UTI in new rescue dog

[RebeccaK]

New community member and first time posting! Excited to be here and finding like minded people.

1. Beau, 5ish years, male
2. yes on 6/29/23, OCD symptoms seemed to start after surgery although I had only had him a few weeks at that point and not totally sure. Needed to neuter in order to adopt.
3. American bully aka mixed breed
4. 49 - 51 lbs
5. B - blood in urine at end of pee and with straining, leaking urine when excited, petted, or on the way to go on walk - can’t wait to get outside (has a history of this but definitely worse now - I almost think he needs pulsatilla but materia medica says that’s more for females), history of increased thirst and urination, seems to avoid drinking water from his stainless steel bowl, prefers ceramic, mucus lining on poop (added cottage cheese and eggs to diet this week per Dr Hamilton book on homeopathic care for chronic kidney disease), OCD with sticks, pulls on leash like he’s manic, eye buggers - sometimes yellow
E- energy good but not as hyper i think bc he’s scared he’ll leak urine or the feeling of having a full bladder prevents him from getting too excited
A- hungry, ravenous even
M- stressed, anxious, separation anxiety, OCD about sticks, maybe a little sad or subdued (new symptom), not as affectionate (new symptom)
6. home cooked trying to heal kidneys. on advice of a MM healer, feeding mostly fruits and veggies with raw meat, marrow bones and supplements. Now concerned his veggies are making his urine too alkaline so do I add more meat?? Where should I source meat? Everything is either really expensive or loaded with toxins. Started adding cranberry and vitamin c and calcium per Dr Hamilton book. Also cottage cheese and eggs as I mentioned previously.
7. I’ve been avoiding the conventional vet since i adopted him. They don’t believe me he has kidney issues bc his bun and creatinine are within normal range. I don’t want to vaccinate until his kidneys produce normal, concentrated amounts of urine and i know they’re flushing toxins out. Last round of all standard vax was when he was in the shelter in 6/2023.
9. worse when touched and excited
10. No, bc I don’t want to treat conventionally. I believe this is evidence of his kidney issues affecting a less serious organ (bladder) and that he’s actually healing and getting better. Prior to this, I have been doing bloodwork with a homeopath that I was seeing in person and I’ve taken him to the vet a few times for gastro issues and whenever I go, I ask for bloodwork to be done to assess his kidney levels. Most current was Bun 19 Creatinine 1.5, no SDMA taken. This was on 2/8/25.
11. Kidney issues have so far only been treated with homeopathy and subq fluids although now he won’t accept the fluids bc he’s deathly afraid of needles. Previous homeopath gave him Calc Carb 200ck, 2x but then we stopped seeing each other. I gave Sarsaparilla 200ck, 1x on 3/9/25 when straining and blood first started
12. Kidney/OCD/Anxiety/PU-PD/Diluted urine. Would like a primary care vet who won’t push the vaccine agenda and a holistic doc to manage/treat his symptoms. And if i can find a holistic doc that can do all of the diagnostics of a conventional vet, even better!
13. @Dr. Christina @Dr. Jeff @Dr. Jean Hofve not sure who else to tag since I’m new

 

[RebeccaK]

Oh sorry, forgot that he also cries and barks on the way outside to pee and then while he’s peeing. The whining during pee started about 9/24 around the time he got his second calc carb dose

 

[NancyK]

I am sorry your dog is having these issues. I am not an expert on urinary issues, however i wonder if it would help to avoid oxalates. Some vegetables are extremely high in oxalates like spinach. Oxalates can contribute to stone formation. I personally believe that fruits and vegetables should only make up a small part of the diet, and are actually not even necessary at all. Of course, every dog is different. I am a firm believer that a diet of meat, bones and organs is typically best, or should at least make up the bulk of the diet. I noticed you are feeding marrow bones. Those are not really edible bones. Does the diet also include edible raw meaty bones or a calcium supplement?

Nancy

 

[RebeccaK]

Hi Na

I am sorry your dog is having these issues. I am not an expert on urinary issues, however i wonder if it would help to avoid oxalates. Some vegetables are extremely high in oxalates like spinach. Oxalates can contribute to stone formation. I personally believe that fruits and vegetables should only make up a small part of the diet, and are actually not even necessary at all. Of course, every dog is different. I am a firm believer that a diet of meat, bones and organs is typically best, or should at least make up the bulk of the diet. I noticed you are feeding marrow bones. Those are not really edible bones. Does the diet also include edible raw meaty bones or a calcium supplement?

Nancy

Hi Nancy,
I’m feeding him poached salmon, raw rib eye steak (boneless from Traders), and canned sardines in his meals and raw marrow bones more as treats. I’m having a hard time sourcing high-quality, budget-friendly, animal proteins from the groceries near me. Do you have a source that you use for your animal proteins? I live in NYC and have a butcher near me who can probably get me whatever I need, but it’s going to be costly and I’m not sure whether it’s organic and grass fed. All of his treats are single-ingredient animal proteins like salmon skin, lamb ear, pigs ear etc. I’m giving him 250mg of calcium a day, split in to two meals, but I’m not sure what the appropriate amount of calcium is for him. Should I give more?

