went to the area she is used to pooping in and did so! Now... I asked her if it seemed like she was doing it on purpose and knew what was going on, but she wasn't sure. We will start taking her outside in her cart more often to see if that triggers her to try and pee/poop outside, and I'll start paying close attention to her.
|
|
|
Post by Romy & Frankie on Mar 2, 2017 14:36:51 GMT -7
That is definitely an interesting update. It may be that she is starting to get back some control. Let us know if she continues to do this.
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on Mar 30, 2017 12:05:23 GMT -7
We noticed something odd this week with Moet. Two of her toenails in the middle on one rear foot have fallen off, pretty close to the toe itself. When looking at the exposed area left, it almost seems like the quick is not there anymore. Before this happened we noticed that her middle toenails on both feet were turning from black to a bit brown. Googling about this seems to indicate a bacterial infection, however we haven't seen any blood, puss, etc. We found one of the broken nails in her bed and no blood there either. On her other foot, one of the two middle nails that is now brownish looking looks like it has a crack down it right in the same spot that the nails on the other food broke off, so it seems like that one is about to do the same.
Is there something odd that goes on with toenails of paralyzed dogs we haven't heard about yet? We really don't suspect an infection since there are no other signs.
It is worth noting that we need to have her nails trimmed. It has been a while and the nails in the back get longer than they used to be cause she is not wearing them down. We usually take her to have her nails clipped and have continued to do that even after her paralysis because she hates it. We could get away with doing the rears only now, but that doesn't do a lot of good.
|
|
PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,884
|
Post by PaulaM on Mar 30, 2017 12:29:53 GMT -7
Curtis, I guess when nerves are no longer enervating tissue, changes could take place. I've not seen anyone reporting nails falling off and quick receding as drastically as you report. I can say that my paralyzed doxe since 2007 fully black nails now has one on the back paw that is clear, not white, but clear. It would be a good idea to have the practiced eye of a vet take a look. Let us know what he says.
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on Apr 2, 2017 6:48:08 GMT -7
Will do, thanks!
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on May 13, 2017 20:48:00 GMT -7
Another update on Moet - more good progress! We have DEFINITELY started to have some "happy" tail wags (different from wags when touching near her rear, or we are expressing her bladder/bowels). I was changing her diaper yesterday and got down to her level on the changing table so she could give me some kisses and her tail was completely wagging in full motion side-to-side like it used to. We believe that her wearing a diaper most of the time is masking her tail movements as she walks around since the diaper holds her tail in position.
Also, before her surgery when we would start to get down on the ground to give her belly rubs, she would roll over and the tip of her tail would quickly wag a small distance in what we would say is a submissive type of reaction letting us know she's excited to she is about to be pet. We've seen that same tail wag multiple times the past month or so, even with her diaper on.
Lastly, she is making huge progress walking around on all 4's. It's still stumble type of walking with her diaper on, and slightly better without her diaper on. She is even walking ten's of feet on her own across the whole house. Watching "spinal walking" videos on You Tube, it appears it is spinal walking still, but she's made such great progress lately it's hard to believe.
We are going to take Moet back to the surgery center sometime in the next couple of weeks to have them re-evaluate her to see if they are able to get anything in a deep pain test yet. We're still having issues with bladder incontinence, but when we express her she lifts both legs up completely as if she is squatting like she used to do on her own. Hopeful that all of this is possibly a sign of future improvement with incontinence as it is the biggest struggle with her really.
