Sometime in the last week or two, Mike and I noticed that Rigby was asking to be let out more often than usual to use the bathroom. We started paying closer attention and realized that she was peeing out small amounts. This raised a bunch of red flags for us because this is exactly how she acted when she had bladder stones three years ago. We decided to get her checked out before things got worse – like, before she started peeing on me, furniture, etc.
Mike took Rigby to the vet yesterday and I stayed home with Annie, even though she BEGGED to go along. I explained to her that doggie doctor’s offices aren’t loads of fun like Dr. Looove’s office – there are no stickers and lollipops. Mike sent us pictures to help placate Annie.
Because she’d had a (bazillion dollar) vet check-up at the end of last year, we had a normal baseline for her blood and urine…levels? I dunno. This was good because, of course, the vet wanted to do urine analysis and take an x-ray to look for the presence of stones. I told Annie that Rigby had to get a picture taken of her insides and she told me to have Mike tell Rigby, “Be brave, Rigby! It doesn’t hurt!”
Luckily the x-ray came back clean and her urine didn’t show any sign of crystals or stones. YAY. I’m so glad she doesn’t need another surgery, not only for her but also for my wallet. My medical bills are through the roof and I didn’t want to have to figure out how to pay for a dog surgery on top of them! We would have made it work but still – yay.
Unfortunately, my sweet pup does have a bladder infection, so she has to take a pill twice a day for a week. Mike said he joked that he’d stuff the pills into treats, and the doctor gave him a lecture. I guess that while the treats we’ve occasionally given Rigby are fine under normal circumstances, for a dog like Rigby with a history of bladder stones any food other than her prescription can throw off her pH balance and cause problems. So now we get the fun task of shoving a pill down a dog’s throat without the benefit of a treat or anything. FUN.
All joking aside, I’m so glad my doggy doesn’t need surgery. Her recovery was hard last time and I can’t imagine her having to go through it again, older and with an overzealous Annabel around wanting to “help.” I’m happy she’s back to being curled up on what’s left of my lap, defending me and The Acrobat from any perceived harm.
Brandy says:
Ok, this may sound totally off the wall but I have a coworker who used to work in a vet’s office and she swears by pull shooters. I had no idea what she was talking about at first but she explained that the put the pill in the back of their mouth so they have to swallow it. I googled and found this one and there are also YouTube videos out there of how to properly complete the task. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000A86YBQ Good luck!!
Kaitlyn says:
My dog is a pro at spitting out pills, so we always ask the vet to give us a liquid form prescription. It’s something to consider if Rigby needs another prescription, because it certainly makes our life easier when giving the dog medicine takes a fraction of the time.
Elizabeth says:
I’m a vet tech so I see this a lot. Do they make a canned food version of the diet Rigby’s on (my best guess is that they do). That way you can make a little food meatball and she won’t even know she’s getting medicine. And it won’t ruin her special diet!
Kaye says:
Our dog has the same kind of bladder issues(he’s a yorkie-poo, emphasis more on the Poo). We have both a dry and canned version of his expensive prescription dog food and have just put the pill in the ever-delicious looking canned food for him to eat. Our dog eats pretty much anything, but give him a pill to help with bladder stones, and he turns his nose at it like he’s actually picky. Put it in a small piece of the canned food and he chows it right down.
Autumn Canter says:
One of my cats gets UTIs and bladder infections. After the expense of the first, we found out how to treat it on our own. This has cured her the last two times and the last time the infection was the worse. She even had blood in her urine. It took 7 days for her to mend and we had to keep her kenneled/outside during that time to keep her from peeing everywhere. Still, better than the insane vet bills
Here is a link to the product:
http://www.amazon.com/PetAlive-UTI-Free-Bladder-Infections-Pets/dp/B000KUT14G/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1361967529&sr=8-3&keywords=UTI+in+pet AND the cat was happier too!
Lee Cockrum says:
I’m so glad that Rigby does not have stones:) It does kinda make me giggle though, cause I had a German Shepherd who would find the pill in a pill pocket and spit it out, so I had to feed him his pills by hand! At one point it was 6 a day! If I lived nearby, I’d come “pill” Rigby any day!
Annalisa says:
My MIL would swear by coating a pill with a bit of peanut butter. It would mask the flavor of the pill, plus make the pill stick to the roof of a dog’s mouth, so that the only way for the dog to get it unstuck would be to move her tongue in a way that aided swallowing. Thus far it’s worked (vet approved) for two senior dogs, one of whom could not have any doggy treats due to severe thyroid problems. Just something to keep in mind if getting that pill down proves to be troublesome.
Alas, we have cats, which means the PB trick is not kosher for them (cats’ stomachs are much more delicate), but fortunately one of them is a good kitty and will take her pills without trying to maul me. The other one…not so much. He has defeated the pill shooter, detected meds in food, and eaten around his pills in pill pockets. Pilling him is my worst nightmare, but even so, we’ve survived the occasional week of pilling (we have scars to remember those occasions by). So just in case, here’s a preventive “hang in there”!
Tammy says:
I had an older dog with pancreas problems that needed daily antibiotic pills. I could get the pill in her mouth but she’d refuse to swallow it. We’d sit and stare at each other and when I finally looked away, she’d spit the pill out. It was maddening becasue she was so sick and needed the pill. The vet suggested a bit of peanut butter with the pill and it worked like a charm. Every pill she had to take since then went down with peanut butter.
Good luck!