 

[RebeccaK]

Hi Na

Hi Nancy,
I’m feeding him poached salmon, raw rib eye steak (boneless from Traders), and canned sardines in his meals and raw marrow bones more as treats. I’m having a hard time sourcing high-quality, budget-friendly, animal proteins from the groceries near me. Do you have a source that you use for your animal proteins? I live in NYC and have a butcher near me who can probably get me whatever I need, but it’s going to be costly and I’m not sure whether it’s organic and grass fed. All of his treats are single-ingredient animal proteins like salmon skin, lamb ear, pigs ear etc. I’m giving him 250mg of calcium a day, split in to two meals, but I’m not sure what the appropriate amount of calcium is for him. Should I give more?

I just researched oxalates and I have been feeding him kale. Will take that out of his diet and see if it works. Thank you!

 

[NancyK]

Hi Na

Hi Nancy,
I’m feeding him poached salmon, raw rib eye steak (boneless from Traders), and canned sardines in his meals and raw marrow bones more as treats. I’m having a hard time sourcing high-quality, budget-friendly, animal proteins from the groceries near me. Do you have a source that you use for your animal proteins? I live in NYC and have a butcher near me who can probably get me whatever I need, but it’s going to be costly and I’m not sure whether it’s organic and grass fed. All of his treats are single-ingredient animal proteins like salmon skin, lamb ear, pigs ear etc. I’m giving him 250mg of calcium a day, split in to two meals, but I’m not sure what the appropriate amount of calcium is for him. Should I give more?

Hi rebleekah,

The diet sounds good. Sardines are a good source of calcium. I wonder if the poached salmon contains bones? That would be another source. I am afraid I am not knowledgeable about calcium supplements as far as how much to give. I wonder if bone meal would be a better option. Bone meal would also contain important cofactors for calcium absorption like magnesium. I believe Four Leaf Rover and Pet Health and Nutrition Center have good sources of bone meal. They have guidelines on how much to give which you may need to adjust for your dog. I feed chicken wings and necks mainly for my small dogs for RMBs. As far as good sources for meat, we are lucky because we raise our own cows. Although at times I run low of certain cuts and order online from companies like White Oak Pastures and Fed from the Farm. I also get my wings and necks from these places. You could search for a source in your area. Here is a good link that may help you. Also, if you could include small amounts of organ meat in the diet, that would also be great.

Local Farms, Butcher Shops, & Meat - Over 7,200 Listings!

The largest local meat directory on the web. Browse over 7,200 listings and find resources for food, water, hunting, & fishing to make you more self-sufficient.

www.apexpackandtribe.com

Nancy

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi!

I'm sorry to hear about Beau''s urinary challenges.

You were definitely on the right track with working with a vet homeopath!

For your next steps consider dropping a urine sample off. Was a urine done on 2/5?

Also, have you tried increasing his oral fluids by using chi seed ("structured") water, goat milk, bone broth or other sources?

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

 

[Dr. Christina]

Welcome Rebecca.
There is a LOT of material about urinary track problems in the member library.
Beau is blessed that you are thinking about every thing that can improve health and it is great that you have Dr. Hamilton's book. Please read and re-read chapters two and three to be looking at the bigger picture and evaluating each new thing you have tried with him. PS - pulsatilla, nor any of the 7,000 plus remedies, is not just for females.

IMHO it is very rare for a youngish dog to have chronic kidney disease and the values are normal. Are you intuitively picking up kidney disease? What are you basing this on? And of course, holistically we are not treating kidney disease, we are working to rebalance Beau's vital force which then will resolve all the behavioral and urinary issues.

A member benefit is the Healthy Dog Journal - this may help you more easily assess what is happening and track the symptoms as you try new foods, treatments, behavior work.

We have many recording now from experts on the effect our thinking and emotions (tomorrow will be a veterinary neurologist) have on our animas.

We are very clear there is no RIGHT diet. Fresh of course as you are doing. You will need to pay attention to what Beau wants - more meat, types of veges, fruits, dairy, eggs, as you are doing., Variety. Again, focus on balance more than thinking to heal the kidneys. When balanced, the kidneys will naturally heal. Minimize number of supplements. We have lots of speakers recorded, and blogs, etc, on feeding. Find them at the resources, library. There are formulator guides as well.

Now concerned his veggies are making his urine too alkaline so do I add more meat? Do you have dipsticks to check the urine at home?

Where should I source meat? Everything is either really expensive or loaded with toxins. This is challenge for everyone. I appreciate Nancy's meat sourcing reference and will be checking it out. NYC is full of ethnic butchers, and old fashioned butchers, so do a lot of calling around. There may be social media groups in NYC for raw fed dogs. Remember filet is not more nutritious than just expired chuck steak. Avoid ground meat. If there are farmers markets, they may bring in offal, organs, tails, ears, and other parts many people do not eat. Whiskers (I think 2 locations) has been a NYC institution for over 40 years and may have some great suggestions.

Read the article on finding holistic vets. Who have you worked with so far?
Many homeopathic vets do work virtually - see lists at www.theavh.org. Try drs. Sagrera, Herman - use your intuition when looking at websites.

