TrulyScrumptous
New member
- Apr 2, 2013
- 3
- 1
- Country
- USA
- Bulldog(s) Names
- Truly Scrumptious
Hi, I came to this forum many times for information while facing our bully's health crisis so I wanted to share our experience with everyone in case it can help as well.
Our bully got her first UTI and aside from allergies, this was also her first health issue at the age of 4. This UTI also happened to set in about 6 weeks after starting her on Apoquel for her allergies (which for us was a miracle drug we no longer give her as it can lower the immune systems defense against other things such as UTI's). We were on vacation at the time and the vet we saw, prescribed her antibiotics but he could not do other testing as this was a tiny little hub office with minimal equipment. I called our personal vet that was also new to us since we had moved to another state that told us if she started getting better, no need to bring her in, just finish the antibiotics.
About 2 weeks after that first round of antibiotics, we noticed her frequently urinating again so I took her in to see this new recommended bully vet we found. They did in office urine testing to find the infection still there (or new UTI) and also an xray which revealed a pretty significant amount of stones in her bladder that resembled a pile of jelly beans. This vet sent us home with more antibiotics and wanted to wait for urinalysis results to narrow down what type of stones they might be before deciding next course of treatment.
For the next few days, I researched so much information and felt like there were several options available for us depending on the type of stones but I also knew that we wouldn't be sure of the type unless the stones were removed and tested. This vet called me and said that our bully had Struvite crystals in her urine which could make them lean toward the stones being the same type but to her, still no guarantee they were so they recommended IMMEDIATE SURGERY. I was pretty shocked that this was the recommendation to be honest because for one knowing the danger of putting a bully under general anesthesia is risky but also I had read other things could help and our situation did not seem an emergency as nothing was blocking her urine flow. I asked about changing my bully's diet, this vet told me IT WOULD NOT HELP. To their credit, I had read opposing opinions to this topic so I wasn't sure myself. She told me if I was uneasy about surgery that I needed to just keep my bully on this new round of antibiotics and see if the infection clears and we would look to see if the stones were still there after that treatment. We returned after this second round of antibiotics and the urine was clear but ultrasound showed stones still there. She again, said surgery was only way to help my bully. I told her that I needed to think about this and speak with my husband before bringing her in.
I immediately called our prior vet from the other state we previously lived in. She is amazing and to be honest, leaving her was probably the hardest part of moving but I was given this new vet as a bully referral and told they are very knowledgeable with bullies so I assumed that this state of the art vet office was the place for us. My prior vet said what I was told is absolutely not true. That a change in diet can dissolve Struvite stones and she personally has had several cases where this has happened. I decided to take my bully to see her (another state away but still able to drive the 4 hours one way). My vet examined and found no emergency situation or blockage, did another urinalysis just to make sure the urine was completely clear so she didn't need more antibiotics, did an ultrasound to verify the stones were actually there (they were) and recommended we try Royal Canin urinary SO canned food as the next course of treatment. Now, my vet knows the general consensus about this food, she doesn't even try to sell to you from her office, she just knows that it does work and she felt it was worth trying before cutting my baby open.
We started our bully on the RC SO (quite possibly the nastiest smelling stuff ever but my bully loved it) and the urinalysis also came back with no infection. We continued to feed her this food for 6 weeks and no other treats or supplements. We gave her bottled water as well. Took her back for her follow-up and her BLADDER STONES WERE COMPLETELY GONE. Nothing at all! That entire pile of stones gone. We were so happy. The next course of treatment will be to determine if she has any genetic predisposition to getting these stones which is possible as well. We will check her PH once a week with testing strips (not entirely accurate but helpful anyway). We will take her in for a urinalysis in one month to make sure no crystals are forming and if clear, we will go back again in 3 months. If we start seeing any indications of that PH changing or crystals forming then we have to assume this is genetic and decide how to adjust her diet. We were feeding her Taste of the Wild prior, and are probably going to go with homecooked food to see if we can keep that PH in check but also address some allergy issues because we do not want to put her back on Apoquel again as it does weaken the immune system and we do not know if this is what started her UTI issue in the first place or not but we will try other means for her allergies first.
I just want to say that I did read information at many sites and various comments all over the web that said diet would not dissolve the stones and also that if my vet were to tell me that, I should find a new vet. Obviously, they were wrong in my case and I am very grateful I tried it first. I also want to say that we fully believe that our local vet office was trying to force us into surgery for financial gain. My prior vet did have the records sent to her from their office and that vet wrote in her notes that I both denied surgery and DIET for treatment which doesn't even make logical sense. After finding that out, I called their office and spoke with the director, told him that was not the case and in fact I had asked about diet and was told it wouldn't work. The director basically told me he didn't believe me and he stood behind what the vet wrote in her notes. This is a huge practice where I live and I really feel for all the families that are probably being misled in an effort to make money.
I hope this course of action helps others. I think one of the most important things to note is that if Struvite crystals show up in the urine with or without a UTI, you need to have either an xray or ultrasound to see if there are stones as well. If there are stones, it is possible for them to continue to slowly release toxins which start the UTI/crystal process all over again. This can explain recurring UTI's because it is possible to clear the infection with antibiotics and also have no crystals in the urine after a round of antibiotics but if there are stones present, they will act as little devils as soon as those antibiotics are over and attack your poor bully once again.
