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1149072 tn?1269769247

Could this be Cystitis

Hi everyone. Can anyone help please;  I have a ten year old Border Collie cross (female). This last month or so she has been holding her urine in, and refusing to 'do the necessary' until she absolutely has too.  We walk her twice daily and she is let out into the Yard many many times each day - most of these time she refuses to do anything. She seems to drink a normal amount but certainly not excessively. Overnight she seems to 'leak' either onto the carpet or rug, and has even 'wet the bed' a couple of times.  I was wondering whether she associates urinating with pain due to cystitis perhaps and therefore waits for as long as she can, until its too late sometimes and thats when the 'accidents' occur.  She's been properly house-trained from being a puppy and has always behaved impecably around the house until recently.  I'm considering taking her to see a Vet because I cannot bear to think of her as being in pain, and distressed about urinating to the point when she has stopped herself urinating. Finances prevent me taking her to the Vet this week, and I am wondering if there is anything I can do for her meanwhile before I can get her to the Vet early next week ?  If anyone has any suggestions then I'd be so very grateful.  We (Dixie and I, that is) live in the UK.  
Thanks in advance,
DiamondFox
Best Answer
675347 tn?1365460645
COMMUNITY LEADER
I'd give up the cans of dogfood. I'm certain they do contain necessary vitamins and minerals....but you have NO idea what else!
In commercial cheap-range dog foods there is an awful lot of cereal, fillers, and low-level meats.
You could try finding a really good kibble for her basic staple food, such as James Wellbeloved, Burns, or Healthy Paws. I buy Healthy Paws rabbit and brown rice kibble for my dog, and I am very happy with it, and her general health, fitness, and energy levels all the time she has been on it.
Of course the more wholesome food I mentioned does cost a bit more than Pedigree or Winalot, etc, but it doesn't break the bank and is worth it because you know it's good.
I buy Healthy Paws, about once every 2 months, and the bill (online) is just over £30. That works out at about 50p a day for my dog.
The others cost between £5.50 and £7.50 a 2 kilo bag I think.

Instead of the cans of food you could buy a whole chicken (Tesco's Asda and Morrisons sometimes do special offers (2 chickens for £5 and that kind of thing. Then boil up the whole lot, de-bone, mix with some cooked carrot, cabbage, spinach, or whatever, and put into 2-portion freezer bags. Yes this will take you a couple of hours work every so often, but it's so worth it! Pour off the water the chicken has boiled in, keep it in a jug or something, then cool it right down, and you'll find the fat comes to the top and can easily be skimmed off (important if you want to try and keep her weight down) -and what's left underneath is a very nutritious jelly.

I do the same thing with lean steak mince (a little more expensive I know!) and can often find offers on large bags of fairly cheap frozen white fish, such as Coley or Pollock. They have big bags of this in the freezer section at Morrison's or Lidl's. Last one I bought from Lidl's was £2.49 for 14 pieces of fish! (Mixed with her kibble, one piece does for 2 meals, for my sized dog....so that's 28 meals for £2.49. Cheaper than Pedigree too!) Watch for tiny sharp bones though!
The problem with that is it has to be cooked as required, as once cooked I don't think you can re-freeze it. But it is excellent to give a dog fish sometimes (not all the time) -and it is low calorie.

re: getting her to take on fluids....try mixing water in which her chicken or fish (or even vegetables) has cooked, in with her meal. It gets to be a little like soup with croutons! But at least you'll know she is getting fluids down her during periods she refuses to drink.
13 Responses
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874521 tn?1424116797
goodmorning ladies, just Opus here from the Cat forum, happened to come across your post Foxxie(nice to see you...so sorry about Dixies's problems)

Just wanted to know if you all saw Dr. Osbornes blog yesterday? About feeding dogs in particular but also true for our cats.....I'm promoting it in the hopes that all pet owners will have a chance to read it..

