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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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  • R

    Weight issue

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    tanzaT
    @Rebel - Full blood workup including full Thyroid panel (full panel no just what the normal vet workup that is not a full thyroid panel)... as they say make sure that he is in good health. Also what are you feeding him? How much total are you feeding a day? Also with reducing food, add veggies to his food to fill his belly... green beans are good to use... I use Cauliflower and Broccoli... Note also that low normal is typically too low for Basenjis.
  • R

    Eating Issues

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    DebraDownSouthD
    The FDA can only do what the laws allow and if the govt is controlled by lobbyist, well.... But this isn't the place for politics so I'll leave it at that. I am very sorry about your horse. :( With meat.. it's particularly red meat that research is linking to cancer... early research shows amount is a big factor (recommendations from 4 oz a day to max 18 oz a week), but who knows. Processed meat is the worse, and I saw some headline (didn't bother to read since I like my beef shortly after it stops mooing) that well done steaks more carcinogenic. For the world, reducing red meat is good for the environment and health. I was reading a study last week on red meat and joint inflammation. Studies the last 15 years actually only have general connection, but that most do is a pretty good indicator. I had a doctor tell me to stop all red meat and milk when I was a teen and experiencing joint pain. It helped, but back then, no internet and not much access to current research. Here we are 45+ years later, and still no strong proof and some show that reducing carbs with increased LEAN red meat actually decreased inflammation. However, we then get this Science Catch-up. Red Meat And Gut Inflammation: Harvard Study ... https://thehealthsciencesacademy.org/science-catch-up/science-catch-up-28/ Jan 18, 2017 - Red meat and gut inflammation: Harvard study. According this new Harvard study involving 46,500 participants, eating high amounts of red meat daily might be a risk factor for gut inflammation and the development of diverticulitis. << So no one has absolute proof, but my money is on reducing red meat is more likely to be healthier than not. I just don't rule out all meat (ie fish and fowl) as getting enough protein is pretty hard and we don't have enough hard research for ME to go vegetarian. But I'm open to it and glad you are having success.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • jmnycJ

    Dental issues

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    nodakerdebN
    Periodontal disease is a tough one to get on top of once it takes hold (in both humans and dogs) because the bacteria gets down in the pockets and it is very difficult to keep clean. People have better luck because they have the ability to floss daily, but that is very difficult with a dog – and believe me, I've tried. :D Periodontal disease is not the same as an auto-immune disease that dogs can get (lest I be accused of getting them confused). I believe the reason our furry companions, and especially the dry-mouth (non-slobbering types) often get it is because of a couple things in addition to not being able to floss. 1. They don't slobber so their mouths really don't get a good natural rinse, and 2. they are fed an unnatural diet. In the wild they would be crunching up bones which acts like a natural toothbrush/floss, and they wouldn't be eating cereal grains which are carbs on steroids turning to sugar once it hits the saliva. There are kibbles out there that do not contain grains which may help by keeping the sugars at bay in the mouth. Evo is one, Instinct is another. Feeding raw is a great alternative. I am also a big fan of the PetzLife product and think it works wonders to keep plaque at bay on the teeth, but not sure how well it works with the plague and bacteria already under the gumline. My rat terrier does not have periodontal disease. I feed him Evo and brush his teeth daily (with a three-sided toothbrush) with Petzlife and he has the teeth of a two year old which isn't bad considering he's almost 11. If his gut could handle it I'd feed him raw, but that has not bode well with him unfortunately. FWIW, in a past life I worked as a chairside assistant for a dentist so I do know a bit about teeth and periodontal disease. I came away from that experience realizing that if I were on a deserted island I'd rather have an endless supply of dental floss vs. a toothbrush. I would be more likely to keep my teeth with the first rather that the latter. Now if we could just figure out how to floss a dog's teeth. :)