Preventive Medicine

SUNDAY CASE - May 16, 2010
Miniature Schnauzer, Male, 6 years
Annual vaccination + proheart vacc

Examination:
Bladder palpated. Body shivered when lower abdomen is palpated. The 17-year-old daughter saw the vibrations. "He has some abdominal pain" I said. "Maybe a bladder infection."
"Can smell his urine from far away," the father said.
"Does the dog urine-mark?" I asked.
"Yes. He would pee a lot first and then urine-mark every spot even if he has nothing to pee."
"Does he drink a lot?"
"No," the father and daughter replied. "How to make him drink more and how much he should be drinking a day?"
"Exercise will make him thirsty. Some dogs love iced water. Put ice cubes into the water," I said.



Advice:
Dogs over 2 years need a preventive programme, not just annual vaccination.
1. Complete Blood test
2. Urine test to check for struvite stones and bacteria.

Permission:
Much depends on the parents.
Urine test agreed. Urine catheter, collect dark yellow cloudy urine to be sent to the Lab.

3. Read about prevention of urinary struvite stones.
4. 3-monthly or 3-6 monthly urine test will be best but no owners will do it.


Questions:
How long after neutering will my dog stop urine marking?

"Now, 6 years old. It will take many weeks to a year."
1. Probably 1 year
2. Schedule. lst month - urine mark same area. Change to another location