aussiered

Sorry, I forgot to add that she is speyed. I have considered a stump pyometra, but was under the impression that she'd have a temp if this was the case? The other thing I've been considering is vaginitis, I was reading that sometimes UTI's and vaginitis can be concurrent. I don't know a whole lot about this either, have only seen puppy vaginitis that usually clears up after speying. I think I'll talk to some people at uni tomorrow and then discuss it with the vet again tomorrow, when hopefully the culture results will be back. For now she seems comfortable enough and is bright, eating and drinking so I think I'm just going to head to bed and try not to stress too much more. Thanks heaps for your reply.

On saturday I noticed Bonnie was urinating more frequently and licking herself and just not quite herself. So I had a look at her and noticed some blood and pus like discharge around her vulva. So took her to the vet Sunday morning (new vet, first time I've had to use a vet since moving interstate), he took a urine sample and after a urinalysis diagnosed a UTI and prescribed Cephalexin, 300mg twice daily for 10 days. I saw quite a few UTI's while I was a vet nurse and never have I seen a dog discharging pus like this - bloody urine, yes, but not thick pus like I'm seeing coming from Bonnie. Although there does seem to be less of this discharge now that she's been on antibiotics for a few days. But because I was still worried I went back to the clinic today, saw a different vet, and they took more urine to send away for a culture because this vet was thinking it may be a bladder infection and wants to see if a different AB will be more effective. He did seem concerned by the discharge too. I mentioned to both vets that I was concerned about grass seeds, but neither seemed too concerned. I've just never seen this pus/discharge with a UTI before?! She does not have a temp. This is the first time with Bonnie that I haven't been on 'the other side' of the clinic - as a vet nurse all I had to do was bring Bon in to work and ask a vet (and they all knew her well) for help, they would all take my concerns seriously and I could run whatever tests I wanted. I just feel really helpless!! She seems happy enough today, wants to run around like normal and is eating and drinking normally, but still urinating frequently and small amounts, although the urine does not smell really bad like I've smelt with some UTI's. Does anybody here have any more experience with UTI's or bladder infections? Is this discharge normal? I'm scared that there may be something else going on and now the AB's are going to mask that... Thanks for any help

I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to scare you. I've just got grass seeds on my mind constantly at the moment because it's that season, and also because I've recently moved to a more grass-seed-problem prone area. Although we had our fair share of problem grass seeds where I used to live, they are much more common here due to the types of grasses. I'm in Australia so I don't know if they're prevalent in your area but you could call your vet and ask if he/she has ever seen problems related to grass seeds - if not, then I'd say you're pretty safe Edit: Also, you guys would be in spring now right? Grasses come to seed in autumn (late winter/early autumn here) when the days get warmer and longer, so you shouldn't have seeds around to cause a problem right now.

It could be something that's pierced her skin. It's grass seed season here and I'm pulling alot of grass seeds off Bonnie everyday, some of them have pierced her skin by the time I find them and they leave a raised red bump like that when I pull them out. I'd probably keep an eye on her for a temperature or more swelling around the site that could indicate that the grass seed has moved under her skin - just in case...

I was once sitting at my desk studying, when I happened to look up and noticed something outside behind the screen door. Thinking it may have been a parcel or something that the postie had dropped off I got up and walked to the front door. The 'parcel' was Bonnie! She was fast asleep so I think she had been there awhile and I'm just so grateful that when she got out of the backyard she decided that a snooze on the front porch was more fun than a wander across the road or a stroll down the highway. She had gotten out of the yard because my housemate's parents who were visiting couldn't figure out how to close our gate My housemate was very apologetic and as no harm was done I wasn't too angry. I now have put a little 'please close and latch the gate' sign on the gate.

Some things you haven't mentioned: - Doggy bags, for when you take her out to relieve herself - a towel, incase she gets wet/muddy, so that you can dry her off before she hops back in the car - is she microchipped? In Australia you're able to phone the company and leave details of your holiday, where you'll be staying and when, just in case she gets lost and for some reason loses her collar also - you'll be able to get her back faster. - Treats, I don't know about Shadow but Bonnie gets nervous in unfamiliar places and treats will always help to calm her a little (I use liver treats and only give her tiny bits, when we're travelling) - the camera!!

