# Drip drip drip



## marialydia (Nov 23, 2013)

Here is one I haven't seen: Pericles now is dripping rather considerably after he urinates. He'll go in the garden, and as he is walking back on the brick path there's a trail. And yesterday and today I noticed that even when he's back on the deck there a couple of big drops. UTI? General sloppiness? I looks like a vet visit is in order.

Anyone else have this problem?


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Nope. Never had that, but it definitely looks like a vet visit is in order. I will be following your post to learn.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I hope you can figure this out without too much trouble. Lily and Javvy both say they hope their pal feels better fast.

It sounds maybe like a UTI. If you can catch clean urine before you bring him in you will possibly save yourself an extra trip. If you have a 3' long dowel tape a small plastic cup to the bottom of it and you can get under him pretty easily without making him stop. We have used a pudding cup on a stick to collect from Peeves when he had UTI/crystal problems going on.


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## Beautiful Blue (Apr 24, 2017)

Pericles is a relatively young dog?

I have read about the amount of ash in their diet contributing to a problem of dripping. 
A vet trip is definitely in order.


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## marialydia (Nov 23, 2013)

Pericles is three years old.

Ash...from his food, I guess? I will look at it. He eats Fromm kibble with a topping of something canned organic, it varies...plus treats and a small amount of veggies/ eggs/ yogurt.

we have a vet appointment tomorrow morning.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

I have seen this happen,with more than a few dogs, when there is a female in heat in the neighborhood... and yes, the male was neutered.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

Warm thoughts for your handsome goober. Sounds like a UTI to me. xoxo


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Oh dear! I do hope Pericle's visit to the Vet solves the problem! Sounds like a UTI to me too!


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Here's prayers for Pericles - hope that it is something simple that the vet can discover.


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## marialydia (Nov 23, 2013)

Well, there are struvite crystals in his urine. They did an X-ray and they did not see any bladder stones, thank goodness.

So we came home with an antibiotic, carprofen, and science diet urinary. All that science diet seems so plasticky to me but the vet seemed to think it's the right formulation for this condition. I will say that Pericles, who hadn't eaten his breakfast, instead ate this stuff with gusto. 

I'll bring another urine sample back in 3-4 weeks to see if the crystals are gone.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

marialydia said:


> Well, there are struvite crystals in his urine. They did an X-ray and they did not see any bladder stones, thank goodness.
> 
> So we came home with an antibiotic, carprofen, and science diet urinary. All that science diet seems so plasticky to me but the vet seemed to think it's the right formulation for this condition. I will say that Pericles, who hadn't eaten his breakfast, instead ate this stuff with gusto.
> 
> I'll bring another urine sample back in 3-4 weeks to see if the crystals are gone.


Science diet has always worked for my dogs. When I took them off it, problems started again. He might have to be on it for life. One of my dogs did.


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## Beautiful Blue (Apr 24, 2017)

I'm so glad he likes the vet recommended food, as I believe it could be diet related..jmo.


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

Poor baby - I hope he's feeling okay and this resolves quickly. Good thing you noticed - a less observant person might have missed that clue.


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## galofpink (Mar 14, 2017)

Good catch on the urination change and glad you got to the vet and have a diagnosis that is easily treatable! Hope Pericles feels better soon!

When I was a teen, I had a cat that would get crystals (they were calcium oxalate crystals though, which are slightly different and caused by a different mineral imbalance/prevalence). Our vet told us that we needed to make sure her water intake was as high as possible to dilute the urine, so we bought her a water fountain, which she loved. She was on Royal Canin Urinary SO food for quite a while to ensure she had returned to good health before I started looking for a diet with better quality ingredients. We were also told to make sure any food she ate was low ash (indicates the mineral content after a food has been burned at high heat), but I think this "school of thought" is now not as accepted as a legitimate treatment. Seemed to work for my cat though.


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## Beautiful Blue (Apr 24, 2017)

galofpink said:


> Good catch on the urination change and glad you got to the vet and have a diagnosis that is easily treatable! Hope Pericles feels better soon!
> 
> When I was a teen, I had a cat that would get crystals (they were calcium oxalate crystals though, which are slightly different and caused by a different mineral imbalance/prevalence). Our vet told us that we needed to make sure her water intake was as high as possible to dilute the urine, so we bought her a water fountain, which she loved. She was on Royal Canin Urinary SO food for quite a while to ensure she had returned to good health before I started looking for a diet with better quality ingredients. We were also told to make sure any food she ate was low ash (indicates the mineral content after a food has been burned at high heat), but I think this "school of thought" is now not as accepted as a legitimate treatment. Seemed to work for my cat though.


I believe this is still very true with cats...

I did some research after my "high ash" comment and it seems the connection is not as certain when it is dogs we're talking about (with struvite crystals) 

Anyway, glad you saw the vet marialydia. My friends' golden had something similar and she changed his diet with good results.

Did the vet say anything about giving distilled water?


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

I'm just glad you found a cause! Now you will have to find a permanent cure! Hope a simple diet change will be your answer!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

This is a great example of the payout from knowing our dogs and their "normal" very well. Lily and Peeves both have had crystals (different types) and various urinary tract issues in the last year to year and a half. My vet wanted to put Lily on Science Diet S/D (as I recall). I was resistant to the idea since I looked at the ingredients and saw corn high on the list. I have always intuitively felt corn was not a good food for her, so we NutriScanned all of our dogs. Corn was one of Lily's highly non tolerated foods along with pork of which there is a lot in that Science diet. This is why I now spend days like yesterday cooking boxes and boxes of whole wheat pasta, 5 lbs. of chicken livers, 10 pounds of chicken hearts and about 18 pounds of deboned dark meat chicken. Lily now has great urine chemistry and no crystals. Switching diet did wonders, but not a commercial diet change.


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## galofpink (Mar 14, 2017)

I understand that crystals are a byproduct of many different factors coming together, but if in general grains alkalize urine and struvite crystals like to form in alkalized urine...why would a "vet diet" manufacturer who claims they're looking out for the best interests of pets ever consider using high grain content in their formula?

I know they use it to increase profit margins. But the inclusion just seems contra-common-sense to me....


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## marialydia (Nov 23, 2013)

Well, the dripping has stopped, although I don't think Mr. Pericles is 100% yet. I am still mixing the new Science Diet with his usual diet, both because transitions should never be done too fast, and because I think his usual food is more nutritious. 

I am wondering if all the eclipse excitement (he did not sleep properly for 36 hours, and this is a dog who sleeps generally 12+ hours daily) (see my post on August 22 in http://www.poodleforum.com/7-general-off-topic-chat/242753-eclipse.html) got his system out of whack.

Anyway, he has another 12 days of antibiotics to go...


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I am glad to know things are improving and hope progress continues.


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## ArreauStandardPoodle (Sep 1, 2009)

Great news! Glad your boy is on the mend. Hoping the next urine sample shows all is well.


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