FatDog

 Well, my FatDog is sick. Really sick. Here's where we are so far:

Thursday January 14, 2010: On our walk, I notice that when Rosie pees in the snow, there is a trace of blood. Red snow is not a good thing. I am sure she has a bladder infection, so I call the vet while we are walking to schedule an appointment for the next day.

Friday January 15, 2010: Weight 47.7 lbs. The vet takes a urine sample. Says she sees bacteria cocci in the urine, puts Rosie on amoxicillin.

Saturday 16/Sunday 17: I am not noticing a change yet. Urine is still really red. I start sleeping on the couch pull out in the library with Rosie because she has to get up to pee every 2 hours or more.

Monday January 18: I still don't see much improvement, and call the vet. They say she has not been on the antibiotic long enough and to give it more time. I wait.

Wednesday January 20: Weight 47.1 lbs. I call and insist on Rosie being seen. They take another urine sample. Vet says she still sees cocci bacteria, she will culture the sample and get it to grow, then find a medicine to kill it. She does an ultrasound to look for bladder stones and/or bladder tumors. Ultrasound looks clear. We don't see anything at all out of line. She put Rosie on ciprofloxacin. (sound familiar?) Yeah it's the EXACT same drug that I was on during all my kidney battles. In fact, the vet didn't have any in her stock, and sent me to my pharmacy to get it filled. You should have seen the look on the pharamacist's face when I handed her the RX for MY DOG! It was pretty funny!

Thursday 21: Still waiting to see if the cipro works. So far not impressed.

Friday 22: I call vet office because I am still not seeing any change, and I wondered how long it takes to grow the urine culture. Vet says she will call me tomorrow with results.

Saturday 23:
2:00 a.m.: Rosie has an accident in the house. She just couldn't make it to the door in time. Lots of red in the urine. LOTS.
8:00 a.m.: Vet calls. She says there is NO BACTERIA on the petri dish. None. This means there is not a bladder infection at all. Asks me to bring in a urine sample to be sent away to a lab. Lab can determine if there are tumor cells in the urine. Tumor = cancer.
11:00 a.m. I take in pee sample.
12:00 p.m. Clint advises that I get a second opinion. I call another vet. Explain that I want a second opinion etc. They say come now.
1:00 p.m.: Weight 47.0 lbs.Vet 2 takes a blood sample. Most of the numbers are in normal range. One of the kidney numbers should be 25, Rosie's is 28. Vet2 says it is not a cause for concern. Vet2 takes a urine sample. Checks for bacteria. Result: None. Red blood cells are high. White blood cells are high. Protein in the urine is high. She also sees clumps of "transitionsal and cuboidal cells" These cells are present sometimes in the bladder anyway, but she is not sure why they are clumping together. She can't tell if there is more of one kind than the other. Transistional cells come from the bladder. Cuboidal cells come from the kidney. She is very frank with me and explains that Rosie most likely has either a bladder tumor or a kidney tumor. Tumor = cancer.
If it is a kidney tumor, the kidney can be removed, and the dog usually does very well. (I don't know how well 8 1/2 year old bulldogs do though.) If it is a bladder tumor, then they are usually in operable. "With bladder tumors the prognosis is not very good."  We will have Vet2 do an ultrasound/xray on Monday to try and pin point the problem. we wait for Vet1 to get in the lab results. I know now that the lab is looking to isolate the transitional cells from the cuboidal cells. They are looking for a tumor.
Tumor = cancer. Yup. My FatDog is sick. Really sick.