Update on gretchen

[michelle23093]

Been a while since I have been in. Hopefully someone remembers me and my problems with my rescue Gretchen. We were finally able to come up with money for a training session. It didn't take long to get her going on the right track. She suggested a training collar and our $30 investment has been the best investment ever. She only had to use the sound/vibration setting. She still won't leave cat alone. That's my next step. That may never resolve. Seems its her natural instinct not to like the cat. We still have house accidents. Training a puppy is easy but a 3 year old dog isn't so easy. I think alot is spite. She doesn't bite me any longer when I take stuff. Her aggression is 99% gone. She doesn't chase the kids on bikes or bite when when swinging. She comes when called and leaves stuff most time when asked once. She hides under table still but I can get her out if I am calm. Huge improvement in a month. I'm sure I will be posting in here again. Still have so many bull dog questions. Thanks for all help thus far. She actually has gained a healthy weigh and looks good. She's healthy but keeps getting UTI. We had some very strong medicine and got rid of it but it comes back. She still likes to eat everything she sees which scares me. Is this normal? I try to keep stuff up just as I would with a child but she always finds something .

[2BullyMama]

Hi Michelle... yes most will remember you and Gretchen!

Great improvments... remember baby steps and one thing at a time as to not overwhelm you or her. Eating everything, yes, some dogs are just that wasy -- right @JAKEISGREAT. My girl has a very high prey drive and when outdoors, if it moves it is pounced on and eaten, however, through constant training, indoors she does not touch anything she should not (the collar you are using was our source too).

UTI.. does she sit very close to the grass when she pees? If yes, you should wipe her 'girl' each time she goes. I recently posted about having this issue with Banks.

[michelle23093]

she sits close but I don't know how close. Ill make a note to check that next time. she had a very very bad one when I got her but I didn't know cause she was in heat. so after 3 months after heat was over we decided to check and it was so bad that it was on verge of causing serious problems. we treated her with aggressive medicine and it worked and about 3 weeks later she is now bleeding again. Im wondering if it was from eating stuff she shouldn't be. I plan to take her back tomorrow to get her checked again

[Vicaroo1000]

Your dog isn't peeing out of spite. Only humans are motivated by such a thing. Dogs don't experience complicated emotions like humans do. They don't speak English but that's another post. LOL (And not a popular thing to say, I might add!) A negative behavior (one you don't like) is an outcome of something else. Its the figuring out the "something else" that's the tricky part.

Here's an example; Bea peed in the house one day while I was at work. She NEVER pees in the house and in fact, has a cast iron bladder. She can hold it forEVER it seems. Well not so. When grandma was letting her outside, she wasn't making sure that she went down the steps to pee. Bea was just following Bo out and then sat on the porch and followed him back in. LOL Since making 100% certain she goes potty when she goes out, the problem is solved. Her peeing in the house was an outcome of not emptying her bladder completely (or at all actually) when she DID go outside. Of course, I ruled out anything medical before landing on this.

I am delighted she's doing better. It must be so gratifying to be giving this dog the life she deserves.

[Vikinggirl]

Hi, and welcome back. I'm so glad to hear you've made such huge progress with Gretchen. I have two EB siblings, and they are now 16 months old, and still chase the cat, they don't bite or hurt her, they just want to play with her, but the cat doesn't want anything to do with them, she jumps for higher ground, she has lots of places to go away from them. Lol. It's great that her aggression is gone, and she's not biting anymore. You've done a great job mom. For her recurring UTI's you could try giving her a cranberry pill everyday, you can use the same pills as you would buy for yourself, from a drugstore or a health food store such as Nutrition House. Once the infection is cleared up from the medication, you can use the cranberry pill as a preventative method. My male Bulldozer also eats anything that isn't nailed down, this is very normal for bullies, you should read the great article on here by JeannieCo called " The dangers when bulldogs swallow foreign objects ". It can be found under the Bulldog learning centre, regarding what members bullies have eaten. My Dozer has eaten sweat socks, a dish cloth, paper towel, a piece of a Kong Wubba , pinecones, rocks, sticks, he is relentless. So far we've been lucky and he's been able to pass everything he's swallowed, and I've become a CSI poop expert, having to watch for these objects to come back out, sometimes a week later. Good luck with Gretchen's progress, and I hope to see more of you on here, and more pictures of Gretchen.

[2BullyMama]

she sits close but I don't know how close. Ill make a note to check that next time. she had a very very bad one when I got her but I didn't know cause she was in heat. so after 3 months after heat was over we decided to check and it was so bad that it was on verge of causing serious problems. we treated her with aggressive medicine and it worked and about 3 weeks later she is now bleeding again. Im wondering if it was from eating stuff she shouldn't be. I plan to take her back tomorrow to get her checked again

Has she been spayed yet?

