Dog's infection not improving, won't eat, straining to poop. What to do?

Hello. It often takes a bit of time for some infections to clear, but if you are concerned, please have her rechecked as soon as possible. This may be an indication that a new, or another antibiotic needs to be added to her treatment. Another option is to have her re-evaluated at a referral clinic, one that has multiple specialists. Sometimes, it takes a fresh pair of eyes to diagnose a difficult problem. Do not wait to see what happens since she is obviously worse. I hope Ittle is feeling better soon & thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

There are many causes for fever other than bacterial infection, viruses, inflammatory diseases and autoimmune conditions can also contribute. Blood cultures are not an efficient test unless there is an overwhelming blood borne bacterial infection such as septicaemia and fecal cultures can become overwhelmed with normal/ non-disease causing bugs but if not responding, a fecal culture and microscopic exam may identify underlying causes but should be at least 5days after the last antibiotic. Specialist diets, fiber and probiotic supplement such as fortiflora could also be considered

Poor girl. I do feel that culturing this area would be best, that way we know what antibiotic is needed to rid the bacteria present for sure. Especially after being on the same antibiotic for 28 days already. Re-infection of an area is also likely if the pet continues to lick at it. Therefore, if the infection is completely gone, you have to then treat the pets itch. If we are licking our feet due to allergies, then the underlying allergy should be addressed by keeping her on allergy medication. Discuss with your vet about the options of either Cytopoint injections or Apoquel to help manage her allergies. Also soaking her paws in Chlorhexidine solution 3% diluted 1:10 with water daily can help soothe her paws and remove any allergens she picks up on her feet from outside. Chlorhexidine wipes can also be purchase and used to help with this. In the meantime, I would opt to go with a stronger antibiotic prescribed by your vet, perhaps Simplicef should be tried, until you can decide on further testing/treatment. I would also highly recommend having Bini tested for thyroid disease, which can cause chronic skin infections, lethargy and weight gain in dogs. I hope that this helps and best of luck with your pet Bini and her apparent allergies. Take care! : )

Poor girl. This is concerning that she not only has a UTI but that the bacteria has now entered her bloodstream (sepsis) and is making her ill. Yes your vet will have to see her to get her urine tested first and then prescribe antibiotics to hopefully get her feeling better soon. You cannot get antibiotics prescirbed for your pet without first completing a physical exam. Other possible causes for this include: diabetes, cushing's disease aor even cancer unfortunately. It is best to get Marley checked out right away. I do hope that Marley starts to feel better soon! Best of luck and take care.

Hello. What an adorable picture of Beretta! Based on the description of her symptoms & that she is a dachshund, I would definitely want to eliminate any possibility that she may have some intervertebral disc disease. This is just so common in this breed. There are also some diseases/conditions that may not be apparent with routine bloodwork & additional testing may be necessary. Was your vet able to obtain a urine sample? A urinary tract infection can make a pet pretty miserable. I would want to see how she does on some pain medication, but x-rays may be helpful as possibly a change in antibiotics. If Beretta is not feeling better by tomorrow, please contact your vet for further investigation. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Poor Maiya! You did the right thing by taking her into the vet. It will take at least 24 hours for you to see an improvement in symptoms with the antibiotics, but the pain meds should be kicking in by now. She likely feels pretty terrible if she has infected anal sacs, and it's not surprising that she isn't 100% just yet. I'd let her stay off the couch and stay on the floor is she wants. She needs to rest and allow the medications to fight the infection. Be sure to give all medications as directed, and keep giving it even if she appears better. If she still isn't wanting to get on the couch in the next 48-72 hours, then I would be concerned that she may have another problem causing her pain such as her back, hips, or hind legs. At that point, I would take her back into the vet for another exam and possibly x-rays. I hope this helps!

Hello, & thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Poor Archie seems to have a case of pododermatitis, an inflammatory condition sometimes associated with allergies. It may, indeed take a few days for the antibiotics to kick in. Hopefully, he is on an oral antibiotic, but I will also recommend a topical one, as well. This would involve bandaging up the foot so the antibiotic does its job. You can talk to your vet about some pain medication too. In the meantime, soak the foot in warm water & dilute betadine or 2% chlorhexidine. 1/4 cup of the solution in a cup of water should do it. Try to soak the paw for 5-10 minutes 3 times a day, rinse & dry the foot. This will help in the healing process. Hope Archie is doing better soon. Take care.