|
|
PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,884
|
Post by PaulaM on May 14, 2017 10:28:28 GMT -7
Kisses and then a happy tail wag do indicate there has to be some deep pain sensation. Hopefully with time the nerves going to the bladder can also self repair. There have been some few dogs who do not follow the classic nerve repair order of first bladder control then walking. Dr. Luttgen, DVM, MS Diplomate, ACVIM (Neurology) explains that "Occasionally a dog that has transverse malacia of its thoracolumbar spinal cord (no deep pain sensation) can learn to "walk" again using the crossed extensor reflex that may still exist in the hindlimbs. Without motor connections to the brain, this reflex is "released" and causes the involuntary motor movements that are frequently observed in the limbs. Through extensive physiotherapy, many of these dogs learn to swing their bodies to get their hindlimbs under them and allow the reflex walking movements to be effectual. This form of walking is called spinal walking and looks a bit "motorized" but serves the function well." www.dachshund-dca.org/discbook.htmlDogs who spinal walk are not able turn corners/change direction without sitting and then starting the new direction. It is brain control that allows a smooth change in directions during running and walking. Do let us know what your appointment with a neuro specialist reveals about the existence of deep pain sensatin for Moet. Did you ever find out a reason for Moet's nails falling off and the quick receeding?
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on May 16, 2017 7:46:24 GMT -7
Correct, most of the walking action still seems like spinal walking since it is wobbly and she doesn't always make a turn. I'm also basing that on the movements like these videos on youtube: It's really pretty amazing how that works scientifically. It doesn't seem like "swinging" of her body to get hindlimbs under her at all though. That's a bit of an odd description by the Dr but would make more sense for a complete reflex action. Sometimes we think that it's not just spinal walking in Moet when she seems to slowly/precisely put her rear feet into position on the edge of a walkway as if she knows it's there (as we are holding her of course), or when she is in her cart and slowly moves her feet into place. It's easier to see the slow/precise movements while in her cart (without the leg straps on) due to the added support. When thinking about reflexes it's hard to imagine a reflex being a precise placement of a foot on the ground like that, rather than more of a jerking motion. Since we have happy tail wags indicating some deep pain sensation, I guess it's possible that her walking could be a mix of brain driven and spinal making up for the rest. We'll be sure to report back what the neuro at the surgery center says when we can get her in. We did not get any definitive answers on Moet's 2-3 broken rear toenails. They appear to be growing back like normal now, so may have just been something fluke. We still notice that the middle top part of most of her rear nails now have a light brown streak in them instead of being all black though. We'll ask the neuro about that as well.
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on Jun 17, 2017 9:20:13 GMT -7
We finally got Moet in to see Dr. Thompson at the surgery center for a check up yesterday. Overall she said that Moet is basically in the same state as before, with little nerve connection. She had in her notes from last time that Moet's left foot showed some signs of deep pain, and in the test [6/17/2017] this time she acknowledged the same. I don't think she was able to get the best test done because Moet was pretty aggressive and tried to bite her at first before anything started (flashbacks to surgery maybe), and the Dr. was bitten by another dog last week, so she was a bit apprehensive. We discussed how Moet still leaks urine sometimes when walking around without her diaper on outside, and she doesn't have happy tail wags every time we get home. The Dr. said those would be the best indicators of nerve progress). I did mention the few times that I thought I've seen happy tail wags though. We also talked about how Moet has started to squat when we express her bladder and she said that is probably a reflex (though we didn't see that originally, only in the past few months). I mentioned Moet sitting on command outside once and then beginning to pee as she did so. Her conclusion was that Moet can possibly get her left leg to do a bit and then the rest occurs via spinal reflex still. She contracted muscles all around to try and sit and it caused her to pee too. We are going to keep trying more tests of this sort with her to see how it goes. Cheese is a very powerful tool to Moet . We had Moet in her cart during the visit without her rear feet in the straps (which is how we have her most of the time). The Dr. noticed that Moet turns her feet over from a curled position every time they get that way. She thought that was very interesting, indicating that clearly Moet knows they are in a bad position when curled over after dragging them sometimes. She was also happy to see how much she walks slowly with her rear legs like we had noticed, and agreed that usually spinal walking is very motorized and in a bit of a jerking motion, but with her feet down in the cart it looks very normal. When we put her feet in the straps, Moet moved her feet constantly in the motorized spinal walking motion even when standing still. Overall I think we have seen some good signs of improvement the past few months and are hopeful that eventually Moet will have some further nerve regeneration, but are still fine with her condition as is. We understand that a Dr. seeing her a couple times for just 30 mins is not going to be the best judge of her overall condition. Obviously we trust the Dr. with the deep pain test, but in the end it's more of how she lives at home with us. I forgot to ask about the toenails unfortunately. I guess we'll have to try and remember when we take her in next time. We need to have her clipped again early this week and will just see if we notice anything else going on there or if they are getting back to normal.
