Recurrent UTI's in Senior Dog with neurological issues

[altermetoday]

Does anyone have any experience with UTI’s in senior dogs? My male standard poodle has had a lot of issues this year but most recently are bad UTI infections. He’s been on baytril 2 times previously in the last few months for 14 days at a pop. one of the bouts he had a full month of meds.

I found something that the UTI’s might be associated with neuro issues, but I can’t find any more information other than that. I’d like to know what the association is and why he might be getting these coming back. He does have a very sensitive gi tract and he’s on other meds too for his pain management and to keep his pancreatitis at bay…

He gets up to greet me and is wobbly but is still eating and not on deaths door yet, but I know he’s on a downhill slide…just trying to figure out what to do with the uti’s in light of his overall situation…not sure i can keep him on baytril for long term to try to combat this and with that tidbit of info trying to figure out if he’s going to keep having issues…

[Marla_100]

I’ve had pretty good success w/ Cranberry pills sold online for dogs for UTI.

I just lost my 16 yr. old dog to Degenerative Myelopathy which begins as neuro type hind end problems. From what
I know, the spinal paralysis travels from hind legs toward head. Eventually it affects the kidneys, heart and lungs.
My girl had UTI when it started to affect kidneys with reduced output.
Sorry, you are facing these problems.

[Incantation]

D-mannose is the ingredient in cranberries that helps prevent UTI’s. You can buy it in powder form and add it to the dogs food or water. It is recommended for Mastiffs that have a hooded vulva,until they go through their first heat, which usually corrects the condition enough that UTIs are no longer common.

[altermetoday]

@Marla 100

I’ve had pretty good success w/ Cranberry pills sold online for dogs for UTI.

I just lost my 16 yr. old dog to Degenerative Myelopathy which begins as neuro type hind end problems. From what
I know, the spinal paralysis travels from hind legs toward head. Eventually it affects the kidneys, heart and lungs.
My girl had UTI when it started to affect kidneys with reduced output.
Sorry, you are facing these problems.

He is definitely losing his hind end and even some of his front shoulders. One vet that looked at him thought it was DM related, but he wouldn’t say it was def DM. At least with DM, they aren’t in pain, right? I think he does have some pain but i try to reduce it with the drugs i’m giving him…

Curious about the kidneys… what symptoms did you have to show you the kidneys were having issues? So far, his bloodwork for kidneys and liver is ok, but I can’t figure out why he’s having these uti’s

[horsenut_8700]

Did you culture? Is it possible the infection is not being resolved completely before discontinuing antibiotics and isn’t necessarily recurring but has never resolved?

[Marla_100]

@altermetoday

He is definitely losing his hind end and even some of his front shoulders. One vet that looked at him thought it was DM related, but he wouldn’t say it was def DM. At least with DM, they aren’t in pain, right? I think he does have some pain but i try to reduce it with the drugs i’m giving him…

Curious about the kidneys… what symptoms did you have to show you the kidneys were having issues? So far, his bloodwork for kidneys and liver is ok, but I can’t figure out why he’s having these uti’s

My vet did not diagnose my dog with DM either. So we just kept treating the hind end problems. Ugh. But after
reading so much about other dogs w/ DM and knowing that many GSD’s do have the genetic factor, I realized she
had the classic textbook symptoms as the paralysis traveled frontwards. Supposedly no pain involved but I’m sure there’s some discomfort.

Kidneys: At one point my dog was drinking an enormous amount of water but she was totally incontinent and went
long stretches with no urine output. Around that same time she got UTI with blood in urine. Cranberry pills resolved
this blood, but limited urine output continued erratically. This is often a sign kidneys are shutting down some.

From my reading kidneys usually show problems first of the organs, then heart and then lungs, usually.
I’m so sorry you’re facing this problem, it’s not fun.

[cloudyandcallie]

Give him a cosequin capsule in morning and another at night. It helps. Every day, don’t stop.

[altermetoday]

@horsenut_8700

Did you culture? Is it possible the infection is not being resolved completely before discontinuing antibiotics and isn’t necessarily recurring but has never resolved?

we have no cultured yet… and it is possible. The bigger question is how much more do I continue to do with his hind end issues. Today I had to pick him up twice as he could not get up on his own… I thought that it was getting closer to the time…then I came home after farm sitting and he got up on his own twice. I think I’ll start a journal for him and try to figure it out.

[stargzng386]

I have a younger dog with a similar string of issues. She has chronic pancreatitis that is controlled by eating prescription GI wet food only with limited low fat treats. What is your dog eating?

