So Thanksgiving didn't go as planned this year. Phillip and Ellen went to North Carolina which was planned; however, I did not plan on George having bladder issues while they were gone... thus changing my plans. The fun began on Wednesday when I noticed it was taking him a long time to pee. It was dark outside when I got home from work so I couldn't tell exactly what was going on, I just knew it was not normal. So I let him out periodically and watched as best I could in the dark. I let him out at 2 AM and then 3:30 AM. It was at 3:30 that I realized he had peed all in our bed and there was a trail from the bedroom to the back door. I was very worried at this point. He would
never pee in our bed so I knew he must be having major issues. Thursday morning I called the pet emergency line (our vet was closed) and talked to a guy named John. He said there was really nothing I could do but make sure he still had access to water. So my Thanksgiving plan of going to
Wal-Mart, Cracker Barrel and the movies (not necessarily in that order) did not happen. I stayed home to care for my sweet George. In the daylight I was able to see what was happening. He was peeing in a fast drip and not in a steady stream. I made sure he drank throughout the day and made sure he
peed every time he went outside. Things got better as the day went on - he started peeing in a weak stream and didn't have any more accidents in the house. I went to work on Friday since we have a new attendance/tardy policy and being the day after a holiday, a lot of people were scheduled off. I felt bad leaving him. I did end up taking an "
occurrence" and left work at 3:00 to take him to the vet. He seemed
okay when I got home but I knew he should be checked. There was only one other dog in the waiting room which was a blessing since George doesn't do well when there is a full house. The vet needed a urine sample so a tech and I went outside to try and get him to pee in a tray. I wasn't so sure this was possible but I am thankful it worked. The test came back negative but there was a lot of protein in his urine. The vet was concerned about this since it usually indicates the start of a bladder infection. I was to watch him and if he seemed to get worse, get a urine sample and bring it to the vet today. The doctor did not want to put him on an antibiotic since the test was negative. I wish we knew what caused the problem. I answered a lot of questions about the food and treats we give him but there didn't seem to be a correlation. The good news is that George is peeing normally and appears to be fine. I am so thankful!
By the way, George weighs 69 pounds! I've been saying/thinking for the longest time that he is 50 pounds. I was just a little off.
