[NAGDU] Overactive bladder is back

[Sandra Johnson]

Tracy:

I am sorry to hear this.  I know it is very hard when our dogs have a health 
problem.  Hopefully your vet can figure out something to help.  As for 
sending him back to the school, that is always a very heart wrenching 
decision to make.  In 44 years of guide dogs I have had to do it too many 
times.  The schools tell us they have long waiting lists of people who are 
willing to adopt retired dogs and are ready to deal with health issues, 
expensive meds and vet bills.  I was fortunate to find a woman like that 
when I could no longer afford my last dog Tara's meds and vet bills.  Good 
luck and I hope Krokus gets better.

Sandra and Eva

-----Original Message----- 
From: Tracy Carcione via NAGDU
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2019 11:44 AM
To: 'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: Tracy Carcione
Subject: [NAGDU] Overactive bladder is back

A year or so ago, Krokus was diagnosed with overactive bladder, based on
symptoms, because the tests the vet ran didn't show any problems.  The vet
gave us a prescription for pills, which seemed to work for quite a while.
But now the problem is back.  When Krokus gets a drink, he drinks most of
the roughly 3 cups of water I give him, then he has to go out in about 90
minutes, and then again in another 90 minutes.  Then he's good for a while,
until he drinks some more.

I'd gotten used to going out the first time, but now we've added a second
time.  Yesterday, I thought he could wait a bit, so I didn't drop what I was
doing when he came downstairs, and he started to pee on the wall.  I yelled
at him, and he stopped, so I don't know if he was just trying it out as an
option, or if he really couldn't wait.

I'll call tomorrow and make another appointment with the urologist.  Oh boy,
another day at the vet.

I could cut back on his water, but I don't want to short him and make him
dehydrated.  I'm putting a bit less, around 2.5 cups or so.

I've even thought of returning him to the school as more trouble than I can
deal with, but he's a good worker, mostly, and I'm quite attached to him,
too.  And I can't think anyone else wants to deal with constant outings,
either.

And I imagine the problem will get worse as he gets older, as these things
do for all of us.

Hopefully the vet will have a solution that will work again.

Tracy



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