So, I'm back again. This time my dog started leaking urine a bit at bedtime, at rest, etc. in November. Then it progressed to blood in his urine. We did xrays, which were clear, and then an ultrasound that found cystitis, calcifications in his kidneys (they've been there since his first stone surgery when he was 3, they were calcified to the kidney and unremovable), and what is either a polyp or a tumour in his bladder. He got 21 days of zeniquil which began to work within the first few days, stopping the blood and his leaking.
In January, about 3 weeks after the zeniquil was done, he started peeing again. It wasn't every day, but a fair amount each time. It happens ~2 hours after he eats (we give him a lot of water with meals to ensure his pee isn't concentrated to avoid oxalate stones). He leaks a little bit, bit by bit, until I make him go on a training pad. When he pees he always goes a bit, then goes back again, then goes back again, until he's empty. A culture showed nothing, but the person she spoke to at the lab said it's possible the bacteria is short lived and dying before they can culture it. He went on zeniquil again and within 2 days the leaking had stopped.
He finished that run of antibiotics on Feb 1. Today he started leaking again, and doing the pee, go back, go back routine. There is no blood, but my guess is that it's uncomfortable. My vet recommended PPA, but with his kidney function already questionable and an abnormal heart rhythm (it almost never beats in a normal pattern), I declined. I also don't think it's an issue of not being able to hold it in, as much as that he IS holding it and avoiding peeing. She gave me more zeniquil, but I'm hoping to find something that will stop this entirely. She recommended Science Diet Calm, thinking that it's an anxiety issue, but then why do the antibiotics keep stopping it? And how come he doesn't pee himself when I'm away on business? I would think of all times that should be when he leaks the most. I'm already giving him cranberry extract and glucosamine, but they don't seem to be helping. I want to avoid painkillers because he already barely shows when something is really wrong, and with his myriad of issues, we need to know when things are going south. I just want to try to figure out what the CAUSE is and heal it!
Do you have any insight? Thank you!
