Recessed Vulvas - A Must Read!!! - Page 3 - Labrador Retriever Dogs Chat Forum Board - Dogs, Puppies, Photos, Training, Pictures, Rescue Forums

Patty/Breeder · 11-11-2009, 10:13 AM

While some breeders don't know what a RV is and would not spot its to bad your vet didn't know and tell you prior to spay. While some vets have never seen one, your vet informing you after spay makes me wonder.......... I hope your vet is not now telling you to do a vulvoplasty.

It would be a good idea to notify the breeder and send them to my blog so they can see pics etc. in the hopes they will spot this in the future and know what to do and inform the buyer on what to do. I have a clause in my contract that RV pups will not be spayed till after first heat and I send a letter to buyers vet informing them of this.

Is she having UTI issues? If so follow my method with crancaps etc. and see how she does.

As for allergies, that can be hereditary but not proven.

*Brooke · 11-12-2009, 03:54 PM

Yes, the vet is recomending we do the vulvaplasty. Not sure about UTD. I just don't want her to suffer at all. Breeder say she has not had allergies.

Patty/Breeder · 11-12-2009, 04:02 PM

UTI is urinary tract infection. Classic signs are excessive urination, squatting often without expelling urine or very little urine, leaking urine, accidents in the house.

If this were my dog I would use my method to prevent infections - even if you have to give crancaps for life and test PH before I would put the dog thru the surgery.

If you can't control infections with anything other than antibiotics (which is not good to do for life) than the surgery would be best. This decision would not be made if the dog was only having a few infections.

you can also wipe her vulva each time she urinates to keep urine from pooling in the valley of her vulvs, which causes the infections.

Is this the same vet that spayed her? If so did you ask why they did not diagnose the RV prior to spay? If he sees the RV now he should have seen it prior.

Also if she has not had any UTIs than there is no reason for the vet to recommend the surgery. Dollar signs come to mind.

I would consider a new vet if that is the case.

*Brooke · 11-12-2009, 07:37 PM

It was not our regular vet that did the spay. But when she came out of surgery that was that vet suggestion. She has puppy vaginits twice. She does not have accidents in the house. She does ask to go outside alot but lots of time just to sniff around. I have notices lately that when she is peeing she will start walking away but stll be peeing. But I thought it was because she is to busy to get to the next thing. She does not do any extra licking of her vulva. Thank you so much for all our help.

GracieH · 11-13-2009, 06:34 AM

I was disappointed that our breeder did not mention the RV to us. Especially since this problem can be expensive in more ways than one. The allergies are a hard thing to pinpoint. My vet said allergies test for puppies are not very accurate. Gracie is itchy -- mostly feet but she itches all the time -- drives me nuts. My last lab had allergies when we lived in Ohio then we moved to Texas and her allergies were gone! How old is your puppy?

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Brooke

Read all the posts. Our vet did not tell us until after Brooke was spayed. The breeder said she had never heard of it. Our little girl also has a number of allergies. I think the breeder new of all these things in her dogs. Now what?????

*Brooke · 11-13-2009, 08:25 AM

Brooke is a year old this month. We have been able to get the allergies under with change in her diet. We are going to start her on crancaplets. She is such a great girl. I feel so bad for her because as a puppy she always had puppy vagintis and then these wrinkle moles on the outside and inside of her mouth that come and go. The vet says it is because her immune system is not up to par. She is such a happy go lucky puppy.

Patty/Breeder · 11-13-2009, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Brooke

It was not our regular vet that did the spay. But when she came out of surgery that was that vet suggestion. She has puppy vaginits twice. She does not have accidents in the house. She does ask to go outside alot but lots of time just to sniff around. I have notices lately that when she is peeing she will start walking away but stll be peeing. But I thought it was because she is to busy to get to the next thing. She does not do any extra licking of her vulva. Thank you so much for all our help.

Puppy vaginitis is not a bacteria therefore a vulvoplasty will not help that. The surgery is only a last resort (IMO) for a dog with chronic UTIs that you can not get under control.

The vet doing the spay should have noticed the vulva and IMO asked you to consider delaying spay till after first heat. They may have no idea that first heat can correct a RV. I would inform the vet of that. And don't let them tell you it most likely won't correct because in most cases it does.

Puppy vaginitis usually clears up after a dog goes thru heat/puberty. In your case (already spayed) you should follow the info in link below on a regular basis.

Dr. Huchison - repro vet on how he treats vaginitis. No meds.

http://www.greatdanelady.com/article...ctic_mange.htm

If you are unsure of a UTI (her walking while peeing - most likely not a sign but could be) I would have a urine sample tested as I mention in my blog. And due to her RV I would be sure and order the PH strips and test her urine weekly to start. If she is staying in normal range (5.5-7) you can go to bi-weekly and hopefully eventually monthly. At that point keep an eye out for signs of UTI and test when you suspect an infection or the beginning of one.

