You all sound so knowledgeable here so I was hoping someone may be able to give some thoughts on my 10 year old sheltie bitch.
Briefly it started a few months ago with frequent urination and straining to go.The vet treated her with antibiotics for a bladder infection but he thought the infection may be secondary to something else such as bladder stones. A urinary sample showed blood in the urine but no crystals. A blood test didn't really show anything apart from slightly raised bilirubin. She then had a scan which didn't show any stones.
After 4 weeks on antibiotics (2 different ones) she still hadn't improved. She's her normal happy self and has a reasonable appetite (for her) but has lost about 2kg over the last year. I was really worried she had bladder cancer but the vet doesn't think she has as nothing showed on the scan. He's given her some propalin drops to help with the incontinence/straining and said if they don't help we can try hormones.She has been spayed. I've been giving her the drops three times a day scince yesterday and there's no improvement but what worries me is she doesn't want to eat anything and seems listless. I can't find anything listed under the side effects of propalin but I know the drug was used as an appetite suppressant for people in America.
I would welcome any thoughts at all from anyone, especially anyone who's used propalin.Thanks in aticipation.

Give the Propalin a few days to kick in :)

Hopefully it should start to work if it is just incontinence :)

my girl has been on propalin for 6 months now, twice a day. she did go off her food for a day or so, but i just perservered with it and now is back to her normal self with the propalin having kicked in after 3 days and now if i forget to give it to her, it is noticed after 12 hours.

After a very severe bladder infection my dog Ollie was put on Propalin to tighten things up because he leaked on a day to day basis, He was on Propalin for 4 years, 5ml twice a day.   As far as side effects, with Ollie there was none.  Sorry i can't be more help

Jane

Many thanks for your replies, they helped 'cos they encouraged me to give the propalin a chance to work. However after a week it hadn't made any difference so I've tried incurin which didn't help either.I can cope ok with the incontinence ... I never thought I'd be buying nappies again but the pull up huggies work quite well if I cut a hole for her tail to go through! What I can't cope with is the constant infections and the unhappy look on her face combined with weight loss and lack of apetite. The vets suggested an exploratory operation so that's what she's having on Tuesday. I just hope I'm doing the right thing.
Thanks again for your help

I just hope I'm doing the right thing :-)

To date you are certainly doing the right thing. I'm glad that your vet is opening her up for a look around it is the only sure way to find out if there is an underlying problem that tests alone can not show.

Sometimes our dogs can get worse before they get better, stick with it and wait and see what your vet finds out, then you can both decide what is the best for her.

Thanks for your advice. The vet opened her up today and found a tumour on her bladder sphincter that didn't show up on the scan. I knew I couldn't have let her go on much longer so I'm glad I knew there was a cause for her symptoms. It made it easier when the vet said the best option was to put her to sleep there and then . I agreed knowing we'd done all we could. I'm obviously very upset but up to now she's had no bad health and has had a very happy life.I'm an avid walker and right up to the last minute she's been my walking companion.She produced a wonderful litter of puppies 8 years ago one of which we kept so I just need to concentrate on him now.

Oh I am so sorry to hear this :( At least she is no longer in pain .

Lucy
xx

oh janet i am sooo sorry to here of your sad news and my heart goes out to you i know how hard it is.
my thoughts are with you

I'm so sorry. :(

I'm very sorry Janet :( but how good that she was so active right up to the end.

Very sorry for you :( :(

Daisy

You were very brave Janet.  I'm so sorry to read this but I'm glad your girl is free from pain.  She will have many friends for company at the Rainbow Bridge.

Enjoy and treasure her son - as I'm sure you will.

God bless, Teri x

How sad.  So sorry.

So very sorry, a blessing the cause was found and she was not left to suffer, it's lovely that you have one of her offspring, she will live on through him, at least you can put all your focus on him that is the right thing to do. So very sorry.

So sorry to hear this :( At least she had a happy life and she's now pain free.