Tami says:
Glad to hear Rigby is ok!! Vet bills are very costly.My little pom had to have two in two months.Ouch!! That hurt the pocket book.
Babbalou says:
The peanut butter trick didn’t work with my lab – he was able to eat all the peanut butter and then spit the pill out later. I’d find them under the coffee table. If you put your hand in the dog’s mouth and push the pill down the back of his throat, he should swallow. My dog would gag a bit and then swallow every time – and down the pill would go! Then I just had to do a really good job of washing my hands!
Annalisa says:
Ah, but the trick is that you have to stick the pill towards the back of the roof of their mouths! That way it’s impossible to get to the peanut butter with a tongue without swallowing.
Maris says:
I rememe r that bc I had stones at the same time as rigby. They’re so painful. I’m glad she doesn’t have them. Good luck giving her the pills. My poor pup has been on antibiotics for a month for a lung problem. Luckily, I can put the pill in a piece of chicken each time. The price of the tests to find her lung mycoplasma infection at the fancy vet hospital on long island bc the local vet couldn’t find out what was wrong after $400 bucks….2900 in one day. My home flooded bc of hurricane sandy and my husband was hesitant to spend that much but I wouldn’t let up. Thank goodness I didn’t bc that test found her problem and she’s so much better! Hope rigby feels better ASAP
kandi ann says:
That is so interesting. This time its me at the same time and I thought the same thing. I will never forget now. Lol
Lisa F. says:
Is the pill one that can be ground up into her prescription food? My roommate had to do that with his cat’s thyroid pills, and it worked great.
Erin says:
What always works for us is peanut putter or wrapping the pill in a little bit of American cheese, if either if those are okay for Rigby. Otherwise, tossing it in the back of the throat and gently blowing into her nose until she swallows has worked, too. Good luck!!
Monica S. says:
Aww, poor Rigby. We have an almost 13 y.o. dog with spay incontinence and many urinary infections over the last several years. I feel your pain with the vet bills, too. A coworker shared this company with me that offers no interest financing for vet/medical bills. I haven’t had to use it yet (knock wood!) but a bit of peace of mind knowing that if our dogs have any serious issues = high medical bills that our bank account won’t be quickly depleted. It’s called carecredit dot com. I hope Rigby is feeling better Soon~
Adria says:
So glad your baby is ok! I know this is weird but I have to share – I’ve been a reader for years and until this post I always thought Rigby was a boy. Oops.
Trisha says:
So glad Rigby doesn’t have stones again.
As many have said up above, the trick is to place the pill as far back and toward the roof of the mouth as possible and then you have to hold the snout closed for just a second to get them to swallow it. It seems harsh but it works.
Hope she’s on the mend soon. Battling a UTI myself and they are no fun at all.
Kristin W. says:
Get a pill shooter ASAP. The ones on Amazon seem to fall apart very fast. The one I use is: http://www.vetdepot.com/pet-piller.html
kandi ann says:
Rigby I literally feel (the) your pain. I am on day 3 of bladder infection and day 2 of medicine. Feel better little girl. Sent up a Prayer for you.
Lisa says:
Glad to hear Rigby is okay and hopefully she is feeling all better once the meds are done.
I don’t know if this would work for a dog or not, but we recently had to give our cat pills and the vet tech told me about a little trick that worked wonders. I popped the pill into the back of her throat and then with a medicine dropper or syringe I squirted some water into her mouth. The water washed the pill right down and it made giving her her meds so much easier.
Kelly says:
My dogs can smell a pill from 100 feet away. Doesn’t matter if it’s in a pill pocket, or canned food, or peanut butter. They know it is there.
I have to shove a pill into the back of their throat, clamp their jaw shut, massage their throat until they swallow.
It is an ordeal. Thank goodness they are normally healthy.
Tammy M. says:
I’d have to break down and put it in a piece of cheese or something. Poor baby – have you ever tasted those antibiotics? Of course, dogs do lick their own….stuff, so they probably don’t mind. Sorry, ignore this whole post.
Auntie_M says:
So glad your sweet protector hasn’t anything worse than a bladder infection! She is lucky to have a vigilant mommy looking out for her! And she looks so relaxed in Mike’s arms at the vet…errr…doggie doctor. Rigby is such an important part of your family~such a special lil lady!Grateful all is (basically) well. Good luck in the pill department!
Lisa Lannen says:
Lots of good advice given….the consensus of all the vets in my office is a few days of treats to give the pills won’t impact the ph that much…but the prescription canned is fine. Don’t forget you can FB me anytime for?’s….take advantage of free vet advice!!!
Jeanie says:
SO glad that little Rigby will be okay. I love her! My daughter’s cat had the same symptoms and then some and is also on prescription food. Who knew that chicken and tuna were bad for cats (too much protein).
Fish says:
I kept reading the last line as “defending me and The Acrobat from any perceived ham.” I would’ve spent hours trying to puzzle that out if I hadn’t reread it correctly.
Crysi says:
I’m on the last few days of my dog’s antibiotics for a UTI. I do the pb coating too because he hates taking pills. If you can get them towards the back of their throat, blow on their nose. Automatic swallow. Works with kids too. I won’t say how I know that one.
crankybee says:
My mutt is 20 this year and has never taken tablets. I have to crush them, dissolve them in water and squirt them down her throat with an old medicine syringe of my daughters!
Susannah says:
We have to give our dog pills regularly. We get the pill as far back in her mouth as we can, hold her mouth shut and blow in her nose. Works every time. Our dog is a german shepherd, so it is easier in that she has a bigger mouth.