So happy our bully did not have to be cut open!
Our bully got her first UTI and aside from allergies, this was also her first health issue at the age of 4. This UTI also happened to set in about 6 weeks after starting her on Apoquel for her allergies (which for us was a miracle drug we no longer give her as it can lower the immune systems defense against other things such as UTI's). We were on vacation at the time and the vet we saw, prescribed her antibiotics but he could not do other testing as this was a tiny little hub office with minimal equipment. I called our personal vet that was also new to us since we had moved to another state that told us if she started getting better, no need to bring her in, just finish the antibiotics.
About 2 weeks after that first round of antibiotics, we noticed her frequently urinating again so I took her in to see this new recommended bully vet we found. They did in office urine testing to find the infection still there (or new UTI) and also an xray which revealed a pretty significant amount of stones in her bladder that resembled a pile of jelly beans. This vet sent us home with more antibiotics and wanted to wait for urinalysis results to narrow down what type of stones they might be before deciding next course of treatment.
For the next few days, I researched so much information and felt like there were several options available for us depending on the type of stones but I also knew that we wouldn't be sure of the type unless the stones were removed and tested. This vet called me and said that our bully had Struvite crystals in her urine which could make them lean toward the stones being the same type but to her, still no guarantee they were so they recommended IMMEDIATE SURGERY. I was pretty shocked that this was the recommendation to be honest because for one knowing the danger of putting a bully under general anesthesia is risky but also I had read other things could help and our situation did not seem an emergency as nothing was blocking her urine flow. I asked about changing my bully's diet, this vet told me IT WOULD NOT HELP. To their credit, I had read opposing opinions to this topic so I wasn't sure myself. She told me if I was uneasy about surgery that I needed to just keep my bully on this new round of antibiotics and see if the infection clears and we would look to see if the stones were still there after that treatment. We returned after this second round of antibiotics and the urine was clear but ultrasound showed stones still there. She again, said surgery was only way to help my bully. I told her that I needed to think about this and speak with my husband before bringing her in.
I immediately called our prior vet from the other state we previously lived in. She is amazing and to be honest, leaving her was probably the hardest part of moving but I was given this new vet as a bully referral and told they are very knowledgeable with bullies so I assumed that this state of the art vet office was the place for us. My prior vet said what I was told is absolutely not true. That a change in diet can dissolve Struvite stones and she personally has had several cases where this has happened. I decided to take my bully to see her (another state away but still able to drive the 4 hours one way). My vet examined and found no emergency situation or blockage, did another urinalysis just to make sure the urine was completely clear so she didn't need more antibiotics, did an ultrasound to verify the stones were actually there (they were) and recommended we try Royal Canin urinary SO canned food as the next course of treatment. Now, my vet knows the general consensus about this food, she doesn't even try to sell to you from her office, she just knows that it does work and she felt it was worth trying before cutting my baby open.
We started our bully on the RC SO (quite possibly the nastiest smelling stuff ever but my bully loved it) and the urinalysis also came back with no infection. We continued to feed her this food for 6 weeks and no other treats or supplements. We gave her bottled water as well. Took her back for her follow-up and her BLADDER STONES WERE COMPLETELY GONE. Nothing at all! That entire pile of stones gone. We were so happy. The next course of treatment will be to determine if she has any genetic predisposition to getting these stones which is possible as well. We will check her PH once a week with testing strips (not entirely accurate but helpful anyway). We will take her in for a urinalysis in one month to make sure no crystals are forming and if clear, we will go back again in 3 months. If we start seeing any indications of that PH changing or crystals forming then we have to assume this is genetic and decide how to adjust her diet. We were feeding her Taste of the Wild prior, and are probably going to go with homecooked food to see if we can keep that PH in check but also address some allergy issues because we do not want to put her back on Apoquel again as it does weaken the immune system and we do not know if this is what started her UTI issue in the first place or not but we will try other means for her allergies first.
I just want to say that I did read information at many sites and various comments all over the web that said diet would not dissolve the stones and also that if my vet were to tell me that, I should find a new vet. Obviously, they were wrong in my case and I am very grateful I tried it first. I also want to say that we fully believe that our local vet office was trying to force us into surgery for financial gain. My prior vet did have the records sent to her from their office and that vet wrote in her notes that I both denied surgery and DIET for treatment which doesn't even make logical sense. After finding that out, I called their office and spoke with the director, told him that was not the case and in fact I had asked about diet and was told it wouldn't work. The director basically told me he didn't believe me and he stood behind what the vet wrote in her notes. This is a huge practice where I live and I really feel for all the families that are probably being misled in an effort to make money.
I hope this course of action helps others. I think one of the most important things to note is that if Struvite crystals show up in the urine with or without a UTI, you need to have either an xray or ultrasound to see if there are stones as well. If there are stones, it is possible for them to continue to slowly release toxins which start the UTI/crystal process all over again. This can explain recurring UTI's because it is possible to clear the infection with antibiotics and also have no crystals in the urine after a round of antibiotics but if there are stones present, they will act as little devils as soon as those antibiotics are over and attack your poor bully once again.
So happy our bully did not have to be cut open!
