How to holistically help a UTI in senior male dog?

[AlessiaL]

1. Gixxer/14/male
2. Neutered
3. Mix: English bulldog, husky, boxer
4. Approx. 65lbs
5. B/E - less energy than usual, not as excited as he usually is, he paces back and forth, sometimes walking in circles at night, he sleeps fine during the day when someone is with him, he still enjoys going for his daily walks but doesn’t show the joy in his face like he normally does.
A - not eating, only drinking water and the way we have been giving him food is with a syringe in his mouth. He swallows no problem and doesn’t throw the food back up.
M - he’s tired than usual (also listed in B/E)
6. So. He’s been fed kibble with boiled chicken every day. Sometimes we will do steamed potatoes with boiled chicken (instead of kibble and chicken) then I’ll give him honey, wild blueberries and seaweed/dulse throughout the day. His main diet is chicken and kibble/potatoes. (Sometimes steamed broccoli)
7. He’s gotten the vaccinations from when he was a pup. He had kidney stones before. And also had to go under for a teeth clean a few months ago.
8. So this started about 3 days ago. Not eating his food. His urine was normal the first 2 days but today we noticed his urine is red. He has been drinking water throughout the day so I assume he’s hydrated. I’m usually home to feed him his potatoes, broccoli and fruit. But I was away for 3 days so my mom was feeding him only kibble and chicken. Then when I came home that’s when he wasn’t eating at all. He was showing signs of lethargic on his walks, instead of walking ahead leading us he is walking beside us, walking pretty slow.
9. The condition is the same while applying all different methods mentioned.
10. We are bringing him to the vet today to do a urine sample. However we might get prescribed medication which is what I’m worried about. So that’s why I’m here to see if there’s a way to reverse his symptoms/illness without the need of antibiotics.
11. No treatment has been done. The last treatment he had was on his mouth being put under to do a deep clean for his gums and teeth.
12. The main concern is if this is UTI or something worse?

 

[AlessiaL]

1. Gixxer/14/male
2. Neutered
3. Mix: English bulldog, husky, boxer
4. Approx. 65lbs
5. B/E - less energy than usual, not as excited as he usually is, he paces back and forth, sometimes walking in circles at night, he sleeps fine during the day when someone is with him, he still enjoys going for his daily walks but doesn’t show the joy in his face like he normally does.
A - not eating, only drinking water and the way we have been giving him food is with a syringe in his mouth. He swallows no problem and doesn’t throw the food back up.
M - he’s tired than usual (also listed in B/E)
6. So. He’s been fed kibble with boiled chicken every day. Sometimes we will do steamed potatoes with boiled chicken (instead of kibble and chicken) then I’ll give him honey, wild blueberries and seaweed/dulse throughout the day. His main diet is chicken and kibble/potatoes. (Sometimes steamed broccoli)
7. He’s gotten the vaccinations from when he was a pup. He had kidney stones before. And also had to go under for a teeth clean a few months ago.
8. So this started about 3 days ago. Not eating his food. His urine was normal the first 2 days but today we noticed his urine is red. He has been drinking water throughout the day so I assume he’s hydrated. I’m usually home to feed him his potatoes, broccoli and fruit. But I was away for 3 days so my mom was feeding him only kibble and chicken. Then when I came home that’s when he wasn’t eating at all. He was showing signs of lethargic on his walks, instead of walking ahead leading us he is walking beside us, walking pretty slow.
9. The condition is the same while applying all different methods mentioned.
10. We are bringing him to the vet today to do a urine sample. However we might get prescribed medication which is what I’m worried about. So that’s why I’m here to see if there’s a way to reverse his symptoms/illness without the need of antibiotics.
11. No treatment has been done. The last treatment he had was on his mouth being put under to do a deep clean for his gums and teeth.
12. The main concern is if this is UTI or something worse?

vet visit update: Gixxer got an x-ray which I will attach the files here. Apparently he has COCCI? The vet also said he might have UTI or crystals in his bladder? Being fully transparent here, I found out today the vet my family has been going to barely speaks English. So I will probably be switching because we barely understood what he was saying. I was very upset with this interaction. But hoping this is enough information to be helped here in this forum.

 

[NancyK]

I am sorry to hear about your dog. I am not knowledgeable about this condition but here is an article from Judy Morgan that might be helpful.

Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs and Cats

Nancy

 

[HA! Support]

@Dr. Jeff @Dr. Christina

 

[AlessiaL]

I am sorry to hear about your dog. I am not knowledgeable about this condition but here is an article from Judy Morgan that might be helpful.

Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs and Cats

Nancy

Thank you! This is very useful

 

[AlessiaL]

vet visit update: Gixxer got an x-ray which I will attach the files here. Apparently he has COCCI? The vet also said he might have UTI or crystals in his bladder? Being fully transparent here, I found out today the vet my family has been going to barely speaks English. So I will probably be switching because we barely understood what he was saying. I was very upset with this interaction. But hoping this is enough information to be helped here in this forum.

Update on Gixxer: he’s starting to eat chicken by himself. But it seems we still have to syringe his other meat into his mouth by pureeing it. I’m wondering if his UTI can be treated without antibiotics? We were given antibiotics which I will attach a photo of here. Please let me know if it is safe to give my dog this medication. Thank you

 

[aruna]

Hi @AlessiaL, so sorry to hear about Gixxer and glad he's been eating a little more today. Sometimes animals take time off eating so that all their energy can go to healing but it's very scary not to know how long we should let them fast..
I hope doctors jump in with their answers soon.
For now, I wanted to direct you to some resources:

• here are our urinary tract resources
• did you get a chance to look at our 101 course and happiness protocol? Right now it would be very helpful if you did as many joy bringing activities with Gixxer as you can. If he likes going for walks, take him on a few short walks instead of one long. If he has a favorite treat, give that a few times a day. Engaging him in activities that bring him joy will stimulate natural healing mechanisms in the body.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Alessia!

Welcome to HA! and thanks for sharing the great info about Gixxer.

He's a lucky boy to have you.

The most important thing to know at this time is that there is another way to look at his health, the medical data, diagnosis, etc.

That way is through the whole-istic lens of cellular energy and vitality and balance.

In vet school, we're taught only a reductionist way to look at the individual body parts. This is a lens that virtually ignores the energetic part of life.

I'm mentioning this so that you can better help Gixxer.

That way is to work with his body, his joy and life.

Helping him maximize his joy, happiness and life's purpose will help optimize all of his body including his urinations.

If you haven't already done so, you may want to take the HA! 101 course which is in your HA! member area. It will start you on the path to pet wellness that we teach and that will help Gixxer to be the best he can be.

doesn’t show the joy in his face like he normally does.

he paces back and forth, sometimes walking in circles at night

When did these things start?

not eating

What have been his very favorite treats in the past?

The last treatment he had was on his mouth being put under to do a deep clean for his gums and teeth.

When was this, and how did he recover from the anesthesia?

The main concern is if this is UTI or something worse?

Did he have any bloodwork done in the past few days?

Update on Gixxer: he’s starting to eat chicken by himself.

Yay!

I’m wondering if his UTI can be treated without antibiotics?

Can you share the urinalysis results? Regarding treating him by working with his body instead of using "antis" (anti=against) the answer is often yes however it depends on the full picture.

safe to give my dog this medication

Yes, it is safe. And we also know that his microbiome will also be affected and that pro-biotics are also needed.

Do you already have a vet homeopath or other fully whole-istic vet on your vet care team?

Perhaps get Gixxer out for a long sniff walk then come home and go through the 101 course then get back to us.

 

[AlessiaL]

Hi Alessia!

Welcome to HA! and thanks for sharing the great info about Gixxer.

He's a lucky boy to have you.

The most important thing to know at this time is that there is another way to look at his health, the medical data, diagnosis, etc.

That way is through the whole-istic lens of cellular energy and vitality and balance.

In vet school, we're taught only a reductionist way to look at the individual body parts. This is a lens that virtually ignores the energetic part of life.

I'm mentioning this so that you can better help Gixxer.

That way is to work with his body, his joy and life.

Helping him maximize his joy, happiness and life's purpose will help optimize all of his body including his urinations.

If you haven't already done so, you may want to take the HA! 101 course which is in your HA! member area. It will start you on the path to pet wellness that we teach and that will help Gixxer to be the best he can be.




When did these things start?


What have been his very favorite treats in the past?


When was this, and how did he recover from the anesthesia?


Did he have any bloodwork done in the past few days?

Yay!


Can you share the urinalysis results? Regarding treating him by working with his body instead of using "antis" (anti=against) the answer is often yes however it depends on the full picture.