Patty/Breeder · 11-13-2009, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Brooke

Brooke is a year old this month. We have been able to get the allergies under with change in her diet. We are going to start her on crancaplets. She is such a great girl. I feel so bad for her because as a puppy she always had puppy vagintis and then these wrinkle moles on the outside and inside of her mouth that come and go. The vet says it is because her immune system is not up to par. She is such a happy go lucky puppy.

Did the vet suggest anything to boost immunity? A few things to look into and discuss with your vet.

Are you giving vitamin C? It can help with immune system. One of the reasons I start pups on it at 8 weeks. I give 125 mg./25 lbs of weight (C with bioflavanoids for better uptake) (not Ester C that is calcium and no good for a growing Lab pup). By one year of age I give 1000mg daily.

Do you give fish oil? Be sure and buy a product of fish "body" oil (not liver oil) that contains vit. E. If it doesn't you need to also supplement with E to prevent defficiency.

Taken from: (while this is a newsletter on cancer it talks about immune boosting)

http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter...immune-system/

"Omega 3 Fatty Acids

These essential fatty acids are thought to help fight inflammation, help support the immune system, help coat and skin integrity"

Turmeric is listed there to and I have read that it too can help with immunity.

The E will also help with immunity: 200iu daily with the fish oil would be fine. If you choose a fish oil with only about 25iu of E already in it I would consider giving additional E to further help the immune system.

http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:...&ct=clnk&gl=us

*Brooke · 11-13-2009, 04:23 PM

Thank you very much for all your help. Once I get over this nasty cold I will be going to get her all these things.

Thanks again.

GracieH · 12-06-2009, 02:18 PM

Gracie turned 1 year old yesterday and started her cycle! Yay, I think. The vulva is swollen (looks like "a flower" as another described it). And there is some spotting so far. She has thrown up the last 3 days about the same time in the afternoon. I am not sure if that has anything to do with her cycle. Wish me kindness and patience!

Patty/Breeder · 12-06-2009, 02:25 PM

Wishing you all the best. She (and you)will do fine. :-) Just remember to keep her on a leash and not let her out of your site the whole cycle.

Vomitting is not associated with a heat cycle so do keep an eye on her.

duchess · 12-08-2009, 06:26 AM

We recently moved and are now in a temporary apt. The area where I have to take her to use the bathroom has long grass and she ended up with a UTI right after we moved here. She recently completed a roundof antibiotics and it seems to be cleared up, though she still seems to want to go out a lot more often in the eves than she did before we moved. Between the bad weather and the small apartment we are now in, I think she is just bored. I have been thinking about starting her on some type of cranberry supplement to help ward off any future UTIs, should I just pick up regular cranberry tablets at our pharmecy or is there something out there for dogs? And how much do I give her? Duchess is a year old and weighs about 70 lbs.

Patty/Breeder · 12-08-2009, 01:43 PM

Be sure and get a product with no sugar added. Human crancaps are fine. You can give her 1 capsule daily (most are 400 - 800 mg ea) to ward off UTIs.

If she continues getting infections I would suggest you test urine PH at home too to catch a UTI in very early stages. See the first post in this thread for the link to my blog where you can see where to order PH strips and what to do if PH is elevated.

myjosey · 12-08-2009, 05:43 PM

GracieH--Yeah, finally!! Best of luck, hoping it will cure your girlie's problem!!

parasky · 12-09-2009, 01:18 AM

Hi, I'm so glad I found this board and topic. To make a long story short, at about 7 months old my lab was diagnosed with an ectopic ureter. Surgery was performed and she was spayed at the same time. The surgery seemed to work and her incontinence was helped, although she is still on meds. She just turned 3 years old and has had numerous UTIs over the last year. The same vet who did the original surgery now says that she has some irregularities with her vulva(I haven't been able to speak at length with him yet so I don't know if it's RV or not) after a $1,600 procedure. Now he wants to do a vulvplasty on her. I'm all for it if it will stop the UTIs, but I'm wondering if he should have caught this during the original surgery?

Thanks

11-11-2009, 10:13 AM	#31
Patty/Breeder Senior Dog Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Franklin Lakes, NJ Posts: 14,451	While some breeders don't know what a RV is and would not spot its to bad your vet didn't know and tell you prior to spay. While some vets have never seen one, your vet informing you after spay makes me wonder.......... I hope your vet is not now telling you to do a vulvoplasty. It would be a good idea to notify the breeder and send them to my blog so they can see pics etc. in the hopes they will spot this in the future and know what to do and inform the buyer on what to do. I have a clause in my contract that RV pups will not be spayed till after first heat and I send a letter to buyers vet informing them of this. Is she having UTI issues? If so follow my method with crancaps etc. and see how she does. As for allergies, that can be hereditary but not proven. __________________ Patty www.snowcolabradors.com Last edited by Patty/Breeder; 11-11-2009 at 10:15 AM.