|
|
|
Post by Julie & Perry on Jun 17, 2017 11:51:07 GMT -7
Glad to hear Moet is doing well. She sounds happy and comfortable. Good for you! You never know. Nerve healing has been known to happen even years later. There's always hope.
|
|
|
Post by Romy & Frankie on Jun 17, 2017 13:25:16 GMT -7
I think that being able to recognize her feet are in the wrong position and re-position them is a very good sign. That shows both proprioception, which means knowing her feet are wrongly placed and then the strength and control to move them correctly.
You may want to try putting her feet down more often when she is in her cart. That way she can feel her feet touching the ground and use them for traction. Some dogs have relearned how to walk like this. They start moving the legs in the walking position in the cart and then they start getting stonger and may be able to do it when not in the cart.
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on Jun 18, 2017 7:52:17 GMT -7
Completely agree. We only put her feet into the straps on her cart when we go on walks on concrete. We don't want her dragging her feet across the concrete causing injury. In the house with wood floors or the carpet it's not much of a risk, and same with out in the grass.
|
|
PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,884
|
Post by PaulaM on Jun 18, 2017 10:35:07 GMT -7
Curtis, wonderful news you report on increased nerve repair (fixing knuckled paws, walks deliberately/slowly with back legs)... how far she had come and likely you are to see more nerve repair on Moet's timetable whatever that may be. Not all dogs follow the classic textbook order of nerve repair....wagging and bladder control before repair of leg functions. Moet is special and her body has its own timetable and repair order!
Hard to believe but grass can be abrasive. Just keep an eye out if there would be too long a time in the grass that you check her paws.
You both are providing wonderful care of your sweet Moet. Moet sees herself as very handi-cappable and enjoying those cheese treats and all your loving attention. Keep up the good work and giving her so much love!
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 21, 2017 21:34:46 GMT -7
Just wanted to give an update on Moet. Things are going pretty well. We have some suspenders attached from her harness that hold on a cloth dog diaper over Huggies kid diapers most of the day. So far we haven't had any issues with her getting out of that and leaking urine around the house like before with just the kid diaper on. It has really made our lives easier. We haven't had any more sores due to the diaper except that one time a while ago. We take the diapers off completely when she walks around out back or when she's in her cart on walks outside. Moet is still spinal walking around a lot on carpet upstairs, and we finally have our new floors in downstairs where she is able to walk around a bit easier than before. Upstairs she spinal walks almost every time she goes anywhere (unless she's crazy excite about something and bolting around fast enough to where the rear end couldn't possibly keep up). She still shows some small signs of nerve connections in her left rear leg, but less so in her right leg. Small pain tests we attempt periodically don't produce anything meaningful, but as long as she is spinal walking around pretty well on her own, we are pretty happy with her progress overall and can't really complain. Obviously it would still be nice if we didn't have to express her every 6-8 hours, but it is what it is. She is still having a lot of issues the jerking motion or muscle spasms in her front legs when she's trying to go to sleep laying down straight. It doesn't happen at all when she lays on her side, so we're always trying to get her to lay on her side to avoid that. Do any of you know of any information about this as it related to IVDD? I still think that there is some neurological issue relating to the herniation area that causes this somehow, but I've also read that it is a sign of cervical spine issue, which I really hope she isn't having. Lastly it could be some sharp pains maybe in this position, but I would expect her to yelp if that was the case. I have some pretty serious nerve issues in my back, and I tend to have lots of muscles that tense up when the pain is extreme, but I think she would be whining if that is what is going on. Here is a video to see better [head lifting, etc]:
|
|
|
Post by Pauliana on Nov 21, 2017 23:32:47 GMT -7
Hi Curtis, thanks for the update on Moet. She is certainly not letting one thing hold her back.. What an amazing spirit she is! As for the leg kicking spasms.. Our Tyler does that too and he has IVDD but he started doing it BEFORE he had IVDD. He started the spasms after his neutering surgery and has done it off and on since he was about a year old. He had his first disc episode when he was 3. It doesn't seem to bother him or cause him pain. He does it when laying on his side and sound to sleep. Here is a short article that Dr. Isaacs wrote about this: dodgerslist.com/neurocorner2/leg%20spasms.htmYour video link shows an error message..