The thought of cloning Bonnie actually really creeps me out. As much as I would love to have her with me forever, there is only one Bonnie and there should only ever be one Bonnie. The thought of having a dog made in some lab out of some cells from a dog I once had... There are other great dogs out there, why do we need to clone the ones we've got?

Bonnie, in my sig is a red. You guys would call her Australian (ee) red. We call your 'red' dogs 'chocolate'.

I came on here just now all ready to post my own rant about dog owners allowing their dogs to wander, but you beat me to it. I've just gotten home from a walk with Bonnie where three dogs (two border collies and a pointer-type dog) all came out of one yard and crossed the road to meet us. They seemed happy enough, and wandered along behind getting closer and closer to us. At one point one of the border collies was right on Bonnie's tail and she was getting anxious so I yelled at them, which did nothing more than slow them down a bit. They followed us for about 10 minutes until they got bored and went home. Two of the dogs I saw very far from home yesterday getting into a park rubbish bin, they're always out. They may have been friendly enough dogs but if Bonnie was to snap at one (which she could because she was getting anxious) then it would be me and Bon against three dogs - not a situation I'd like to be in. I've decided to write these people (the owners of the dogs) a letter and see how that goes... I too have been on Clindamycin (for a cat bite to my thumb) so I know those side effects well and never want to have to go on that drug again.

Bonnie will walk on the shoreline with her feet wet, and she will chase a toy into the water but only if her feet can touch the bottom - any further than that and she'd rather forfeit the ball or frisbee then actually have to swim. She will swim if I swim with her and will swim as far out as I go, but she'll often try to grab hold of me, or climb onto me. She obviously doesn't enjoy it (some dogs just don't) so I don't push her.

Bonnie licked a citronella candle once (the actual flame part).... She is now wary of them but will still go up and inspect them everytime I have one burning, I think she's trying to figure out why her tongue hurt so much after that first time...

Feeding raised off the ground and using methods to make dogs eat a little slower (one kibble at a time, tennis ball in bowl etc) are methods used to reduce the risk of Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus (commonly referred to as 'bloat') which is a serious condition in which the dog's stomach expands and often twists requiring surgery to fix it. It is common in deep chested breeds (eg. German Shepherds, Wolfhounds). I don't think this is what you're referring to though? If she is appearing bloated in the abdomen after eating it could be caused by eating too fast, you could try the methods such as placing a tennis ball (or any ball) in the bowl so that she has to eat around it, and this could help slow her down. I'm not really familiar with other methods used to reduce gas and bloating but I'm sure your vet could help you out with some advice.

Bon does the same thing with clothes pegs. If she catches me looking at her she'll quickly put her head over the peg and look at me like "What? I don't have anything...". I once caught her with a peg and took it off of her, she then gave me "the look" and trotted off around the back of the house and came back with another peg. I took that peg away and then followed her this time when she went behind the house, then behind the garden shed where I caught her getting another peg from a little stash she had hidden there. It seems that whenever one of us had dropped a peg while hanging up washing she had taken it and put them all in a pile behind the shed. She really likes pegs, we now have to be very careful when we hang out clothes, and check the ground afterwards to make sure we leave no pegs behind.

That is really great news, congratulations! I began trying to teach Bonnie to put her toys away, she seemed to be understanding it, but then we moved interstate and I haven't kept up with that part of her training - you've motivated me to start it again. Hopefully I can post on here soon with news that Bon's putting her toys away too!

Demodex is't always around the face. I've seen many dogs with patches on various parts of their body due to Demodex (with nothing on their face), and my dog Bonnie just had one patch on her leg. But if your other dogs are clear chances are it's not Sarcoptes, but it is possible for one dog in a household to show signs a little in advance of the others - but usually the weaker/older dog of the pack. But you'll know soon enough what it is once you've been to the vet. Here's hoping it's something easily cleared up, for her sake