Patience is certainly important on each of our life journeys. Observe, record, note context of symptoms, listen to what Beau is telling you, love him and keep positive thoughts flowing.

Dr. Christina

 

[RebeccaK]

Hi!

I'm sorry to hear about Beau''s urinary challenges.

You were definitely on the right track with working with a vet homeopath!

For your next steps consider dropping a urine sample off. Was a urine done on 2/5?

Also, have you tried increasing his oral fluids by using chi seed ("structured") water, goat milk, bone broth or other sources?

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

Structured water is interesting. I’ll look in to buying that. Yes I did bone broth and coconut water when the blood first started. He drinks a lot naturally so don’t have to do much coaxing on that end anymore. I never saw the notification that you replied. Sorry for the delay on following up.

 

[RebeccaK]

Welcome Rebecca.
There is a LOT of material about urinary track problems in the member library.
Beau is blessed that you are thinking about every thing that can improve health and it is great that you have Dr. Hamilton's book. Please read and re-read chapters two and three to be looking at the bigger picture and evaluating each new thing you have tried with him. PS - pulsatilla, nor any of the 7,000 plus remedies, is not just for females.

IMHO it is very rare for a youngish dog to have chronic kidney disease and the values are normal. Are you intuitively picking up kidney disease? What are you basing this on? And of course, holistically we are not treating kidney disease, we are working to rebalance Beau's vital force which then will resolve all the behavioral and urinary issues.

A member benefit is the Healthy Dog Journal - this may help you more easily assess what is happening and track the symptoms as you try new foods, treatments, behavior work.

We have many recording now from experts on the effect our thinking and emotions (tomorrow will be a veterinary neurologist) have on our animas.

We are very clear there is no RIGHT diet. Fresh of course as you are doing. You will need to pay attention to what Beau wants - more meat, types of veges, fruits, dairy, eggs, as you are doing., Variety. Again, focus on balance more than thinking to heal the kidneys. When balanced, the kidneys will naturally heal. Minimize number of supplements. We have lots of speakers recorded, and blogs, etc, on feeding. Find them at the resources, library. There are formulator guides as well.

Now concerned his veggies are making his urine too alkaline so do I add more meat? Do you have dipsticks to check the urine at home?

Where should I source meat? Everything is either really expensive or loaded with toxins. This is challenge for everyone. I appreciate Nancy's meat sourcing reference and will be checking it out. NYC is full of ethnic butchers, and old fashioned butchers, so do a lot of calling around. There may be social media groups in NYC for raw fed dogs. Remember filet is not more nutritious than just expired chuck steak. Avoid ground meat. If there are farmers markets, they may bring in offal, organs, tails, ears, and other parts many people do not eat. Whiskers (I think 2 locations) has been a NYC institution for over 40 years and may have some great suggestions.

Read the article on finding holistic vets. Who have you worked with so far?
Many homeopathic vets do work virtually - see lists at www.theavh.org. Try drs. Sagrera, Herman - use your intuition when looking at websites.

Patience is certainly important on each of our life journeys. Observe, record, note context of symptoms, listen to what Beau is telling you, love him and keep positive thoughts flowing.

Dr. Christina

Sorry for the late reply. I hadn’t seen the notification. I noticed Beau will eat the egg yolk first if I add an egg on top. If I’m feeding him home cooked, he’ll eat the proteins first. If I add offal, he’ll go for that. So it seems he wants 1- organs 2- egg yolk 3- protein 4- veggies

I love whiskers! I’ve been going there ever since 2008

Thank you for mentioning pulsatilla. I thought it might be that one but was swayed away from it bc of Dr Hamilton. Beau keeps peeing when excited after finishing his food or while playing with me on the bed. He seems to lose control only when he’s distracted and excited.

I’ll get the dipsticks to test his urine.

I just figured kidney disease bc of the symptoms but you’re right that I’m just pigeon holing the symptoms in to a disease. All I know is his urine is dilute, he’s got pu/pd and he’s ravenously hungry all the time. My intuition (theory) is that he had some kind of bacterial infection like leptospirosis, but he was young enough to fight it off and then ended up having these kidney issues, his family couldn’t deal with the peeing all the time so they abandoned him. Just a theory! He was found wandering the streets of BK so we’ll never know.

 

[Dr. Jeff]

he’s ravenously hungry all the time.

This is just the opposite of what we see with kidney issues.

Diabetes would be a conventional consideration as patients can have UTIs, pu/pd and a ravenous appetite. Some basic blood and urine screening can easily tell between these two. You can also screen for sugar and ketones in the urine with the urine strips.

Here's a video of a 1:1 client and HA! member doing some urine screening at home:

Even if the diagnostics come back normal (aside from blood in the urine and low urine concentration) you may want to strongly consider working with a virtual vet homeopath.

 

[Dr. Christina]

Unlikely to be lepto effect.
Animal communicator.
Tinkle tonic from animal essentials is great support while finding your homeopathic vet (amazon)
Not sure that pee when excited fits Puls. Best to wait till your homeopathic appt before trying new remedies. Just keep thinking which ones as that will help you come up with more symptoms as you read the materia medica of them.

Dr. Christina