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on Nov 22, 2017 6:37:33 GMT -7
Thanks for the reply, Pauliana. I fixed the video link above.
What's interesting about these spasms are that they are her front legs and neck area, not the rear legs. It seems more annoying than painful to her, so hopefully that's all it is. We certainly get a lot of reflex and other movement in her rear quarters though. Touching her tail causes it to move, touching feet causes them to pull up and push hard randomly. She doesn't seem to notice any of this unless it causes her whole body to move. She also has what we call "bucking broncos", where the spasms in her rear legs are so hard and at the same time that she lunges forward. We can see in her face that she has no idea what happened haha. When expressing her, we can hold hear rear off the table and scratch her back. Her back legs and tail will move a lot. Pinching tail and toes causes a reflex to kick in and make them move, but she still doesn't really notice it until that movement causes the rest of her body to move.
It's all very interesting how she gets so much movement and yet is still paralyzed. I certainly am not an expert in neurology by any means, but it's hard to believe still that there are no nerve connections from brain to muscles/nerves and that it's all reflexes.
Overall we 3 are getting by pretty well and she seems just as happy as ever.
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on Apr 25, 2023 10:02:50 GMT -7
[Original subject line: Battling UTIs and skin infections]
Hello! Our doxie "Moet" is about to turn TWELEVE years old next month. We posted about her a lot back when she had surgery in late 2016 dodgerslist.boards.net/thread/4428/curtis-moet-10-surgery-wks , which is hard to believe was now about 7 years ago. She has been doing great all of of these years after we finally figured out good diapers (Huggies size 3, with an outer dog diaper as well), but about 1-2 years ago we started having dreaded issues with UTIs. We've obviously become pros at expressing her bladder after doing it for 6+ years before UTI issues crept in, so we suspect it has to do with her getting older or having to take her to a boarding place a couple times while traveling and maybe they didn't express properly. We've taken her to the vet a handful of times the past year and the best antibiotic we've found is called Zeniquin. It works within 1-2 days. We definitely know when she has a UTI because urine gets cloudy, smells, and she leaks into her diaper before change time (4-6x's a day). Sometimes when it has been bad we can clearly see blood in her urine while expressing, and even a significant amount of mucus will come out while expressing too, so we have had to promptly per her back on the antibiotic in those cases. We're to the point where she is getting a UTI every 1-2 months now though, so are frustrated by this, knowing it's not good for her. We certainly don't want kidney damage from this. We have Moet setup for a teeth cleaning next week, and we've decided to have a urine culture done while she is under for the cleaning, so that we can finally figure out exactly which bacteria we're battling. Urinalysis in the past has confirmed infection from high leucocytes. We're also battling some rather consistent skin issues, that I think are related to the UTIs and bacteria cause them spreading to skin. We're trying special antifungal and antibiotic shampoos, but her skin under her diaper is raw many times with puss/plasma type oozing. This has been a battle for longer than the UTIs, likely because of having to wear a diaper so much, but it has gotten worse lately probably due to urine leakage with UTIs. Looking for general advice on what else we can do for UTIs and the skin issues. I've been reading through other threads about UTIs but not finding anything groundbreaking. Also, I saw mention of urine test strips, but cannot find any links on where to purchase. Thank you!
