Sadie – Relapse….again.

[admin]

Hi Linda

Sorry should have posted on the site as well as an e-mail – but I do agree with Brigitte – the pred won’t help these issues as their back ends tend to get weak – why not bladder muscles too! And of course they are drinking loads & peeing loads too.

I wrote (agreeing with Mary actually) – “Linda – this incontinence is due to the infection inflaming her bladder etc. & I wouldn’t blame it on the immunosuppressants myself. My little Millie had a terrible UTI – pus coming out & blood – it took her a while to stop having little accidents even after we stopped the antibiotics – I think it was a couple of months – she was such a clean little soul & she was really upset – it’s horrible for them. I was considering using propalin syrup (but that’s not an option for you with Sadie’s IMHA) when all of a sudden she got better! I know you don’t give a damn about the accidents – you’re just worried about her well-being.

I think in the circumstances you should get precise weaning advice from Dr Dodds. I personally think she’d get you to lower the cyclo to a normal dose (like Dewey) THEN start the pred slowly, but please get her to tell you exactly what to do as we do not want anything to rock the boat!”

Love & hugs
Sheena & the boys xxx

Ps I do remember someone using doggy diapers but who was it? Can’t remember – can someone help us with this? I would never stop Worzel sleeping on the bed with us even if he had accidents, so would try the diaper option if he didn’t mind. We love them too much to worry about minor things like a stray wee-wee here & there!

[Vally]

I agree, I think try the diapers and see if she minds them. Poor baby. If no, I guess try and take her out a few times during the night and see how she goes. Other than that some towels and a plastic sheet for now. Hopefully this will stop soon.

Love Vally & Bingo
xxx

[Linda]

Sorry – I have lost two posts. It’s me being a ditz. 😱

Briefly, just one little accident, about a week prior to relapse. But really, looking back, I should have seen this coming. I will be like a hawk going forward. I think Safiexwill be prone to UTI, so I need ficus on keeping her UT healthy. Any suggestions?

I uploaded a picture of Sadie chilling just now. Hope it comes through soon. Too funny, they shaved her tummy for the ultrasound and what a tummy it is!!! And no, she is NOT allowed to drink that wine behind her bed! 😉

I agree, weather it’s the UTI or the long term and now high dose prednisone, it’s still incontinence and both may well be the culprit.

All clean bedding and plastic/cotton terry cover on bed. We ALL slept well. Agree Sheena, no way I’m kicking her out of bed. What she needs, especially now, is consistency. She’d have been crushed keeping her off the bed. 😊

Love to you all, Linda and Sadie

[admin]

Hi Linda

I bet you’ll never miss those signs ever again! Don’t feel bad, please, these things happen & it was just terrible luck that this infection was so nasty.Yes, we need to get our thinking caps on for something to prevent this happening again. I would still run anything we come up with by Jean Dodds though – you never know what might not be good for our special IMHA pups & kitties.

Incontinence sheets from the pharmacy sound like a great idea – everyone can have a peaceful night. I can’t sleep properly without Worzel right next to me any more – spoilt or what! When it’s hot, Phil goes in another bedroom as he can’t stand lying next to Mr Hot Water Bottle – good job he’s so understanding. Mind you, he also says I snore …. I don’t believe that for a minute though!

When we first had Worzel, he was on antibiotics for a bladder infection for about two months – he had loads of wee accidents, but he couldn’t help it. My poor old Mum’s incontinence bed sheets & chair pads came in quite handy!

Love & hugs from us all
Sheena & the boys xxxxx

[Brigitte]

Hi Linda,
I chatted with a friend, that is also a holistic vet last weekend. I always get loads of good info from her, of course I try not to pester her, we are agility friends. I told her that we discussed rimadil on the forum, it being a trigger for AIHA. She said well, EVERYTHING can trigger AIHA. It just all depends. Lovely! Then she continued to tell me that just the other day she had a dog that was given cartophen and he reacted strange and they caught it early but he came down with AIHA. A few weeks earlier I gave Enzo cartophen for an ACL injury!!!! Can you imagine how I felt? The write up of this drug said no side effects and maybe the other dog came in contact with something else, there was an other trigger? But still it struck me that I only checked that drug after Enzo had already gotten that shot. How on earth can we keep track of everything? Don’t blame yourself Linda, you are the best doggie mom! I hope Sadie’s accidents will lessen in time. Now that you are aware, you might take her out more, maybe restrict the water towards the end of the day a bit?
Have a wonderful day, love and best wishes,
Brigitte

[Vally]

Brigitte,

Bingo has also had cartrophen injections for arthritis and, in particular his, back knee which has always been wonky (medical term) since I got him. Specialist said it was okay to use. I checked side effects and as you said, safe, however I noticed Bingo was immediately drinking HEAPS of water and as the first course of injections went on, more and more. I mentioned this to the local vet and they said no, it’s not the cartrophen. I found, and Sheena looked too, only 1 reference to excessive drinking with cartrophen. Anyhow, the drug worked a treat.

I recently mentioned to Dr Dodds that he’d had the injections, in querying his liver results which had been slowly climbing, and she came back and said the cartrophen was likely responsible for that, and she didn’t like it.

Anyway, that’s a side note about cartrophen.

Sorry Linda, I’ve run off with your post.

[Brigitte]

Vally (sorry Linda)
this is very interesting to say the least. Even though Enzo is not an AIHA pup, the paranoia is still there. He got weekly cartophen shots and should now get them monthly. Maybe 2 more. I have not seen any changes, drinking more or anything like that, but of course I can not see what his liver is doing unless I do a blood test. I will discus it with his vet and way the benefits versus the scary stuff and then see if I will continue. His knee is absolutely fine, he is doing long hikes and playing agility!
Thanks,
Brigitte

[Vally]

Brigitte (sorry Linda ;) )

You do mean cartrophen , being sodium pentosan polysulfate, right? Bingo did a course of 4 injections over 4 weeks and then I was told do one injection every 3 months as he does seem to need them. The vet told me some dogs have 1 injection every 6 months or sometimes, 1 injection before winter. Just that you mentioned monthly.

The website does it differently
http://www.cartrophen.com/veterinarians_cartrophen_vet_dosgae.html
actually says repeat the course of injections every 4 months, which I understand is every 4 months do the 4 weekly injections again.

Vally & the unwilling test subject
xxx