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/index/931595

♥Opus
Helpful - 0
1149072 tn?1269769247
Hello Zoe,
Thanks for your message.  Like you, my dogs are 'older' gentlefolk now.  They are both ten years old, though not related.  Both were 'found' on a noticeboard in our local Pets store where we buy food for the Cats.  Dixie, as you know, is a Border Collie.  Digger is a black Labrador cross.  Also like you I too am so relieved to have found this website for both my dogs and my cats.  I don't know where I'd be without the friendship, help and advice given by everyone.  I've made some good friends from the Cat forum too.  I lost three dearly beloved Cats within 6 months earlier this year and its fairly taken its toll on me and my confidence and happiness.  I'd love for us to become friends Zoe.  If I sent you a Friend invite do you think you'd like to be friends ?  Both having older dogs we do have a lot in common already.  Kind regards,  DiamondFox
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
How sweet : )  I am also so glad that ginger899 is in the same area and could be of a great help!  I love this site !! I am so glad we can all help each other. I have three dogs that are older so now it seems that I am posting on their health almost daily, one thing after another.  I hope your sweet girl stays well for a very long time!
Helpful - 0
1149072 tn?1269769247
Hello again - BIG BIG THANKYOU'S to you both for ALL your help and advice. The foods you mentioned are no problem for me give to her.  Money is no object where her health is concerned.  Besides, a tin of dogfood here in the UK is more than 50p per day and thats just the tin itself without the cost of the mixer.  I'd already started her on the 'soaking her meal with water' a few days ago, as an interim measure until I got better advice from you guys.  I'm so so grateful to everyone who has replied.  I wanted to give you ALL the 'best answer' star. Once again a big THANKYOU - from myself and 'the duchess' herself - Dixie!!   DiamondFox
Helpful - 0
675347 tn?1365460645
COMMUNITY LEADER
(By the way, because you are in UK, I mentioned those dogfoods because they are obtainable in UK, I'm really not sure if they are available worldwide. But there are other high quality kibble foods that are.)
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I am so glad that you got your dog to the vet and it turned out to be a uti and nothing more. My dog's all tend to get a bit heavy now and then and I just cut back on their food, and treats. I like really what ginger899 suggested as well.
Can food has less calories than dry, but it is expensive. I use it as treats from time to time.  If you don't want to change up too much right now, just cut back on her store bought treats and add fresh carrots, apples, cooked chicken, etc to her diet- these are better for her and lower in calories. I helped two of my BC's take off 25 pounds off each, but that was using a dog food I don't really reccommend.  
My dog got cleared of her recent uti and I also noticed she needed more Proin throughout the day, so I added that to her morning' so far this has helped her to be leaked free.  That is not an issue you have to deal with right now....just remember it in the future should she has leak issues.      
Helpful - 0
1149072 tn?1269769247
Hi everyone,
I'm back at long last, as promised.  Apparently my dog did have some kind of bacterial infection, which, as Zoe114 mentioned DOES seem to be a failing with female BC's.  She has been put on medication and I'm pleased to day she's doing just fine at the moment - no more accidents around the house thankfully.  I encourage her to drink more but she's not always a willing participant I'm afraid.  Does anyone know of anything I can give her that'll keep her fluid levels up apart from Cranberry juice (she doesn't like that at all and refuses to have anything to do with it).  I don't want to put salt in her food in order to make her drink more because I think that might set off more problems for other organs in her body.  The vet also mentioned that she's a little overweight and that wouldn't help with her bladder problems.  She eats tinned dogfood mixed with a rich beefy flavoured mixer-biscuit.  She also has a handful of marrowbone biscuit 'rolls' for her supper before retiring.  She doesn't eat any table-scraps I'm happy to say.  I'm wondering what kind of food I can give her to help her lose a little weight ?  
I don't have to return to the Vet unless either she gets worse, or I'm unhappy about some health issue with her.
Anyway, thanks for the help and advice everyone.  Sorry its taken a bit longer than I'd anticipated in getting back to you all.    Very best wishes, and Thankyou.
DiamondFox
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I too have a BC and she gets uti's as if they were going out of style..lol She holds her urine in more when she has these and it is very concentrated. One thing you can do right now is cook up some chicken breast, and use the broth on her food, you can give her the chicken as well, or eat it yourself. Both of these things will add liquid to her diet and make her go more, but this is good, you want to get the bacteria out of her. Also, try adding cranberry pills( 200mg 2x day) or even the juice to her water if she will drink it, not too much. This will help her till you can get her to the vet to get antibiotics for her. She is holding in her urine because it hurts too much to go...she is in pain.
My dog just got off Baytril last week, and I also have her on Proin and just started her on that twice a day ( note: Proin increase blood pressure, so it can harm a pet with heart problems) ...but she still has issues with leakage. When she was a pup with leakage issues I had her on estrogen and that worked , but it can also cause cancer. So.... first get her tested for the uti, then go from there.

Please post back what you learn ~    
Helpful - 0
1149072 tn?1269769247
Hi again. Thanks for the advice and comments from yourself and Lindapalm - I'm very grateful to you both for taking the time to reply.
I'm relieved to know that other Forum members have also experienced this type of thing.  I will see the Vet with her next week and I promise I will get back to you both about the outcome.
Thanks again!!  DiamondFox
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Avatar universal
Our dog would pee in her sleep, and she was put on Stilbesterol, for estrogen problems.  It seemed to work well.
Helpful - 0
1436598 tn?1332896533
At this point I think you are goin to need the vet to sort this out.  It's possible that she has spay incontinence -and- a uti or cystitis.  I have a 9 year old dog on Proin for spay incontinence and it has helped tremendously.  She would wet her bed often at night, and then started leaking on the sofa or even on my lap while I was petting her.  She has also had a few uti's but normally that causes her to go more often.  However, my 13yr old Pumpkin will tend to hold it more when she gets a uti.  I can usually tell something is going on because there is more of an odor to the urine since it is so concentrated from her keeping it in.
Good luck and let us know!
Helpful - 0
1149072 tn?1269769247
Update from DiamondFox.  I've been looking online for more info and from what I've read I think perhaps she doesn't have Cystitis after all, but that it could be Incontinence because she is an older dog and she was spayed when very young.  A Vet visit is on the cards for early next week to get to the bottom of this - lets just hope its nothing serious (as there are some very serious illnesses which can also be the cause of her incontinence) and can be treated.   DiamondFox
Helpful - 0
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