[Dailydrool] Fwd: Recurring UTIs

[sylviemcgee at comcast.net]

Sent this last night both to the list and directly to Lisa, who had originally posted, and it didn't go through to the list - I thought I would try again, in case this info is useful to others dealing with UTIs... 

Sylvie McGee 


----- Forwarded Message ----- 
From: sylviemcgee at comcast.net 
To: dailydrool at lists.dailydrool.org 
Cc: lisacherry66 at hotmail.com, "Maureen Carey" <Maureen.Carey at gulfstream.com> 
Sent: Sunday, November 13, 2011 9:50:48 PM 
Subject: RE: Recurring UTIs 


HI, Lisa, 

Wow, shades of my nightmare last summer (2010). 

My eldest bitch, Luna, at that time about 10 years old, suffered from recurrent UTIs. Like your girl, whenever she went off the antibiotics, it would recur - and the interval between recurrences got shorter and shorter. 

Cultures showed that she was, by the time she was really diagnosed fully, carrying an anti-biotic resistant strain of e-coli that was causing the infections. We ran through extended culture panels to find an effective drug - which ended up being Merrem, which is typically given IV to humans in hospitals for MRSA infections. She was on twice-daily injections for 8 weeks - at $400/week. Before that, she was on Nitrofurantoin, hwich cost about $200 and she only tolerated it for four days - so I have another 16 days worth sitting in my kitchen cabinet. WIth cultures, exams, meds, etc..it ended up being about $5K over the course of the summer, but the worst was her looks of fatigue and frustration at the twice-daily intramuscular injections. She was really sore from those... 

Anyway, I don't know what the medication routine your girl will need is - that can really only be determined by culture. But I agree with you about LONG term treatment. You really have to beat these infections into submission. The specialist we saw was really insistent on the 8 week trial. The problem otherwise is that even though the dog measures "clear", they are not really clear, because a certain amount of common bacterial elements are considered "normal" during the culture - so the infection can hold on and then re-emerge quickly unless it's fully addressed. 

In addition to the Merrem, my vet recommended immediately putting her on a supplement called "Canine Urinary Tract Support" by Resources. This is the description: 

An optimum blend of herbs and mushrooms individually formulated for dogs designed to support the urinary tract. Contains natural antimicrobial agents such as Uva Ursi and Cranberry, which studies have shown may reduce the ability of bacteria to adhere to the lining of the bladder and urethra. Poria and Polyporus mushrooms have been shown to act as natural diuretics, while Marshmallow soothes inflamed and irritated membranes. Nutritionally supports pets suffering from temporary deficiencies due to cystitis, bladder stones, bladder inflammation and associated symptoms. Pets should be off dry and drinking plenty of liquids such as water, rice milk, soy milk or apple cider vinegar. Tablets may be given orally or crumbled and mixed with moist food. Responses to natural dietary supplements may vary by animal 

My vet said that particularly in older dogs, the tissues in the bladder become thinner, and the cells compact. This means that bacteria have an easier time holding on to the bladder wall and finding a purchase there. Apparently the marshmallow root in the supplement helps to make those walls more resilient again, and helps to prevent the bacteria from attaching. As well, this includes Cranberry to acidify the urine. 

I have Luna on the Canine Urinary Tract Support, and will have until the day she dies. I just am not willing to risk a recurrence. The cost for her (she's a 56 pound bitch) is about $48/month - not inexpensive, but it'll be worth it if we avoid another single infection. 

In addition, I saw that Maureen (who I've cc:ed on this...) mentioned a "lady tuck" had been recommended for her girl. That was also the case with Luna - and I did opt to have one done, as the specialist I consulted felt strongly that her vulva, which was quite pendulous, was catching a few drops of urine every time she eliminated, and that this was creating a "pool" where infection grew. By the time I had the surgery done, Luna was 10 1/2. She tolerated it well and was back to normal activity within about 4 days. Before that she was slowed down quite a bit by painkillers and post-surgical period of clearing the anesthetic from her body. 

I am very grateful to have her with me still, and to see her healthy and comfortable after that terrible summer. 

I hope you are able to find the right solution for your girl. Don't hesitate to write if you have any questions i can help with....or just want to bounce ideas off me. I don't usually read the DD. I dropped in today on a whim and saw your post, so decided to respond, but it's best, if you want to reach me, to just email me directly - I'm at: sylviemcgee at comcast.net, or you can find me on Facebook. 

Take care, best wishes for your girl's complete recovery! 

Sylvie McGee 
HeavenScent Bassets 
Olympia WA