# possibly babecia?! urinating blood?! HELP



## JessnAaron (Apr 16, 2012)

I have no idea where to start, this is my first post on here... i wish i would've found this site sooner u guys seem very helpful... anyway... i have a 2.5 year old pitbull, he was a rescue that was starved and found in another room with 3 other pups 2 were dead and he was the only one that pulled through... i am his 3rd and final owner... he is the best dog i have ever had in my life... so sweet, well behaved... fun energetic... until about 6 months ago... i noticed one day while walking him we was peeing red, it took my by surprise so i rushed him to the vet... the vet did not seem too concerned, said it was a uti, gave me a script of antibiotics, sent us on our way... i gave him the meds.. and he seemed to respond to them after about 10 days... well after he was off of them for a week it started again, i called the vet they advised a stronger antibitioc "batryil" for another 14 days... it didnt work whatsoever. fed up with the vets advice and lack of advice i called another vet and brought him there, where they did xrays.. did not find any evidence of stones or anything... they did a urnialysis, didnt find anything abnormal besides it being bloody, she said it was a hormonal problem affecting his prostate... so she perscribed him nonstop antibiotics and advised that i get him neutered when the blood cleared from his uirne... my poor dog was on antibitics for 3 months and it still did not show any signs of clearing... they refused to neuter him due to the blood... one day i came home from work to my dog that is nromally pretty excited to see me, laying there shaking with pale gums... a 400$ er visit for him, they did blood work told me he was slightly anemic due to him losing blood so they FINALLY neutered him 2 days after and told me they were 99.9% positive it was going to clear.... well 3.5 weeks since his neuter... i saw signs of improvement the first week, his pee came clear a few times which brought so much hope to us during this nightmare... well the other day i took him for a short walk around our property, and he peed the darkest blood i have ever seen... i called a vet in the pittsburgh area, and they got him in yesterday... we could not get a urinalysis cuz he was being stubborn and would NOT pee for them... they didnt want to do blood work b.c he just recieved some 3 weeks ago, but she gave me alot of info on babecia, which she thinks he may have, in order to be sure she wants him to go for testing in a few weeks, but she wanted to start him on doxycyline to see if that would help, incase it COULD somehow be a lingering infection, or something of that nature... we started him on the medicine yesterday... hes been acting a little sick... sleeping alot... not alot of energy... been checking his gums regularly and laying with him all night to make sure hes not shaking or anything out of the ordinary... ive been feeding him very good food and she perscribed me vet brand dog food, cuz he also has digestive issues.. he is starting to loose patches of hair... he had a perfect coat before... im at my witts end... my entire saving account is drained... my bills are piling up, and i have no idea what im going to do. to afford all of these tests... i just moved and have no been able to find employment with a college degree, this all is resting on my fiance's shoulders.. i know i have to get him better im doing everything i can... i cry all day b.c i just want a thread of hope to cling to... its just not happening... this dog is like a child to me.. i could never imagine loosing him... please someone anyone with any sort of advice i need all i can get right now...


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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

yikes! that sounds horrible.
my pup just had a UTI but i only had to deal with a little spotting. the baytril cleared him up in about a week. obviously you have a serious infection going on. and i know those meds are really expensive.
antibiotics will sap the energy out of your dog. those kind of meds will take a toll and make him seem depressed.
i've been reading alot about cranberry and blueberry supplements as preventatives. (no those wouldn't cure the infection)... but maybe you can try a ALL OUT approach.
a really strong antibiotic combined with dietary strategy like cranberries and lemon juice in his waterbowl.
my roommate from med school is a urologist but he hasn't returned my calls. (his wife hates me lol). but i wanted to ask him if there was a catheter treatment to help disinfect the lining of the bladder. not sure if that's even possible but maybe you can ask your vet???
i know i'm not being very helpful but if i come across any information for you i will let you know. think positive and be positive because your pup will pick up on your vibes.


