Hi, this is my second post regarding my dog Vinny. I took him to the vet because he was rubbing the side of his head against everything and also because he seemed to not want me to groom him anymore, especially around his face. I also wanted to discuss his quality of life. Well to my sorry surprise my poor boy has a corneal ulcer and a UTI. No wonder he didn't want to be messed with. So anyway, he was sent home with anti-biotics, autoimmune drops, anti-inflammatory and pain meds.
My question now is, could I have caused the UTI by keeping a diaper on him while he is in the house? He is incontinent, so I don’t have much choice, but is there anything else you could suggest? I will try to change it more often so it remains dry against his skin, but could it be the diaper that is causing the UTI? I can’t leave him outside by himself because he is blind and we have coyotes in our neighborhood as well. He is taken outside at least 7 times a day, and that’s when I check and change pad if wet. I don’t really know how this works, I would be happy to pay for your advice.
Also, should I put yogurt, or anything like that in his food while on antibiotics?
Hi Gayle. I love the name Vinny. I had a dog a couple of decades ago named Vinnie. I really doubt that the diapers could have caused the UTI, especially how frequently you check for wetness. It's not unusual for visually impaired dogs to get corneal ulcers. It's hard to know if rubbing the side of his face caused or was the result of the ulcer. You might want to consider a "halo" type product to prevent Vinny from running into things. As long as he tolerates dairy, likely no problem adding a little bit of yogurt. Be sure to followup with your veterinarian to make sure the uti and corneal ulcer are resolved.
I am so sorry about the fall, Nancy! Glad you're trying to make the most of your recovery time—it's kind of you to put out an AMA like this for us subscribers.
Personally, I always love hearing more about the book writing process (both for fiction and nonfiction)! I realized the other day that I actually don't know much about your writing or publishing journey overall, despite cheering hard for A Dog Named 647. I'm thrilled to hear about any and all of it: How did you decide to start writing? How do you decide what is a blog post here on Substack and what is a larger project that becomes part of a book? Did you opt for traditional, self, or hybrid publishing (and of course, the million dollar question, why did you go for the path you did)?
Thanks for your interest. I could write a book about this! I had a medical scare of my own back in 2008, and my own medical advocacy skills allowed me to avoid an unnecessary surgical procedure. This experience motivated me to want to instruct people on medical advocacy- thus the birth of Speaking for Spot. I began blogging weekly after that- 8-9 years on WordPress, a few year hiatus, and now back at it on Substack.
I went with traditional publishing with Speaking for Spot. For A Dog Named 647, indie publishing made the best sense. I was able to choose my own title and cover illustration, and can discount the book however I like. Plus, no publishing house and agent taking a portion of the royalties.
Thank you so much for the reply! Definitely a lot of variables at play. I am—I’m working on polishing my second draft of my manuscript along with finalizing my book proposal to query agents!
Hope you’re healing quickly! We have a female, spaded, 2.5 yr old English Cocker Spaniel.
She constantly walks in circles throughout the day. She circles in front of us when we’re walking in house & yard (very dangerous for us) whenever she “should” be walking straight, she’s always circling. When she lays down she always places her body so it touches us or lays/sits on us. She does circle several times (I counted 18 times once) before laying down. We’ve had her since she was 4 months old, has always circled. She doesn’t walk well on leash…all over the place. Eats & sleeps well. The staff at day camp said she likes to be w/the staff more than the dogs. She’s from a litter of 8.
4 males, 4 females. Three of the females died after birth. Appreciate any of your thoughts. Thank you!
This sounds fascinating. I'm wondering if her circles are always in the same direction. I am wondering if she has an abnormality in her vestibular system, either within her inner ear or her brain. Has she had a thorough neurological exam? Glad to hear that she's eating and sleeping normally.
Hello and thank you for getting back to me. She does always circle to the right and she hasn’t ever had a neurological exam. We will be scheduling one. Thanks for your thoughts about Gemma’s circling!!
Hello and thank you for getting back to me. She does always circle to the right and she hasn’t ever had a neurological exam. We will be scheduling one. Thanks for your thoughts about Gemma’s circling!!
1. Your thoughts on the long-acting products such as ProHeart 6, or NexGard. I have had a dog having a violent reaction to a topical treatment. There, you just wash it on. If you put something in the body that's supposed to stay active for months, and their body disagrees with it, should there be some sort of antidote to inactivate it in such cases? But, apparently, that's not a thing in any of these cases.