Yes, it is safe. And we also know that his microbiome will also be affected and that pro-biotics are also needed.

Do you already have a vet homeopath or other fully whole-istic vet on your vet care team?

Perhaps get Gixxer out for a long sniff walk then come home and go through the 101 course then get back to us.

Thank you for your response! Gixxer has been eating meat. We started giving him raw grass fed beef and he loves it. We also give him boiled chicken. We are keeping him on meat only for now because I read here about the pH of the dog needs to be specific, which requires a meat based diet.

Regarding the results of the urinalysis, we should be getting a call from the vet tomorrow or the next day. However, we don’t want the UTI to get worse, so what should we do in the mean time? You mentioned that the antibiotics could disrupt his micro biome so what should we do?

We want to schedule a video chat, the next available time is dec 5th. Is that too long to wait? We also tried calling the closest homeopathic vet near us and their next available appointment is in January.

As of right now, we bring him for his walks, 2-3 times a day. Making sure his BEAM is kept in check. I also reviewed the 101 course

Thank you for your help. We appreciate it.

 

[AlessiaL]

Thank you for your response! Gixxer has been eating meat. We started giving him raw grass fed beef and he loves it. We also give him boiled chicken. We are keeping him on meat only for now because I read here about the pH of the dog needs to be specific, which requires a meat based diet.

Regarding the results of the urinalysis, we should be getting a call from the vet tomorrow or the next day. However, we don’t want the UTI to get worse, so what should we do in the mean time? You mentioned that the antibiotics could disrupt his micro biome so what should we do?

We want to schedule a video chat, the next available time is dec 5th. Is that too long to wait? We also tried calling the closest homeopathic vet near us and their next available appointment is in January.

As of right now, we bring him for his walks, 2-3 times a day. Making sure his BEAM is kept in check. I also reviewed the 101 course

Thank you for your help. We appreciate it.

And as for the recovery from the anaesthesia from his teeth and gum cleaning. We are not 100% sure unfortunately. And he has not taken any blood work as of recently. @Dr. Jeff

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

Hi Alessia!

Yes antibiotics will disrupt the microbiome, but that can be compensated for with probiotics during and after treatment (space at least 2 hours apart from drug). It will right itself over time.

In an older dog I agree with your concern about the UTI getting worse. Antibiotics have their place, though we try to avoid them unless really needed. That particular antibiotic is (I think) underused in UTIs compared to the more popular ones. It's relatively mild. It actually collects in the bladder, right where it needs to be, and also relieves pain. It may be worth it but you can decide based on your goals and how uncomfortable he is.

Good job feeding mostly/only meat for now, because it will lower the pH, but maybe not low enough, soon enough, to dissolve the crystals that are banging around in there, causing inflammation. You can feed meat only for at least a couple of weeks without worrying about calcium balance or anything else.

Definitely get as much extra fluid into him as possible to flush out the bacteria and crystals. Bone broth, chicken broth, beef broth, take your pick! Dogs are usually good drinkers but we really want to get things flowing!

Hang in there, work on the 101 course, and while you're helping Gixxer enjoy life more, you do the same!

 

[Dr. Jeff]

However, we don’t want the UTI to get worse, so what should we do in the mean time?

If giving the anti-biotics feels like the right thing to do even though there is no diagnosis (blood in the urine does not = UTI) then that's what you should strongly consider doing.

Regardless, Vimergy Micro-C a cranberry and mannose supplement (there are many to choose from and you may even be able to pick something up locally) in addition to the increased fluids will help support his body while it heals.

Also consider structured water for increased cellular hydration. Chia seed water could be perfect for Gixxer!

Structured water synopsis

Some of us have been engaging in a discussion about structured water and products to produce it. It has been suggested that we share that discussion and welcome you all to ask or provide more info. These are excerpted from our posts: Francine: After listening to Dr. Seigel's presentation, I...

www.holisticactions.com

You mentioned that the antibiotics could disrupt his micro biome

Yes, they probably will but may still be indicated. Probiotics, probiotics, probiotics!

 

[Dr. Jean Hofve]

They saw cocci in the urine, so that would lean me a little more toward antibiotics, but it may be manageable without them, as long as the dog isn't uncomfortable. Then I tend to get more aggressive and "multimodal."

