Author Topic: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)  (Read 39373 times)

Offline BinkysMom

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UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« on: September 01, 2005, 08:01:19 pm »
Our puppy has a UTI, which we suspect she's had since we got her about 2 months ago.  She's been on APO (amoxicillin) for about 3 weeks.  At first, it seemed like her infection was clearing up, but we checked her yesterday and she's got a bit of discharge again.  The UTI seems to be back (or it never went away!) 

She has been diagnosed with an inverted vulva and we were advised once to wait until after her first heat to have her spayed, and the other vet said that it's very controversial to have them go into heat before spaying.
Supposedly it's supposed to "push" the vulva outwards when they go into heat.
We have her appt. for spaying set for next week but we aren't sure whether or not to do it yet.

We've been giving her yogurt during her course of antibiotics, and have bought some cranberry supplements for her after the UTI is gone.  Does anyone else have any experience with inverted vulvas, or even recurrent UTI's, that can give me some advice? 

Thanks!
« Last Edit: September 01, 2005, 08:26:04 pm by BinkysMom »

Offline RedyreRottweilers

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Re: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2005, 08:20:33 pm »

Are you SURE she has a UTI?

Almost all puppy bitches will go through a stage of puppy vaginitis as they mature.

This is NORMAL, and can be accompanied by long strings of discharge, etc.

Make SURE the pup really does have a UTI, and if she does not, leave off the treatment it will resolve in it's own.
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Offline BinkysMom

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Re: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2005, 08:24:00 pm »
Well, no we're not SURE she has a UTI, but the vet said she does! 

The discharge isn't exactly "healthy" looking either, it's greenish-yellowish, and there's quite a bit of it.  How much is normal, and what does it usually look like?

Offline RedyreRottweilers

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Re: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2005, 08:44:52 pm »

It's gross.

It can be a lot or a little.

The antibiotics won't help. Only a little maturity will. It is hormonal related.

Here is what you do. Take a clean dustpan. Tape it on the end of a broom handle.

Go out with her to pee, and using the strategically placed dustpan, get a urine sample.

Take it to your vet.

No UTI, no more meds.

It will go away all on it's own.

;)
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Offline BinkysMom

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Re: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2005, 08:56:04 pm »
Well, I guess we'll do that then.  I don't want her on meds if she doesn't need to be on them.

The only thing is, she's had the discharge for about 5 weeks.  Don't know if that's normal or if that's too long.

Offline lovemymastiff

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Re: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2005, 11:01:28 pm »
Hi there!  I am new here but saw this discussion and just had to join in.  I am "mommy" to Beastie, a 1 1/2 year old, 135 pound, half black lab/half english mastiff.  She just recently finished antibiotics for her first UTI.  I was told that Beastie was also inverted and that along with the antibiotics I would need to wipe her with baby wipes a couple of times a day.  My vet's biggest concern was that since she is inverted that it is even more important for Beastie to empty her bladder completely every time she goes (of course, easier said that done...hasn't the vet noticed that there are birds and squirrels around that need to be chased mid pee ;)?) since apparently when they don't empty completely bacteria forms it can cause a problem with the big dogs and there inverted lady parts.  Who would have known??  I would make sure to take a urine sample to the vet though.  Would not be good for the new pup to be on meds when she doesn't have an infection.  :) 

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Re: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2005, 01:57:19 pm »
Kiah has had vaginitis off and on since we got her four months ago. I went to the vet who gave me some cream to insert into her vulva for a week. I did that and then it went away for a week or so then it came back. I called the vet again and he said it as long as it's doesn't bother her, become inflammed or the color (yellowish-green) doesn't change then it's okay. He also said it's just a puppy thing and will go away after she's spayed.

Offline VdogLover

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Re: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2005, 02:24:13 pm »
 What a wonderful topic...lol

 My spayed female still gets "string things" as I call them, every few months. The vet said they were nothing to worry about since there was no sign of an infection.

If I'm not mistaken using antibiotics can actually worsen vaginitis. I would take a urine sample in and if there is no signs of infections leave her be.
 
On a funny note.....My girl like to sit on peoples laps when ever she gets the chance to.  Explaining the "string things" that are now on a non dog friend's pants is so much fun...lol

Offline CindiJ

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Re: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« Reply #8 on: September 09, 2005, 06:34:52 pm »
My great pyr. has been plagued with vaginitis since I have had her... Her symptoms go as far as severe vulvar swelling, rash, extreme pain in chest, rib cage and spinal areas, along with the "shoe string" discharge, and severe lethargy.  I take her into the vet, along with a urine sample and fecal sample, and he will usually give her a shot of penicillan and send me home with antibiotics.  Within 12 hours, Eowyn starts to show signs of feeling better, and within 2 days, she is back to her old tricks.  I hate the fact that she has to be on the antibiotics, and have also tried to just "let the problem" clear up on its own.... but, when I have done that, she has gone to pointnot even being able to move, because she is so uncomfortable.  Please give me some insight as to why :time: will not work for her as a cure.  Will this go away with age/spaying?? Your reply will be greatly appreciated.