2. Your thoughts on the mRNA rabies vaccine business. I am disappointed that the Rabies Challenge initiative amounted to nothing. Apparently, a non-replicating mRNA rabies vaccine is now available in Canada. And a self-replicating one is in working?
When I first heard about the mRNA Covid vaccine, it sounded clever on its face. But when I asked questions, I got little answers. And it does seem to cause things such as myocarditis etc. There seems to have been little control over where it goes in the body. The Rabies vaccine is already likely to cause problems--what about this one now?
Hi Jana. Keep in mind that, because I've practiced internal medicine rather than general practice, I really haven't prescribed antiparasite medications other than for my own dogs. Most of the oral preventives (such as NexGard) last only a month. Like you, I think I'd be a bit squeamish about a ProHeart 6 injection that last 6 months in your dog's system, like it or not. I think the big selling feature of this product is that it enhances compliance for those who may not remember to give a once a month medication.
As for the newer mRNA rabies vaccinations, I have no direct experience with them. Research certainly suggests that they produce a robust immune response with low potential for adverse reactions- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39033177/
Sorry about your schnauz! Sounds painful, hope it heals quickly.
My question has to do about when to say goodbye. I have a 20 plus year old yorky/silkie mix. He was an owner surrender and I’ve had him over 3 years. He is now almost blind and completely deaf, incontinent in the house (although he often will indicate that he needs to go out) and is always in a diaper indoors. He is also scared to go thru the doggy door and down the 2 steps to the backyard so he needs to be carried. The reasons I am thinking about this is due to the following:
1) he is constantly getting stuck in corners, between chair legs, or banging into walls indoors and outdoors.
2) he won’t let me, or our groomer, touch his face or body to groom him. His hair is constantly matted and eyes are drippy and clotting the hair around them. (We do continue to bath him at home and have him groomed, but it is always so stressful to him and groomers)
3) he has poor balance with occasional falls, however no outward sign of pain.
4) although he loves his food and his labs show good kidney/liver function, I feel that he has poor quality of life. I just don’t want to wait too long, or act too fast.
Hi Gayle. What a painful dilemma to be navigating. I appreciate that you recognize that waiting too long (rather than just acting too early) is an important consideration. Here are some questions to consider:
Does your little fella still respond enthusiastically to things he's liked in the past: being loved on, getting to sniff around outdoors, going for a car ride, etc.?
Do the good days seem to outnumber the bad?
Does he still have a spark in his eyes?
Without any overt indicators (organ failure, seizures, inability to walk, etc) you may need to rely heavily on gut feelings. I have an entire chapter on this topic in my book, Speaking for Spot.
Best of luck with this most difficult part of the journey.
I think I bought your book, it must of been a few years ago, but all my belongings are packed up and ready to move (for the last 2 years! :). After my move I will make sure I have it.
Hi Nancy--sorry to hear about your nose. Get well soon. My question is about Mickey. I've had him almost a year and a half. He was about 4 or 5 when I got him. He's a mixed breed, pittie/ACD predominately. He's afraid of rain and won't go out in the rain, most times. Trembles if there is thunder or heavy rain. I haven't had any luck house training him. He prefers to go on carpet. I'm selling my house and it will be either torn down or renovated, so it isn't a big problem here, but when I move to my new house...I think maybe he just doesn't know how to ask to go out. Actually neither dog does but Sprite holds it and I let them out frequently. He also won't go out without me most times. And he only does it when we are at home! When we are away from the house, we come home to a dry house. --Carole
Hi Carole. Sounds like a frustrating problem to deal with. Are you thinking that Mickey's of rain/thunder is related to his inappropriate urination? Does he choose the same spots to urinate indoors?
Fascinating that this behavior doesn't happen when you're out of the house. My advice:
- A thorough physical exam and urine test just to make sure there is no underlying medical abnormality
- When you are home with Mickey, literally tie yourself together so that you can be sure not to miss a signal that he's going to urinate (I recommend this to people who are experiencing difficulty housetraining their dogs).
I don't know. Maybe he only goes in the house when it's raining. Yes, he does choose the same spots. And no, no history from him previous home. He came from TX.
Hi, this is my second post regarding my dog Vinny. I took him to the vet because he was rubbing the side of his head against everything and also because he seemed to not want me to groom him anymore, especially around his face. I also wanted to discuss his quality of life. Well to my sorry surprise my poor boy has a corneal ulcer and a UTI. No wonder he didn't want to be messed with. So anyway, he was sent home with anti-biotics, autoimmune drops, anti-inflammatory and pain meds.