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## JessnAaron (Apr 16, 2012)

i have been putting a few honey in his water, its sweet and he seems to drink alot more when its in there,he kind of avoided drinking for about a week i would have to force him to... the honey is helping slightly, even though it doesnt have any healing properties for his urine, anything to get him to drink more is a godsend to me. as for the suppliments the vet doesnt want him to be on ANYTHING else except this food and the antibiotic, he takes fortiflora for his digestive issues and im not even allowed to give him that.. i even suugestied something for his slight anemia.. and she doesnt want anything in him at all.. its kind of frustrating cuz i know he NEEDS certain suppliments.. but i guess i will leave it up to her since she seems to know her shit... i cant even give him treats b.c she wants to rule out the possibility of it being crystals in his urine, which we were trying to test for this time, but like i said in m post he would NOT go to the bathroom for her... when i got him neutered they flushed out his bladder, and the surgeon actually called me directly after the procedure and told me that he didnt think the neutering was going to fix it... after all of them telling me they were 100% positive this was going to work it, to hear that news was extremely frustrating... i really appreciate all of ur advice and thank u for taking the time to get back to me, any words of of encouragement help me extremely... i def want to get him on the suppliments though... i was thinking of feeding his fresh cranberries (even though he is extremely picky and prob wont eat them) but i guess i have to wait until the vet orders me to introduce other things into his diet...


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## JessnAaron (Apr 16, 2012)

ive been looking online for information on babecia, however i have not found too much on it except in humans, the vet gave me a very vague print out, and i still have to get the right testing for it... but i have no idea what kind of meds they are going to perscribe him.. i understand why she gave me the antibiotics... but im so sick of sleeping on this... i just want to get this testing done with so i am able to figure out my next step in treating him and getting him back to normal...a big hurdle i am faced with is how the hell am i going to afford all of this... like i said in my first post ive spent pretty much all of my savings.. and i know i have only seen the tip of this expensive iceburg... im willing to pull whatever together to get him well.. but my resources are running short. ive been looking into dog insurance... but i dont really know how it works, it says they will reimburse u up to 80% does that mean i have to pay out of pocket for his visits initially? and i have no idea if they will give it to a sick dog... i guess i could always give them a call... but im trying to do as much research as i can before i jump the gun and waste my money on something that isnt really what it seems to be... if any of u have info on this stuff id appreciate it, every little bit helps.


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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

i don't want to bash your vet. but removing reproductive organs would only serve to prevent reoccurring UTIs of the everyday sort. the surgeon knew this too. at this point you know it's more than your everyday UTI or bladder infection. if it's a kidney infection, the antibiotics will work, but they need time. and it will be a long uphill battle. but it's a battle that can be won.
babesia is a form of chronic lyme disease. not alot of literature on that topic. like all autoimmune diseases, the exact cause is complicates and you can narrow it down but never get the exact origin. in humans, patients are under constant medication. and they still experience flare ups. it's something they must live with. if this is what your pup has, i'm sure it will require continuous treatment. and insurance won't cover expenses for pre-existing conditions. human health care has jerked ppl around the same way.
whatever your vet says, i would start researching lifestyle changes, diet strategies, supplements, etc. because sooner or later it will come to that.


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## JoKealoha (Mar 22, 2011)

Nizmo put up this sticky (yet another one i overlooked)
http://www.gopitbull.com/health-nutrition/18627-babesia-infection.html#post206277


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## Kingsgurl (Dec 16, 2011)

Babesia wouldn't be my first thought, but it can be tested for. Has he had an ultra-sound done of his bladder/kidneys? My vet charges next to nothing for this and re-curring UTI/urinary bleeding is often linked to stones which are easliy visible.
The neutering won't hurt, it does eliminate the prostate from the equation. I wish you the best of luck and hope you get to the bottom of this soon.


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## PerfectPit (Aug 2, 2010)

Unfortunately pet insurance will not help you on this one. It will be considered a pre-existing condition which will void out any treatment. It can help with future issues but not this one. If you google. financial assistance for animals in need of care, financial assistance for dogs medical bills. I found several (about 8) organizations that were willing to assist when my dog was in need of surgery. You have to go through hoops to get assistance and your vet needs to request the assistance for you, cost, outcome etc. Most are only able to offer up to $500 but if you can get a couple to offer assistance it will help. I hope he is doing better and I hope this info will help you get the funds to assist in his care until you can get it resolved. I was blessed because my vet was willing to give me a time payment option. He asked how much I could afford monthly and I pre wrote checks to him until the bill was paid off. I am not sure if you have that type of relationship with your vet or not but it is worth a try, all they can say is no. Good luck!


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## ames (Jun 6, 2010)

Wow I hope your boy gets better soon for his and your wallets sake. I am sorry, I don't have any suggestions just good thoughts going your way it works out for you quickly and welcome.


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