Tuesdays With Toby: My 'Little Sunshine' Is Under the Weather

Do you ever notice that sometimes your dog just isn’t right? Maybe he has to go outside more often or maybe he’s whining and whimpering when nothing appears to be wrong?

It’s hard to know sometimes because,

Last week Toby started whimpering a lot. Monday night I was out at a Hyattsville City Council meeting and then went to College Park to get some work done. When I came home, Toby was crying to go outside. Three more times that night I took him outside.

And the same thing on Tuesday and Wednesday.

He just wasn’t happy. and he was eating and drinking—drinking more than usual—and he had no problem running around and playing fetch with me.

Still, something was way off and I knew it.

On Thursday morning we went to Lynn Animal Hospital and saw Dr. Mason Freed. I brought along a dog urine sample (it wasn’t that hard to collect. It’s probably easier with male dogs. But the vet clinic advised me to make sure I’m using a clean container to catch it) and Toby got the once-over.

As usual, he fell in love with Dr. Freed. Toby is the one dog I know who actually enjoys going to the vet. He laid down his big body on the cool floor and let Dr. Freed check him for any abnormal swelling near his bladder.

A-OK there!

Dr. Freed mentioned the possibility of diabetes or Crohn’s Disease. Toby’s mom is a diabetic so that’s something I’ve been keeping an eye on since he was a puppy. The excessive drinking and urination issues could indicate a pancreatic problem.

We went home with some pain pills and an antibiotic. The urinalysis came back showing that Toby had a bit of bacteria in his bladder so we’ve been treating that with the pills.

So far, we’re down to one late-night courtyard run, and he doesn’t seem to be in any pain. But I’m going to call Dr. Freed tomorrow to check in and see if there’s something else I should do.

Did you know that sometimes you have to try several different antibiotics when your dog has a urinary tract infection? Yep.

The truth is, I’m not sure how people like Dr. Freed know what to do when a dog like Toby is sick. Thankfully, dog owners can look for certain signs that their canine is ill:

• Is he drinking a lot more or less?

• Have his eating habits changed?

• Does he have to go outside more often?

• Is he whining?

• Is his tail wagging like normal?

Keep an eye out for any of these signs. Your dog might need to stop in and see Dr. Freed for a pat down and a few treats.