[michelle23093]

@Vikinggirl- I asked my vet about cranberry pills and he didn't recommend them for her. I had considered trying anyways. gave to my daughter when she was younger and she did just fine. I seen alot of products for unrinary health for dogs just haven't tried any- one cranberry tablet a day??????
we got her in march of this year and she was in heat when we got her. we had a routine exam the following week and he confirmed she was in heat so we waited a mont to make the appt for getting her fixed. She was due a spay in April but she was still spotty bleeding so they said lets wait one more week. I contacted vet after a month and a half and said she is still bleeding so we checked her and she had a very bad UTI probably for along time. it had made some cysts but nothing that couldn't be fixed. she was put on very strong antibiotics and it cleaned up within a week. she got fixed in May and she hasn't had any bleeding until about 3 days ago. she also ate a rough spounge- not whole thing but a piece and thought that might be the problem. I was gona wait a few days before I took her back in. she still spots a little when she pees but not every time. funny thing is after 2 months when I got her fixed they returned her to tell me she was still in heat. that was really strange but she is all fixed and the uti was resolved but now it seems like its a problem again.

[Vikinggirl]

Hi again, I give both my guys cranberry pills, for preventative, I haven't had experience with a UTI with my two yet, but I figure the cranberry is a natural supplement so it can't hurt. Desertskybulldogs posted a thread regarding a dog supplement she uses for UTI's, but you can use a supplement from the drugstore, or a natural health store. Most of the time these supplements are cheaper at the drugstore than when you buy them from your vet. I open the capsule and sprinkle the powder on their kibble, I find it easier than trying to get them to swallow a pill. As for Gretchen being in heat after her spay, I'm sorry, I don't have any experience with this. I had my female Blossom spayed when she was 7 months old, so she never had a first heat, and I had her brother neutered a week later, also at 7 months old. The vet told me though that it could take a few months after his surgery before all the hormones leave his body, I am not sure if this is the same for female hormones after spaying, but that could be the reason why she is still experiencing some symptoms of being in heat, maybe it takes a few months for all the hormones to leave her body.


here is the article from Desertskybulldogs

Resources Urinary Tract Support
Urinary Tract Infections can be often reoccurring. This is why my vet wanted me to try this supplement for our girl when she got a pretty bad UTI. He was certain that it would not clear up completely with a 10 day course of antibiotics and did not want to go longer because then it is too long and will kill all beneficial bacteria as well. He suggested I follow up with this product and I can happily say Mandy has never had another UTI in two years. I used up the whole bottle and have not thought of it again until now I have a new girl with a UTI. It's a bad one too. There is blood and she wants to pee every 15 minutes. Poor girl. I already got some on order. I thought I should tell everyone on EBN about it too.






An optimum blend of herbs and mushrooms individually formulated for dogs designed to support the urinary tract. Contains natural antimicrobial agents such as Uva Ursi and Cranberry, which studies have shown may reduce the ability of bacteria to adhere to the lining of the bladder and urethra. Poria and Polyporus mushrooms have been shown to act as natural diuretics, while Marshmallow soothes inflamed and irritated membranes. Nutritionally supports pets suffering from temporary deficiencies due to cystitis, bladder stones, bladder inflammation and associated symptoms.


Pets should be off dry and drinking plenty of liquids such as water, rice milk, soy milk or apple cider vinegar. Tablets may be given orally or crumbled and mixed with moist food. Responses to natural dietary supplements may vary by animal.


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[michelle23093]

Thanks

[michelle23093]

Wanted to do a update on Gretchen- its been a while. I have loads of problems when I first got her and she has done remarkably in her progress. She now lets me take things without many prompts for bribbing. she doesn't bite or nip at you when shes in trouble. she comes to you most of the time with little fear. she doesn't try to steal things and chew them for attention. she doesn't pee in the house much anymore when she is mad. she was doing it when I left her for a little while- the minute Iwalked out the door. she does a little better ( can only say a little) with the cats. I am pleased with that progress. she has a few health concerns now I am worried about but we are working with the vet now to sort them all out. I love Gretchen and I am so glad I found her and was able to work though these very hard past few months. she is a great fit to our family

[2BullyMama]

Wanted to do a update on Gretchen- its been a while. I have loads of problems when I first got her and she has done remarkably in her progress. She now lets me take things without many prompts for bribbing. she doesn't bite or nip at you when shes in trouble. she comes to you most of the time with little fear. she doesn't try to steal things and chew them for attention. she doesn't pee in the house much anymore when she is mad. she was doing it when I left her for a little while- the minute Iwalked out the door. she does a little better ( can only say a little) with the cats. I am pleased with that progress. she has a few health concerns now I am worried about but we are working with the vet now to sort them all out. I love Gretchen and I am so glad I found her and was able to work though these very hard past few months. she is a great fit to our family

Great progress! so happy she is coming along... slow, but getting there. keep us updated... would loved to see some new pictures of her.

[michelle23093]

This is a very funny picture to share. Gretchen is spoiled and she loves nap time. when the kids lay down for a nap she has to have her own nap mat and pillow and sometimes blanket.