11-12-2009, 03:54 PM	#32
*Brooke House Broken Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Edmonton Posts: 115	Yes, the vet is recomending we do the vulvaplasty. Not sure about UTD. I just don't want her to suffer at all. Breeder say she has not had allergies. __________________ Brooke

11-12-2009, 04:02 PM	#33
Patty/Breeder Senior Dog Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Franklin Lakes, NJ Posts: 14,451	UTI is urinary tract infection. Classic signs are excessive urination, squatting often without expelling urine or very little urine, leaking urine, accidents in the house. If this were my dog I would use my method to prevent infections - even if you have to give crancaps for life and test PH before I would put the dog thru the surgery. If you can't control infections with anything other than antibiotics (which is not good to do for life) than the surgery would be best. This decision would not be made if the dog was only having a few infections. you can also wipe her vulva each time she urinates to keep urine from pooling in the valley of her vulvs, which causes the infections. Is this the same vet that spayed her? If so did you ask why they did not diagnose the RV prior to spay? If he sees the RV now he should have seen it prior. Also if she has not had any UTIs than there is no reason for the vet to recommend the surgery. Dollar signs come to mind. I would consider a new vet if that is the case. Last edited by Patty/Breeder; 11-12-2009 at 04:04 PM.

12-06-2009, 02:18 PM	#40
GracieH House Broken Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: West Chester, PA Posts: 55	Gracie turned 1 year old yesterday and started her cycle! Yay, I think. The vulva is swollen (looks like "a flower" as another described it). And there is some spotting so far. She has thrown up the last 3 days about the same time in the afternoon. I am not sure if that has anything to do with her cycle. Wish me kindness and patience! __________________ Gracie-Born 12/5/08

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11-12-2009, 07:37 PM	#34
*Brooke House Broken Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Edmonton Posts: 115	It was not our regular vet that did the spay. But when she came out of surgery that was that vet suggestion. She has puppy vaginits twice. She does not have accidents in the house. She does ask to go outside alot but lots of time just to sniff around. I have notices lately that when she is peeing she will start walking away but stll be peeing. But I thought it was because she is to busy to get to the next thing. She does not do any extra licking of her vulva. Thank you so much for all our help.

11-13-2009, 08:25 AM	#36
*Brooke House Broken Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Edmonton Posts: 115	Brooke is a year old this month. We have been able to get the allergies under with change in her diet. We are going to start her on crancaplets. She is such a great girl. I feel so bad for her because as a puppy she always had puppy vagintis and then these wrinkle moles on the outside and inside of her mouth that come and go. The vet says it is because her immune system is not up to par. She is such a happy go lucky puppy.

11-13-2009, 04:23 PM	#39
*Brooke House Broken Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Edmonton Posts: 115	Thank you very much for all your help. Once I get over this nasty cold I will be going to get her all these things. Thanks again.

12-06-2009, 02:25 PM	#41
Patty/Breeder Senior Dog Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Franklin Lakes, NJ Posts: 14,451	Wishing you all the best. She (and you)will do fine. :-) Just remember to keep her on a leash and not let her out of your site the whole cycle. Vomitting is not associated with a heat cycle so do keep an eye on her.

12-08-2009, 06:26 AM	#42
duchess House Broken Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: MS Posts: 36	We recently moved and are now in a temporary apt. The area where I have to take her to use the bathroom has long grass and she ended up with a UTI right after we moved here. She recently completed a roundof antibiotics and it seems to be cleared up, though she still seems to want to go out a lot more often in the eves than she did before we moved. Between the bad weather and the small apartment we are now in, I think she is just bored. I have been thinking about starting her on some type of cranberry supplement to help ward off any future UTIs, should I just pick up regular cranberry tablets at our pharmecy or is there something out there for dogs? And how much do I give her? Duchess is a year old and weighs about 70 lbs.

12-08-2009, 01:43 PM	#43
Patty/Breeder Senior Dog Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Franklin Lakes, NJ Posts: 14,451	Be sure and get a product with no sugar added. Human crancaps are fine. You can give her 1 capsule daily (most are 400 - 800 mg ea) to ward off UTIs. If she continues getting infections I would suggest you test urine PH at home too to catch a UTI in very early stages. See the first post in this thread for the link to my blog where you can see where to order PH strips and what to do if PH is elevated.

12-08-2009, 05:43 PM	#44
myjosey House Broken Join Date: May 2009 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 151 My Mood:	GracieH--Yeah, finally!! Best of luck, hoping it will cure your girlie's problem!!

12-09-2009, 01:18 AM	#45
parasky House Broken Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: san diego Posts: 20	Hi, I'm so glad I found this board and topic. To make a long story short, at about 7 months old my lab was diagnosed with an ectopic ureter. Surgery was performed and she was spayed at the same time. The surgery seemed to work and her incontinence was helped, although she is still on meds. She just turned 3 years old and has had numerous UTIs over the last year. The same vet who did the original surgery now says that she has some irregularities with her vulva(I haven't been able to speak at length with him yet so I don't know if it's RV or not) after a $1,600 procedure. Now he wants to do a vulvplasty on her. I'm all for it if it will stop the UTIs, but I'm wondering if he should have caught this during the original surgery? Thanks