My question now is, could I have caused the UTI by keeping a diaper on him while he is in the house? He is incontinent, so I don’t have much choice, but is there anything else you could suggest? I will try to change it more often so it remains dry against his skin, but could it be the diaper that is causing the UTI? I can’t leave him outside by himself because he is blind and we have coyotes in our neighborhood as well. He is taken outside at least 7 times a day, and that’s when I check and change pad if wet. I don’t really know how this works, I would be happy to pay for your advice.
Also, should I put yogurt, or anything like that in his food while on antibiotics?
Thank you, Gayle and Vinny
Hi Gayle. I love the name Vinny. I had a dog a couple of decades ago named Vinnie. I really doubt that the diapers could have caused the UTI, especially how frequently you check for wetness. It's not unusual for visually impaired dogs to get corneal ulcers. It's hard to know if rubbing the side of his face caused or was the result of the ulcer. You might want to consider a "halo" type product to prevent Vinny from running into things. As long as he tolerates dairy, likely no problem adding a little bit of yogurt. Be sure to followup with your veterinarian to make sure the uti and corneal ulcer are resolved.
I am so sorry about the fall, Nancy! Glad you're trying to make the most of your recovery time—it's kind of you to put out an AMA like this for us subscribers.
Personally, I always love hearing more about the book writing process (both for fiction and nonfiction)! I realized the other day that I actually don't know much about your writing or publishing journey overall, despite cheering hard for A Dog Named 647. I'm thrilled to hear about any and all of it: How did you decide to start writing? How do you decide what is a blog post here on Substack and what is a larger project that becomes part of a book? Did you opt for traditional, self, or hybrid publishing (and of course, the million dollar question, why did you go for the path you did)?
Sending well wishes your way!
Thanks for your interest. I could write a book about this! I had a medical scare of my own back in 2008, and my own medical advocacy skills allowed me to avoid an unnecessary surgical procedure. This experience motivated me to want to instruct people on medical advocacy- thus the birth of Speaking for Spot. I began blogging weekly after that- 8-9 years on WordPress, a few year hiatus, and now back at it on Substack.
I went with traditional publishing with Speaking for Spot. For A Dog Named 647, indie publishing made the best sense. I was able to choose my own title and cover illustration, and can discount the book however I like. Plus, no publishing house and agent taking a portion of the royalties.
Are you thinking of writing?
Thank you so much for the reply! Definitely a lot of variables at play. I am—I’m working on polishing my second draft of my manuscript along with finalizing my book proposal to query agents!
Sorry to hear about your injury! Sending good thoughts your way and hope you get better soon 🙏
Hope you’re healing quickly! We have a female, spaded, 2.5 yr old English Cocker Spaniel.
She constantly walks in circles throughout the day. She circles in front of us when we’re walking in house & yard (very dangerous for us) whenever she “should” be walking straight, she’s always circling. When she lays down she always places her body so it touches us or lays/sits on us. She does circle several times (I counted 18 times once) before laying down. We’ve had her since she was 4 months old, has always circled. She doesn’t walk well on leash…all over the place. Eats & sleeps well. The staff at day camp said she likes to be w/the staff more than the dogs. She’s from a litter of 8.
4 males, 4 females. Three of the females died after birth. Appreciate any of your thoughts. Thank you!
Hi Mary,
This sounds fascinating. I'm wondering if her circles are always in the same direction. I am wondering if she has an abnormality in her vestibular system, either within her inner ear or her brain. Has she had a thorough neurological exam? Glad to hear that she's eating and sleeping normally.
Hello and thank you for getting back to me. She does always circle to the right and she hasn’t ever had a neurological exam. We will be scheduling one. Thanks for your thoughts about Gemma’s circling!!
I encourage you to consult with a veterinarian who specializes in neurology. (www.acvim.org). Good luck.
Hello and thank you for getting back to me. She does always circle to the right and she hasn’t ever had a neurological exam. We will be scheduling one. Thanks for your thoughts about Gemma’s circling!!
So sorry about your injury.
I have a couple of questions:
1. Your thoughts on the long-acting products such as ProHeart 6, or NexGard. I have had a dog having a violent reaction to a topical treatment. There, you just wash it on. If you put something in the body that's supposed to stay active for months, and their body disagrees with it, should there be some sort of antidote to inactivate it in such cases? But, apparently, that's not a thing in any of these cases.