|
|
|
Post by Romy & Frankie on Apr 25, 2023 13:56:01 GMT -7
Often dogs that need to be expressed will get UTIs despite our best efforts. They can be quite tricky to deal with. The presence of a high number of leukocytes is an indicator that an infection is present. It cannot tell the exact bacteria causing the problem. A urine culture will be able to identify the bacteria. Once the bacteria is identified, the right antibiotic can be prescribed and should be able to defeat the bacteria. When a dog gets UTI's as often as every 1-2 months, the original infection may never have been completely eliminated. One way to help with frequent UTI's is low dose long term antibiotic therapy. You can ask your vet if this type of therapy would be right for Moet. We have some information on recurrent UTI's at the link below: dodgerslist.com/2020/06/09/recurrent-uti/There are urine testing strips available on Amazon, but they check for Leukocytes and Nitrites. These indicate an infection, but will not help, narrow down the bacteria type causing the infection. I agree that the urine leakage is related to the skin issues. The vet should be able to prescribe something to help with this type of infection. Once the puss and oozing have been treated, you can use Aquaphor cream to cover and protect the diaper area. This cream does not contain zinc and is a good choice for with a dog if you are dealing with urine scald. Another choice is Bayer's A+D® Original Ointment, which also does not contain zinc.
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on Apr 25, 2023 14:20:02 GMT -7
Thank you very much, Romy. I did find that link, and also found some good info here too: speakingforspot.com/blog/2014/08/17/canine-bladder-infections-part-iii/Yes, we've spoken to our vet about long term low dose, and "pulse" use of antibiotics if necessary, but we'd really like to know which particular bacteria we're dealing with before we start down that path, so that's why we going ahead with the culture. We've also switched to Hills Urinary Health food for her to try and help, and also tried D-Mannose additive some as well. Those by themselves haven't kept the UTIs away, and the last one we started Zeniquin again for 12 days ago had a lot of mucus coming out with her urine. As soon as we see obvious blood in her urine we start Zeniquin and the blood stops with 24-36 hours it seems. I was able to find some test strips and we'll get them next week. Minimal cost for some additional information at least. Good call on the Aquaphor. We have some of that and will try it after her visit next week. We also read that witch hazel can be a good drying agent to put on to try and reduce the amount of bacteria that can grow due to moisture, so might give that a shot immediately. For the skin issue she has been on Cefpodoxime a few times as well, but it's hard to say if that helps much. She seems much better after a bath with Chlorhexidine shampoo, but that doesn't last but a few days. Our vet said it's ok for now bathe her every 4-5 days to keep trying to attack it. We also suspect some yeast (fungus as opposed to bacteria) because she has "frito-toes" and licks constantly... so has been having to wear the cone of shame for a while now too. We also try to leave her diaper off sometimes to let everything "air out", but doing that requires some prep with puppy pads and towels of course.
|
|
PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,884
|
Post by PaulaM on Apr 25, 2023 17:37:47 GMT -7
Curtis, smart to get the urine culture so it is known what the specific bacteria is in order to match the correct antibiotic. Also discuss a culture at the end of the antibiotic course to make sure the bad bacteria have been killed. Cranberry might work but only for one specific strain of bacteria. Those details are in the link Romy pointed you to: dodgerslist.com/2020/06/09/recurrent-uti Waiting til there is a sign of blood is dangerously late. Hopefully you will have the usual signs (change in color, cloudiness, smell) and maybe the pH strip to help you to catch the infection before it becomes ragingly dangerous. Urine/diaper Skin damageThis may be an option for Moet to swap at times with the Chorhexidine to use Betadine? Ask your vet. Lori Miller, Neuro Vet tech, reports: I use a mild solution of betadine after every time I express her. It has really cut down on her UTIs. She used to get one or two a year until I started doing that. Note: Betadine, a povidone-iodine, an antiseptic microbicide is available over the counter in the first-aid area of drug store. Diapers can be trapping too much of a high moisture environment near the skin. Using a barrier cream can be helpful to protect the skin from urine scald. However, in addition how about a greater air-flow kind of urine catcher than your diaper situation? Check into this idea for a female in small sizes: tinkletrousers.com/ claims not to pull down their rear end. Uses a baby diaper to catch urine. But does not fit close to the body like a diaper does. May not be as chaffing as the diaper you use now? When she does not have a UTI, how many times a day are your normally expressing her so that she stays dry?