Offline hannahb4004

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Re: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« Reply #9 on: February 01, 2007, 07:29:29 pm »
So I have a Mastiff with this inverted (depressed) vulva. I took her to the vet last week with a UTI and he looked at her vulva and gasped! Apparently, as he stated, he "had never seen one before!". He did say that she would recover from it after her first heat, though, because the vulva swells during heat, thus causing projection. Neither my breeder nor other owners ever told me this but, after researching it on the internet, I have found that this is recommended by many other breeders. The part they stress is that if spayed before the first heat, the vulva will remain inverted for life. I'm so glad I decided to wait til her first heat anyway as I suffer from recurrent UTIs and they are soooooo not fun. Anything I can spare my puppy from...ya know?

Offline CrazyLoveRosie

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Re: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« Reply #10 on: February 01, 2007, 10:10:21 pm »
Rosie has had pretty chronic UTIs in her lifetime (she's turning 4 in March). I guess it started when she was a puppy, and her old owners got sick of the constant vet trips/costs. But she's such a special Newf that UTI or not, we couldn't resist her.

We've had her since September and she's had only one UTI episode (the 2nd week she was with us). The vet gave her a steroid shot for the pain and some antibiotics at the time. It's hard to bear knowing that she's in pain, so now we're on major preventative mode. Rosie is now on a special [expensive] urinary diet (Royal Canin Urinary SO13 dry dog food) and we give her daily doses of a urine acidifier, cranberry tablets, and vitamin C. I think what's really helped her is that we've been letting her out more often during the day (I come home during my lunch break). The urinary diet urges her to drink more water, which is good, because then she can flush out the urine from her body more often to avoid bacteria from growing in there.
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Offline mynameislola

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Re: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« Reply #11 on: September 04, 2007, 04:49:49 pm »
Yes, what a topic.  I also have heard to wait after the first heat to spay with inverted vulvas and have also heard of them being repaired surgically when they are spayed too soon.

One of our little paws, Alice the Shih Tzu, had similar symptoms but her issue turned out to be bladder stones.  The found that out with an ultrasound and removed the stones surgically.  After that she had no discharge.

We knew it wasn't a female-type problem cus she was already spayed.
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Offline sioux

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Re: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« Reply #12 on: October 14, 2007, 01:52:17 pm »
 :-[   This is a painful topic for me and my pal Sarah, a 12 yr old Golden.  When she was 10 weeks old I took her to the vet wondering why she was "dribbling" all over the floors, even after she'd been out for a pee.

I was told she had an inverted vulva and that surgery was the only way to go, but it was not 100% assured that it would fix the problem.  Since my babe was only 10 weeks old I didn't want to put her through surgery if it wasn't going to help.  Plus I really didn't completely understand what "inverted vulva" meant...

Well....12 yrs later and NUMEROUS UTI's later....I wish I had gotten a second opinion at that time.  On a recent trip to our new vet for yet another UTI and another $200 in meds, the vet happened to mention the inverted vulva and how common this is now.  He mentioned as well surgery is an option but if we had of just let her go through one heat it may have fixed the problem.  If not we could have gotten it done when we had her spayed. 

It's been a very frustrating 12 years and I wished I had have had access to information such as this website back then to research and know other options.

My poor gal is getting alot worse I guess with age and is constantly wet "down there" from leakage.  I try and get her to completely empty her bladder when we're out but sometimes she's back to licking and licking as soon as she's back in the door.

I really can't consider surgery for her at this age.....  :(

My only advise is to considering doing what you can early to fix the problem, it only gets worse with time and it's so uncomfortable to the dogs with the constant wetness, burning, and even the smell involved from the fur getting wet.

Offline mylahsmommy

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Re: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2007, 03:52:58 am »
i have a 5 month old siberian husky female. I got the shock of my life last night when i went to drop her off to get spayed....she has an inverted vulva. go figure that would be my luck, my vet said that this could be corrected during the spaying surgery, and that if it were his dog, then he would do it now. Better now than later.....afte r reading others stories, i am glad i chose to go ahead with this surgery. im tired of the dribbling on the carpet. the doctor said that this is because that it hurts so bad it just comes out on insinct. Good luck to everyone and their puppies, im hoping my baby comes home tonight all fixed up. Pray for no more problems. this is my million dollar puppy here. shes a pain, costs a lot of money, but then again, i cant help by treat her like my child!

Offline zchic

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Re: UTIs, Spaying, Vulvas (what a topic, huh?!?)
« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2007, 09:17:14 am »
This brings up questions n my mind. My Gracie (9 month dane) has had a bit of "stringy stuff" on and off since we got her.Seems to come and go. I notice it every few weeks. It is clear/whitish and no smell. she licks a bit when she has it...but doesn't seem to bothered by it. I guess I will have the vet take a look at her and see if she could have an inverted vulva (can you see it by looking at it?)
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