 

[AlessiaL]

They saw cocci in the urine, so that would lean me a little more toward antibiotics, but it may be manageable without them, as long as the dog isn't uncomfortable. Then I tend to get more aggressive and "multimodal."

Thank you so much for your reply Jean and Jeff! I have fantastic news!! Gixxers urine is back to normal! We switched his diet to only protein…. Mixed with chicken broth! So we give him raw grass fed beef at dinner time. Then in the morning with give him boiled chicken with celery and parsley in it. He eats the chicken and drinks the broth. Throughout the day he has chia water! Which I thought at first he wouldn’t like but he actually enjoys it I think! He drinks a lot of it! I’m so happy! We didn’t use any antibiotics on him because he didn’t seem like he was in pain. He walks up and down the stairs normally, he runs in front of us while we walk now. And he pees normally again too! It seems he is back to normal. However, we are noticing he is constipated. Is this perhaps because we cut out his kibble completely and now he is eating only meat with broth? What would you guys recommend? Again, thank you so much. I’m so happy I have this forum to ask questions and help gixxer!! You guys are awesome! @Dr. Jean Hofve @Dr. Jeff

 

[Dr. Jeff]

he pees normally again too! It seems he is back to normal.

Yay! Great work, Alessia.

we are noticing he is constipated.

Is he straining to poop, or just not even trying? As I'm seeing in my new rescue pup who we just switched to raw (from commercial kibble and canned), they may poop ~ 75% less often when eating raw.

Has his BEAM dropped?

 

[AlessiaL]

Yay! Great work, Alessia.

Is he straining to poop, or just not even trying? As I'm seeing in my new rescue pup who we just switched to raw (from commercial kibble and canned), they may poop ~ 75% less often when eating raw.

Has his BEAM dropped?

He tries to poop but nothing comes out, he will be in his poop position and walk trying to get the poop out (if you can visualize that). His BEAM has been great actually so perhaps it’s just the food switch? Is there some food I should add to his diet to help him poop? @Dr. Jeff

 

[Dr. Jeff]

His BEAM has been great

Fantastic!

perhaps it’s just the food switch?

Yes, probably.

Is there some food I should add to his diet to help him poop?

How about trying some sweet potato or cow's milk?

And try to increase his activity.

How's his weight?

 

[NancyK]

Does the chia water contain chia seeds? You mention he is drinking this all day. This could be wind up being a huge amount of fiber which will cause constipation. I am not familiar with feeding chia seeds, but any time too much fiber is fed constipation can result. If you believe he is constipated, I would cut out the chia seeds. If necessary, you could also give him a paste of slippery elm powder and water to fix the constipation.

Cutting out the chia seeds completely may eventually result in loose stools. I feed a diet of meat, bone and organs. The bone helps firm up the stool. If bones are not fed, a product such as Better Bones by Four Leaf Rover could be fed. The Pet Health and Nutrition Center also has a good bone substitute. Or perhaps a calcium supplement like seaweed calcium could work. I am not familiar with calcium substitutes since I feed raw meaty bones. However, a meat only diet will result in loose stools and be missing calcium and other minerals.

Nancy

 

[AlessiaL]

Fantastic!


Yes, probably.

How about trying some sweet potato or cow's milk?

And try to increase his activity.

How's his weight?

We are trying sweet potato now and hopefully that helps. He still hasn’t pooped in a few days. We are keeping his BEAM in check with daily walks multiple times a day.

 

[AlessiaL]

Does the chia water contain chia seeds? You mention he is drinking this all day. This could be wind up being a huge amount of fiber which will cause constipation. I am not familiar with feeding chia seeds, but any time too much fiber is fed constipation can result. If you believe he is constipated, I would cut out the chia seeds. If necessary, you could also give him a paste of slippery elm powder and water to fix the constipation.

Cutting out the chia seeds completely may eventually result in loose stools. I feed a diet of meat, bone and organs. The bone helps firm up the stool. If bones are not fed, a product such as Better Bones by Four Leaf Rover could be fed. The Pet Health and Nutrition Center also has a good bone substitute. Or perhaps a calcium supplement like seaweed calcium could work. I am not familiar with calcium substitutes since I feed raw meaty bones. However, a meat only diet will result in loose stools and be missing calcium and other minerals.

Nancy

I’m confused…. I thought fibre helps with pooping? Or is it different for dogs?