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Urinary issues

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • E

    I've got a 15.5 year old spayed basenji who's been having some potty issues.

    Essentially, whenever she wakes up from sleep, she'll pee nearly immediately- often on her bed/couch/etc, otherwise nearby. (Likely unrelated, but she then licks it up.) She doesn't appear to be leaking urine in her sleep, just experiencing frequent and urgent urination. It seems to have gotten worse in the past few months- at first I chalked it up to Chicago's bitterly cold winter and her not wanting to go outside, but the weather is getting milder now and the issue is maintaining.

    We ran a urinalysis a few weeks ago, did 14 days of Clavamox, followed by a full CBC, Chem, T4, and followup urinalysis. Those results came back yesterday, and my vet's comment was that the only thing that was remarkable was how GOOD her bloodwork looked- liver looks fine, and no significant kidney issues (BUN and CREA were normal). Urinalysis showed nothing questionable, WBC was normal, everything looked fine, save for the T4. She's been on thyroxin (.1 mg BID) for probably 8 years, and her bloodwork suggested that we should bump up that dosage. Vet has her at .2 mg BID now.

    He also prescribed Proin (1/2 25 mg tab BID). We've started on that, and I recognize that it's likely too early to see results, but it's frustrating to be dealing with urine everywhere (especially as I'm in an apartment, without easy access to a washer/dryer). Does anyone have additional suggestions? Tests we might run, supplements to try, alternative therapies you've had success with? Acupuncture? Corn silk tea? Would building more hind end muscle help? Magical dog foods? I'm contemplating switching her back to a raw diet to see if that makes a difference, but will wait until we give the Proin sufficient time to kick in.

    She's old and creaky, but keeping her on glycoflex and salmon oil keeps her pretty comfy- she's still walking 2-3 miles per day and swiping tissues from the trash can whenever she gets a chance.
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  • M

    anal glands issue!

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
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    DebraDownSouthD
    Okay... nothing wrong with her died or getting your food. You can keep her as she is, just add in fiber. And perhaps stool softeners for a bit. I actually gave my basenji liquid dissolvable fiber regularly because she would refuse to potty if it rained and ended up with anal gland rupture. But you can add in green beans, ground carrots or other veggies, even fibrous treats. However, I can't say enough negative about rawhide. Please throw them away. Although it has been almost 35 years, I am still distressed when I remember watching a dog choke to death on one, with 4 adults trying to hold the dog down to get it out of its mouth, the kennel owner getting chewed up horribly in the process, the terrible death. Saved from old post: Pet Health Info FROM: Seaside Animal Care was recently awarded the 1999 National Practice of Excellence Award (click here for details) from Veterinary Medical Publishing and an educational grant from Pfizer. We are one of just over 50 practices ever to receive this honor! WE DO NOT RECOMMEND GIVING YOUR PETS RAWHIDE CHEWS. They expand when wet and are the number one cause of intestinal obstruction at our hospital. They are poorly effective at "cleaning the teeth". Instead, we recommend chew-safe toys such as Nylabone® and Kong® products. Contact the hospital for additional information when selecting safe chew-toys for your loved one.<< While I find it LUDICROUS that they first state they are harmless then say they have seen it ALL, this does indeed support that they are not uncommon as you indicate: 2. From the AAHA: American Animal Hospital Association Miscellaneous Pet Care: Are raw hide chews safe? Answer Rawhide chews are pretty harmless. The problems come when they swallow them whole. They either choke on them, or the rawhide balls up in the stomach and causes gastritis or blockage. We've seen it all. Moderation is the key. One every once in a while is OK, but they shouldn't be included as a regular toy or part of the diet. In addition it's usually best to supervise or at least be nearby when your pet is chewing on any toy. << Diet - Treats and Snacks It is interesting to me that a number of veterinarians I have spoken with do say that they have seen problems associated with these toys. Their experience differs from mine. I practice in a rural area and sometimes I think that I just don't have enough patients to see all the problems that vets who practice in more crowded areas do. << OMG, they sell it yet their vets admit it is dangerous!!! Acme Pet - Pet Health Questions Ask Acme Pet'sExperts Q. I have a one year old mix JRT, she is a great dog. But the problem I have with her is that, whenever I give her a chewy like those basted sticks. I have to watch her because she will make it all soft, not bite a piece and eat it. She makes it soft and swallows half while she is still chewing the other end. She has almost choked on me twice. This happens with the square chewees too. A. I would suggest you not give them to her anymore. Many dogs die of intestinal obstruction each year due to rawhide. Find something else, which is safer, to give her.<< petcare Okay, this is a petstore, not a vet but thought their concern worth noting! In addition, we don't carry rawhide chews in order to assure the safest play experience for your pet. Rawhide chews, when gobbled or eaten in large quantities, can cause choking or possible obstruction in dogs. << vet@dog - Holidays - Chocolate and other dangerous goodies FROM: Dr. Lucy L. Pinkston, D.V.M. Rawhide chews can lodge in the throat and cause choking, or a large piece may be swallowed, scraping and irritating the throat and esophagus on the way down. Once in the stomach or intestinal tract, a large piece of rawhide can also create a physical obstruction. An additional danger that is less widely known is the practice, in some countries, of using an arsenic-based preservative in the processing of rawhide toys. We recommend that, if you do purchase these products, stick to brands processed in the U.S. There has also been a recent FDA alert about the risk of Salmonella associated with dog chew products made from pork or beef-derived materials: refer to the FDA advisory or call 1-888-INFO-FDA. See below (discussion on pigs' ears) for more details.<< I could go on, but the bottom line is, if it is SOMETIMES, even rarely, dangerous, and it isn't NECESSARY, why do it?
  • Chealsie508C