Are you expressing for poop? Is that working out for Moet and you guys?
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on Apr 25, 2023 19:07:27 GMT -7
Thank you very much for the reply, Paula. Yes, we definitely recognize that by the time blood is in urine it is dangerous, and that's why we are working hard to figure this out. It has only happened a few times when we missed the signs of a UTI getting worse or waited too long, but we knew that blood made it an emergency to get her on antibiotics quickly. We think the infection really isn't going away based on how quickly other signs come back lately, and we're also concerned about being on antibiotics too much and breeding something that's resistant and impossible to treat. I'll feel much better once we figure out the particular bacteria we're fighting, and a long term low dose med may make sense then. A follow-up culture sounds like a good idea. I wish our vet didn't charge $440 for the culture and anesthesia though...
Great idea with Betadine to sterilize. I'll pick some up tomorrow and we'll start using that immediately.
For years without UTIs, we've expressed 4x's a day (~ 7am, 1pm, 6pm, midnight) and the diaper has been totally dry with that timing, however it has been 2-3mo now since I recall her being totally dry repetitively for a few days. We are having to change her more often to avoid urine in the diaper now, and one dr at our vet suggested that since she's older now she may have lost some muscle strength to hold it in, but we still think it's UTI related since she goes without urine at all sometimes still. Often there is a bit of slime/puss in the diaper now, even if there is no urine. Another obvious sign of infection.
We are able to express poop probably more than half of the time, or even more when we can keep her "regular" when not on antibiotics. Most of the time either my wife or I are at home, and if she poops still with the diaper on, we immediately change her of course. Betadine would certainly help cleaning after that.
I'm not quite following on how these Tinkle Trousers work for paralyzed/incontinent dogs, especially if we can't express poop every time, or when a dog is laying down on their side and has some urine leakage like we are now, but I'll do some more reading in case I'm missing something.
|
|
PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,884
|
Post by PaulaM on Apr 25, 2023 19:41:58 GMT -7
The Tinkle Trousers are only for urine. Poop would just plop out and not be contained. Which might not be a bad idea if she is pooping in the diaper. Females have a very short path for bacteria to enter the bladder from where poop exits the body.
Why is there a need for anesthesia to do a urine collection via cystocentesis (a needle tap directly into the bladder)? I watched my vet guide the needle via the ultrasound screen into the bladder. My dog did not even know when needle was inserted or came out. More on urine collection: marvistavet.com/urinary-tract-infection.pml
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on Apr 25, 2023 22:16:08 GMT -7
Right, I definitely get the higher chance for UTIs due to shorter path. I guess I have a hard time imagining how this trouser and positioning of the diaper more on the underside (as compared to rear end like your diagram) would really capture urine potentially. Moet has managed to sometimes leak urine through both the Huggies diaper and doggy diaper still when excited when we get home, and the way we have it now is pretty good protection. Periodically picking her up we might put pressure on her bladder causing it to express accidentally too, and that is always fun when it escapes both diapers everywhere while walking to her changing station, ha. I'll review more to see if I can get a better understanding of how the trouser would fit though.
Good point on cystocentesis. Somehow I still manage to forget that she has no/little feeling in the back half sometimes, haha. The vet's office said it's still $310 for a culture itself since they send it out, but I forgot to ask if they do cath or cystocentesis method. Obviously the latter is much better, so I will confirm that they are able to do cystocentesis.
Thank you for the link of additional UTI information. More helpful information to know.
|
|
PaulaM
Moderator.