She has had in the past year and has a UTI right now and has been on cosequin with no affect for the UTI. My vet insists on a culture for any recurring UTI and my dog currently has a bacterial UTI that is resistant to 95% of antibiotics so she is on a special one. If she were put on Baytril it would have done absolutely nothing to help her UTI. I would get a culture and the correct meds because a UTI is very uncomfortable.

My dog also has disc issues which presents as neurological and can come on suddenly or gradually. She’s had 2 one currently and is on meds and strict crate rest per the neurologist and then will be rehabbed after it’s healed enough. Has a neurologist examined your guy to see if they think it’s a disc issue or something else? My regular vet recently missed my dog’s disc issue and diagnosed as acl at first while the neurologist checks for different things and was able to diagnose quickly. Has your dog been xrayed to see if it’s arthritis causing stiffness and difficulty getting up? That could be treated with a host of different pain meds.

I know it’s much harder with an older dog but some answers from the vets might help you understand what’s going on better.

[altermetoday]

Thanks… I’m waiting on my vet to call. It’s a day to day thing with him right now. I thought for sure last sunday I was going to be putting him down this week, then he bounced back. He’s struggling a lot to get up but I haven’t had to help him in a couple days…he’s usually up by the time i’ve noticed he’s trying and I’m too late to help him. We may do the culture if his next urine sample is still having an issue but at this point I may also just think about his quality of life … the looks i get for him sometimes break my heart… but he’s gained a pound which is huge and he puts himself to bed at night, he’s eating, etc…so I don’t know.

[SquishTheBunny]

I wouldnt play around with antibiotics unless you had a urine culture. Baytril has a lot of side effects that you dont want to deal with if you dont need to use it.

Generally, dogs with hind end weakness don’t often completely empty their bladder. This is why your dog is getting frequent UTI’s. Its important for them to fully void - with DM or other neurological issues affecting stability and function this can be difficult. Frequent walks, maybe to areas where other dogs have urinated to encourage emptying the bladder will help. Also looking into a help-em-up harness that way you can help support your dog when he postures to urinate. Those harnesses are a god-send.

Have you worked up his hind end weakness? Is he on gabapentin, steroids or an NSAID? Could be DM, Cauda Equina, LS Disc etc. some things are more responsive to medications than others.

[altermetoday]

@SquishTheBunny

I wouldnt play around with antibiotics unless you had a urine culture. Baytril has a lot of side effects that you dont want to deal with if you dont need to use it.

Generally, dogs with hind end weakness don’t often completely empty their bladder. This is why your dog is getting frequent UTI’s. Its important for them to fully void - with DM or other neurological issues affecting stability and function this can be difficult. Frequent walks, maybe to areas where other dogs have urinated to encourage emptying the bladder will help. Also looking into a help-em-up harness that way you can help support your dog when he postures to urinate. Those harnesses are a god-send.

Have you worked up his hind end weakness? Is he on gabapentin, steroids or an NSAID? Could be DM, Cauda Equina, LS Disc etc. some things are more responsive to medications than others.

thanks for the reply. He is on gabapentin and tramadol. tried previcox, but he developed pancreatitis issues and he’s much better off for his stomach. He’s been on other things that were hard on his stomach as well. He’s always had a sensitive gi tract. I did accupuncture, laser and chiro at different times and it was not really successful. I just quit the latest accupuncture because it did not seem to make a difference and I lost my job… I’m about out of options for him for my budget but trying to do everything I can while I can. I did not not know about the bladder emptying being a potential issue. I can certainly try walking him more, but he doesn’t have stamina to go very far. One of my vet friends is trying to get me a harness that they have…hopefully that will help.

As far as the Baytril, the vet prescribed that one… i’m not aware of the side effects, but it has seemed to help. He was having some doggy dementia before the meds…now that is a lot better.

[Marla_100]

Have a friend w/ paralyzed dog and he made a mid=body harness out of a cloth grocery bag w/ handles. He cut it
so it envelopes around the dog’s mid-section and then lifts dog w/ handles.
Another friend used a large bath towel folded up under dog to help doggy move.

[LauraKY]

UTI’s are notorius for causing dementia symptoms in older humans.

If you’re sure you’ve cleared a current UTI, maybe the vet will agree to a low dose prophylactic antibiotic as a preventative. Urologists frequently prescribe them for humans with recurrent UTIs.

[hoopoe]

Urecholine is sometimes helpful. It acts upon the parasympathetic systems and helps with detrussor function which might help empty the bladder further than his compromised neurologic function allows

[Cooper]

Here is a link to the harness Squishthebunny mentioned.

https://helpemup.com/

I have a Corgi with DM, this harness has been a live saver. I slip a leash thru handle over his hips, and he is able to walk, urinate, defacate easily. I honestly don’t think I’d still have him without the help of this harness.

I ordered directly from company online, and it was on my doorstep in two days.