2. Your thoughts on the mRNA rabies vaccine business. I am disappointed that the Rabies Challenge initiative amounted to nothing. Apparently, a non-replicating mRNA rabies vaccine is now available in Canada. And a self-replicating one is in working?
When I first heard about the mRNA Covid vaccine, it sounded clever on its face. But when I asked questions, I got little answers. And it does seem to cause things such as myocarditis etc. There seems to have been little control over where it goes in the body. The Rabies vaccine is already likely to cause problems--what about this one now?
Hi Jana. Keep in mind that, because I've practiced internal medicine rather than general practice, I really haven't prescribed antiparasite medications other than for my own dogs. Most of the oral preventives (such as NexGard) last only a month. Like you, I think I'd be a bit squeamish about a ProHeart 6 injection that last 6 months in your dog's system, like it or not. I think the big selling feature of this product is that it enhances compliance for those who may not remember to give a once a month medication.
As for the newer mRNA rabies vaccinations, I have no direct experience with them. Research certainly suggests that they produce a robust immune response with low potential for adverse reactions- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39033177/
Sorry about your schnauz! Sounds painful, hope it heals quickly.
My question has to do about when to say goodbye. I have a 20 plus year old yorky/silkie mix. He was an owner surrender and I’ve had him over 3 years. He is now almost blind and completely deaf, incontinent in the house (although he often will indicate that he needs to go out) and is always in a diaper indoors. He is also scared to go thru the doggy door and down the 2 steps to the backyard so he needs to be carried. The reasons I am thinking about this is due to the following:
1) he is constantly getting stuck in corners, between chair legs, or banging into walls indoors and outdoors.
2) he won’t let me, or our groomer, touch his face or body to groom him. His hair is constantly matted and eyes are drippy and clotting the hair around them. (We do continue to bath him at home and have him groomed, but it is always so stressful to him and groomers)
3) he has poor balance with occasional falls, however no outward sign of pain.
4) although he loves his food and his labs show good kidney/liver function, I feel that he has poor quality of life. I just don’t want to wait too long, or act too fast.
Thank you for any guidance
Gayle
Hi Gayle. What a painful dilemma to be navigating. I appreciate that you recognize that waiting too long (rather than just acting too early) is an important consideration. Here are some questions to consider:
Does your little fella still respond enthusiastically to things he's liked in the past: being loved on, getting to sniff around outdoors, going for a car ride, etc.?
Do the good days seem to outnumber the bad?
Does he still have a spark in his eyes?
Without any overt indicators (organ failure, seizures, inability to walk, etc) you may need to rely heavily on gut feelings. I have an entire chapter on this topic in my book, Speaking for Spot.
Best of luck with this most difficult part of the journey.
So kind to respond, Thank you Dr Kay.
I think I bought your book, it must of been a few years ago, but all my belongings are packed up and ready to move (for the last 2 years! :). After my move I will make sure I have it.
Hi Nancy--sorry to hear about your nose. Get well soon. My question is about Mickey. I've had him almost a year and a half. He was about 4 or 5 when I got him. He's a mixed breed, pittie/ACD predominately. He's afraid of rain and won't go out in the rain, most times. Trembles if there is thunder or heavy rain. I haven't had any luck house training him. He prefers to go on carpet. I'm selling my house and it will be either torn down or renovated, so it isn't a big problem here, but when I move to my new house...I think maybe he just doesn't know how to ask to go out. Actually neither dog does but Sprite holds it and I let them out frequently. He also won't go out without me most times. And he only does it when we are at home! When we are away from the house, we come home to a dry house. --Carole
Hi Carole. Sounds like a frustrating problem to deal with. Are you thinking that Mickey's of rain/thunder is related to his inappropriate urination? Does he choose the same spots to urinate indoors?
Fascinating that this behavior doesn't happen when you're out of the house. My advice:
- A thorough physical exam and urine test just to make sure there is no underlying medical abnormality
- When you are home with Mickey, literally tie yourself together so that you can be sure not to miss a signal that he's going to urinate (I recommend this to people who are experiencing difficulty housetraining their dogs).
Any history from his previous home?
Hoping your new place doesn't have carpeting!
Hope this helps.
I don't know. Maybe he only goes in the house when it's raining. Yes, he does choose the same spots. And no, no history from him previous home. He came from TX.