Member since 2007: surgery, conservative . Montana, USA
Posts: 19,884
|
Post by PaulaM on Apr 26, 2023 8:48:58 GMT -7
Curtis, would recommend to communicate with Tinkle Trousers: info@tinkletrousers.com to ensure this is the right product for Moet. For sure, their website is not intuitive where to easily locate different pieces of information. This page does have info for the female dog and placement of the absorbing diaper: tinkletrousers.com/Fitting_instructions.html Hoping this more "airy" product would be beneficial to keeping skin healthy for Moet. I've never needed to have a cystocentesis for my dog so I was not aware how expensive it is, wow! Just brainstoming/throwing out some ideas here..... Since Moet might need another time to time in getting these recurrent UTI's under control, would it be a consideration to see if $310 is competitive in your city area? Would it be useful to travel several .hours to have a 2nd opinion say at TAMU in College Station, TX if cost of cystocentesis+office visit makes sense for your budget? Campus colleagues share insights when there is a tough case. Also I bet your own vet could call on TAMU or his own college, if he needed to. My Montana vet did so for my dog with Washington St. University
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on Apr 26, 2023 17:51:48 GMT -7
Thanks, Paula. I will reach out to the Tinkle Trousers people.
Yes, $310 for the culture definitely seems high. TAMU or OSU would obviously be the "gold standard" around here, but both are a good drive for us. I'm going to call around to find out if other places here in Dallas are cheaper, just for comparison. Parker Animal and Bird Clinic in Plano has been our go-to vet for over 30 years, and they are traditionally priced very well, but it's possible they are a bit out of market on this since they said they have to send it out. For next week we don't mind having to pay the cost to finally get down to the problem.
I'll report back when we have more info. Thanks again!
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on May 10, 2023 14:07:10 GMT -7
Good news! We have the culture results back and it is staph (staphylococcus intermedius). The sensitivity test confirms that Zeniquin (marbofloxacin) does work a bit for this bacteria (MIC ug/mL >= 4), but it's ultimately resistant to it, which explains why we've been battling this so long.
[MED LIST/HISTORY- Moderator's Note. Please do not edit 10-11lbs I believe. Maybe 12 y.o.. clindamycin as of 5/10 (MIC ug/mL 0.25) 2x/day for 1 month til ±6/10?.]
We're starting her on clindamycin tonight (MIC ug/mL 0.25), 2x/day for 1 month. This should clear up all of her issues since our vet says the skin issues are clearly staph as well.
|
|
|
Post by Romy & Frankie on May 10, 2023 14:14:55 GMT -7
That is good news! Getting the right antibiotic on board should make all the difference.
|
|
|
Post by Curtis & Moet on May 16, 2023 11:44:23 GMT -7
Another update on Moet. It has only been 5.5 days that she's been on Clindamycin, but we've already seen HUGE improvements. Her urine is completely clear again. She is not leaking urine into her diaper before expressing. Expressing is easy to do again and we're able to tell that we're fully vacating her bladder. The skin on her belly is already smooth again without feeling moist from basically having raw wounds. The black spots on her skin (likely pyoderma) where fur was falling out have already started to lighten up in color and have fur growing back. She seems a bit more active too.
What we suspect ultimately happened is that she had an infection where Zeniquin (marbofloxacin) was somewhat effective, but it never completely got rid of the infection, and the bacteria became more resistant to the Zeniquin the longer the infection stayed around and we continued trying to treat with it. Our doctor also had us try cefpodoxime last year at one point, but the culture sensitivity test shows that this staph strain is completely resistant to it, so it did nothing.
Hindsight 20/20, we should not have waited so long to do the culture and figure out which specific antibiotic was best to give her, but Zeniquin did appear to work well a few times last year, so at the time it seemed like it was a good treatment but that she was getting recurring infections. Only the past few months when Zeniquin appeared to be doing almost nothing was it pretty obvious that we needed a new treatment and definitely needed the culture. So word to the wise, if there is an obvious infection going on, just get a culture!
|
|
|
Post by Romy & Frankie on May 16, 2023 13:06:48 GMT -7
I am so pleased for you and Moet. Sometimes it takes a bit of detective work to find the right antibiotic. You seem to have found it though.
|
|