Appears the desert doesn't agree with Peanut - Uppydate on page 4

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

I hate to put this downer thread out there today when there's SO much cuteness here, but.....

For the last week or so, Peanut has been pretty much peeing everywhere, and it seems to me like she's straining more than before when she pees. We've put those little puppy pads everywhere in the motorhome - and boy am I glad we have full tile! Thank goodness she hasn't peed on the furniture yet.

Anyway, because of the tumor in her bladder, and the fact that she's a little old lady and doesn't clean herself as well as she should, she is more prone to urinary tract infections. The vet I went to in Illinois gave me a supply of antibiotics before we left. Since she is still peeing everywhere after using those antibiotics, and seeing that she seems a little less active and a little less "spunky", I decided to call a Tucson vet that makes house calls. I didn't want to put her through the stress of an office call, so I'm so grateful to have access to this mobile vet.

He came out yesterday. We decided to do a culture of her urine to find out just what type of bacteria is in there - and then we can make sure she's getting the right antibiotics - but he also noticed that she was quite dehydrated. Between the dyhdration and some other symptoms I mentioned, he seemed to think maybe her kidney function is decreasing more than it was before, which would also contribute to the UTI's and her malaise. He also said it's possible the cancer has spread from her bladder to her kidneys.

What we decided to do was start her on a different antibiotic in the event it is a stubborn bacteria that may have become immune to the Baytril she was taking. We're also starting her on sub-q fluids - 100...whatevers...every other day for now. She was NOT thrilled with the sub-q fluids! She seems a little perkier today, but not dramatically so, and she didn't beg for milk when Terry was having breakfast which is HIGHLY unusual.

I'm hoping the antibiotics do their thing.....and I really hope that is the problem and it's not that the cancer is spreading. In a little over two weeks we're headed out to the desert where the nearest real town is 30 miles away and has all of 13,000 people in it - which is another reason I wanted her checked out before we go. I don't know what I'm going to do if she takes a turn for the worst out there, because there is NO way this mobile vet will make a house call out there.

So, once again I'd like to ask for prayers for my little old lady. They've dones such wonders for her in the past.

I fear "her time" is coming closer and closer, and neither Terry nor I want to think of what that really means.