Hi all

Since she started spotting blood last week, our 7 month old Welsh Terrier bitch (Amber) has started urinating almost constantly... everywhere.  We have had real problems house training her (the breeder told us her dogs are clean dogs and we shouldn't have many problems) - bizarrely she has understood the command "go toilet" since she was about 12 weeks old, and has always gone on demand in the back garden, but she also goes whenever she feels like it in her crate or in the house.

We had had a week or so prior to last week when she SEEMED to be sorted, but now she's walking-squatting (ie doing both at the same time) dribbling relatively small amounts of urine.  I have searched this forum and on google to find whether there is any kind of association with the first season and a weak (or maybe abnormal pressure on the) bladder (which we could perfectly understand), but have found nothing.  Asking the question on here before going to the vet!

Thanks alot!

wickerman

It could be cystitis or she could have a UTI (urinary infection)

My bitches wee more just before and during a season - scent marking purposes - but when more mature, not during the first couple of seasons.  I'd get her vet checked in case she has an infection brewing.  Take along a sample if possible - now there's a task and a half LOL.

good luck, Teri

She may have cystitis from the symptoms you describe. I'd get her checked out at the Vet if I were you.

Great minds!

Oh, the joys of trying to get a sample from a bitch ;-) I have found the foil trays that hold individual steak pies rather good for collecting samples. They can be attached to a stick of some sort and 'shoved' under the bitch when she starts to pee. She will of course stop weeing to see what you are doing :-) So you have to start all over again :-D

Cystitis can be painful so it's best getting it checked.

Had very similar experience with my first Welsh bitch on her initial season, she just had to mark everywhere possible. Still does on walks actually.

She also seemingly "refused" to be house trained, like your girl understood exactly what she was being asked but just continued on her own sweet way right up until all her adult teeth came through.  Soon as they arrived and her ears settled she became clean in the house immediately.  Ever since then I've cut a lot of slack until the teething process is completely finished, especially with a free thinking breed like Welsh.

It sounds to me like it could be cystitis or a UTI - often the only sign is weeing all over the place, bitches often don't show they're in pain until it's really bad ;) 

My eldest Sheltie had exactly the same symtoms, I thought it was her first season but no it was a UTI, vet treatment cleared it and low an behold season started about a month later.

Just wondering whether you'd been to the vets yet?

Hi All

Quick update on the situation for those of you interested - on Friday of last week we took a urine sample (which we managed to get surprisingly easily!) to the vet's but annoyingly we took it in a bottle which contained the preservative boric acid which meant they couldn't test it.  Yesterday we took in another sample and we were told everything was normal - PH level of 6, no blood and just a trace of protein (due to non-sterility of sample) so as far as the vet is concerned she's fine.  Her last incident of urinating inside the house was overnight on Saturday, and since then she's been fine.

So, whether she had an infection or not we'll never know, but the vet seems to think she probably didn't, and she was just uncomfortable which was causing her to pass urine more frequently.

Thanks for all the help and suggestions - cooperscrossing it looks like you made an excellent call!  These Welshies certainly keep us guessing don't they...?!?!?!

wickerman

> Thanks for all the help and suggestions - cooperscrossing it looks like you made an excellent call!  These Welshies certainly keep us guessing don't they...?!?!?!

That they do!

but annoyingly we took it in a bottle which contained the preservative boric acid which meant they couldn't test it.

boric acid is used as a preservative for urine samples as far as i remember from my days of being a student vet nurse :)

Well it was the only bottle we had, and although it stated on it that's what was in it, we just assumed it was normal for a sample bottle (otherwise why else would we have it?!).

However, we were informed that boric acid is only required when the sample is being sent away for "cultures" testing but isn't suitable for samples tested with a dipstick!