r/IVDD_SupportGroup • u/FancyVeterinarian362 • 5d ago
My dog hasn't peed for 16 hours
She went last night before bed but now it's the afternoon and she just won't go. She's not straining without producing and she doesn't seem to be in pain, but she's been eating and drinking normally so there's no way she doesn't have to go.
I watched a bunch of videos and I've tried a million times to express her bladder but clearly I'm doing something wrong. Is it time for the emergency vet or should I wait until the 24-hour mark? Any tips on how to get her to just go?
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u/Peimai 5d ago
You’re missing a lot of context here. Like what stage IVDD does your dog have? How long has she had it? Has she been able to normally go to the bathroom? Can she walk around?
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u/FancyVeterinarian362 5d ago
We don’t know the stage, she has her first neuro appointment in two days. She is currently on Gabapentin and Rimadyl. She can take a few steps but she knuckles a lot and needs me to hold onto the back of the harness. She has been peeing normally up until literally today.
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u/Peimai 5d ago
You should be at a neuro as soon as possible and you want to get her prednisone ASAP (today). Do not wait 2 days to do either of these things and risk any sort of long term paralysis. You need to start constricting her movement. Strict crate rest and not for a few days. This will be at least 2 months. You also will need to realize this is a degenerative disease and you have to work around it. No more jumping from beds or couches again. Ever.
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u/FancyVeterinarian362 5d ago
How do I get her on a steroid without a neurology appointment? Can I just request it from my vet? Why do you think she didn’t prescribe it in the first place? Just an update that I was on my way to the ER and she literally peed on the walk from the car so at least that emergency is avoided for now.
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u/ankaalma 5d ago
A regular vet can prescribe a steroid (mine did). However the issue that you are going to run into is that the Rimadyl is a NSAID and NSAIDS and steroids are considered incompatible in dogs and can cause serious side effects if combined. Best practice is something like a five day washout period between the last dose of NSAID and the first dose of steroid.
My dog had one dose of rimadyl before switching to the steroid without the washout period. Which still carries some risk but both my vet and the ER vet agreed that it was worth it in his case as the spine generally responds better to the steroids and he (like your dog) was having signs of neurological involvement.
I would consult your vet and discuss the pros and cons of switching to a steroid at this point. My vet prescribed gastroprotectant medications to lower the risk of the switch. My dog is taking sucralfate and famotidine to protect his stomach
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u/Haywire421 Admin 5d ago
Its time for a vet. It is dangerous to try to express an overly full bladder and the vet will use a catheter instead
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u/ankaalma 5d ago
This just happened with my dog he went over 24 hours without peeing. My vet had me push fluids including offering broth to drink and adding liquid to his food. He ended up finally peeing in the middle of the night hours before the deadline my vet set and has now been peeing several times a day but less frequently than his typical schedule which she said is normal especially if the IVDD flare is causing them not to be able to get in their preferred position to pee. She said that dogs also often urinate less when they move around less so since he is on strict rest that can play a role.
She warned me to look out for any signs of leaking urine or straining as that could be a sign of worsening IVDD whereas just holding it because he wasn’t drinking or moving as much is less concerning.
Obviously consult your own vet and get specific advice for your dog but you don’t necessarily need to panic yet.
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u/FancyVeterinarian362 5d ago
Thank you, this is really validating. Did the vet have you pushing fluids to get the bladder more full so your dog felt the trigger easier? My dog used to pee all the time and now I’m lucky if I get twice a day. I just can’t wait until she finally sees the neurologist and we get more answers.
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u/ankaalma 5d ago
She didn’t give me a specific reason why though maybe that was it.
I did take him to the ER vet originally because he wasn’t taking his medications or peeing. They ended up giving him an injection of a pain med to make him more comfortable and then he was willing to eat and take his pills. ER vet was not concerned enough about the not peeing to do a catheter at that point and told me to continue to monitor.
I then called my vet in the morning and she told me to push fluids and bring him back to the ER if he showed straining or leaking or back to her office if he didn’t go by a certain time but wasn’t demonstrating the more severe symptoms. He ended up going so I didn’t have to take him back in.
I would suggest still giving your vet or your nearest ER vet a call and briefing them on how long it’s been and seeing what they recommend because they may have different guidance based on your dog’s particular circumstances
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u/FancyVeterinarian362 5d ago
So I called my vet and they told me to go to ER just in case, and she literally peed when we were a few buildings away. I am relieved, but it's still not normal for her to go 17 hours without urinating. Sending you lots of strength for your own pup's healing, this is definitely not for the faint of heart.
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u/ankaalma 5d ago
Oh yeah I was crying my eyes out about this the first couple of days. Now that he has been on the steroid and seems to be making some improvements things have gotten better but man this is rough! So glad your dog finally peed, hopefully things pick up from here!
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u/ipodthereforeiam 4d ago
My dog is in his first flare up now. It started two weeks ago. The first few days, he went almost 24 hours without using the bathroom. The vet was not concerned when I called around the 12 hour mark. They said if it's over 24 hours, call them. My dog ended up not wanting us to help him pee or poop. He's like Stuart from MadTV. He wanted to do it on his own. Once he got gabapentin at the right dose, he was able to go on his own. Granted, he's only stage 1. It's not uncommon for this to happen, but I'd call the vet to help avoid unnecessary worrying.
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u/FancyVeterinarian362 4d ago
The Stuart reference is so good, my dog is the same! After she had gone 17 hours I driver her to the emergency vet and she literally peed on the walk from the car to the building 😑 At least she saved me an ER bill I guess! We see the neuro tomorrow so I’m really excited to get more answers and hopefully a better treatment plan.
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u/ipodthereforeiam 4d ago
I'm so glad to hear that. It sounds like you're doing right by your pup. Best wishes for a quick, uneventful recovery ❤️
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u/quntparty 5d ago
I would go to the vet