    Eye issue

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    DebraDownSouthD
    Pat, yeah, it was many but the specialist from GA (who does CERF btw, or did, could be retired at this point) said all were iris to iris and none should cause her issues. But you can still see them. I am comforted to know that a lot of strands don't pass as I honestly don't remember seeing that limitation, only on placement. Been a long time since I looked at CERF. But the issue was and then, the person LIED. She sent me a puppy for my child, who already had more on her than any child should with my health issues, that she obviously had no clue about– a puppy she had no clue about it's eye health. And then wanted her back if I wasn't going to breed her as she would. Yeah, over my dead body.
  • B

    Issues with legs

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    D
    How old is your dog? I would take her to a specialty clinic or university clinic that would have both a neurologist and an orthopedist. My 1 year old deaf rescue girl who is a herding/spitz mix has shuffling feet, tremors, and other problems. She was seen first by the neurologist and they suggested x-rays and more testing. My regular vet did take x-rays of the neck, back and hips. I took her to an orthopedist to review the x-rays. Since she was a stray they do not know what caused the problem but it was suggested distemper or perhaps another infectious disease. I just took her to an opthalmologist and her eyes are good but she does have sensitivity to light. Distemper almost always causes eye problems. The specialists are suggesting an MRI of the back, neck and a spinal tap for her. If your dog was adopted as a puppy or an older pup, I would check with the Humane Society to see if she may have had distemper or some other disease. Did she have an accident where she might have injured her back or neck? You might want to look into getting a doggy wheelchair since she has good movement in her front legs. I am sorry for the problems your girl is having and I hope you find out what is causing it. Jennifer
  • Anne-MarieA

    Liver issues

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    nobarkusN
    @tanza: These kinds of problems are not uncommon when your Basenjis start to reach their "golden" years. You might want to try him on Dr. Dodd's liver cleansing diet. http://www.canine-epilepsy.com/Liver%20cleansing%20diet.htm Many have used it and had great results regardless of what you find out the issue might be. Good Suggestion Pat as I had an older B with liver issues in 2008 and that diet brought it down into normal range.
  • H

    Issue?

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    P
    This could possibly be a minor epileptic attack. I have seen a video of many forms of these attacks (no basenjis) many of them very different and this was an example. A canine neurologist could confirm.
  • RokixSluggR

    A urinary concern :(

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    nobarkusN
    When in doubt see the vet. Animals can be good at seeming not in pain when they are.