# Experiences with Proin?



## Luvawolf (Nov 12, 2008)

Just wondering what experiences people have had with Proin. I have had Teddi on it for over a month now. She did well on it at first, but with reduced dosing, goes right back to losing urine. Currently I am on every other day, which seems to keep her dry but I am seeing other problems that worry me. I am not sure if I am seeing side effects of the Proin, or if the end is insight for us. She is fifteen, and has had multiple surgeries to remove tumors. I decided the last surgery would be her last, because each time, the vet has had to cut deeper than the time before, and recovery is harder. The tumors always come back. Any way, at this point I am hesitating to take her to the vet, which I will soon, but I just don't want to be faced with another hard decision. I just euthanized Wiley in November, and I am not prepared for another loss so soon. 

I am seeing loss of appetite, weight loss and lethargy. The only time I can get her up is to go outside to the bathroom. I took her off the Proin for about a week, and put her in diapers. I did not see much improvement in symptoms, but did notice that she seemed restless, and wandered from room to room aimlessly night and day. I have yet to find a diaper, doggie or baby, that doesn't leak so I put her back on the Proin. What confuses me is that her appetite returned after I put her back on it, at least for awhile. Now we are back to not eating again. I am going to stop the Proin again to see if she starts eating but would be interested to hear what experiences others have had with it.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

My old collie Misty was on the proin for a few years. It does have side effects that you have to weigh with quality of life. When the highest dose of proin no longer was effective I put her in diapers. She would still ask to go out she just leaked. She was in diapers for a year. Here is a link with information on proin
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&C=31&A=614&S=0
Here is another med that does the same thing but is a time released one. 
http://www.discountpetdrugs.com/cystolamine.html
If you have any other question please feel free to pm me. I will try to help you anyway I can.


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## Luvawolf (Nov 12, 2008)

Thanks for the links, agility collie mom. I can't allow her to not eat. That's my biggest concern right now. I am going to see if she will eat some hamburger with eggs I cooked for her. 

I would keep her in diapers too, but the sizing just isn't right or something. They always end up leaking around the tail, or falling off. Oh well, I need a new carpet anyway.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

Funny I felt the same way about my old carpet then. I invested in a steam cleaner and cleaned wherever she would have a leak through (diaper) every day. She never had a sore or "diaper rash" when she was in her diapers. I put one of the diaper covers over her diaper to help it stay in place. 
http://www.glamourdog.com/dedapa.html
Misty's were denim and pretty plain. I still have it, she's been gone for 4 years now.


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## Luvawolf (Nov 12, 2008)

Darn dog. She ate the hamburger and eggs. She's never been the finicky type, so whenever she refuses to eat, I take it seriously but maybe in her old age she thinks she can get away with it. Obviously she can, since she has me cooking hamburger for her! Anyway, I'm relieved. If I have to cook for her, then that's what I'll do. I don't even like to cook for myself! 

Yeah, I have several of the diaper covers too. The first time I put them on her she thought she couldn't walk and looked so pathetic I took them off. She's getting used to them now though I think. She does get irritated around her vulva, and licks herself a lot when she's not in a diager. Vet told me to put a little antibiotic ointment on it. And we have had a few bladder infections lately also and she's currently on Amoxicillian for it.

Oh wow, those pants are so cute! And a lot cheaper than the ones I've been buying at Petsmart which are $20! And why are doggie diapers so outrageous? I paid twenty dollars for 12 until I got smart and bought people diapers and just cut a hole for the tail. Thanks for the link. I'll probably buy her a few more of those to keep from washing so often.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

So glad to hear that she ate! I'm sure part of her eating the hamburger over kibble is that the hamburger smells and tastes a lot better!!! I use to use Gold Bond powder to keep Misty dry and fight any bacterial growth (plus she was shaved and we cleaned her everyday.) She was a rough collie, keeping her clean and dry was a lot of work but it was well worth it. What kind of dog is your girl and what is her name?


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## Luvawolf (Nov 12, 2008)

Teddi is a Schnauzer mix, and I was crushed when I saw the sizing on those cute doggie pants because she's about 50 lbs, and their large is 37 lbs. _Sigh_ I use the Gold Bond medicated powder. She doesn't have a lot of hair back there. She's been shaved for surgery so many times in that area, it never really grew back much. The tumors keep showing up around her tail area, and there's another one coming back already. Her last surgery was at the end of October, and the Vet and I both agreed not to do another. But then I said that the time before...no, I have to mean it this time. She recovers well, but I can tell how much roughter it was on her last October, and the time in between surgeries keeps getting shorter. 

My new concern today is that she's had no BMs for a few days, which could be the reason why she doesn't want to eat. I would have thought the grease in the hamburger would have encouraged a movement. Any suggestions for that? Something gentle that won't send us running for the door? I guess we should just go see the doc. Since putting my Wiley to sleep, going there reduces me to tears. Silly.


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## agility collie mom (Jan 26, 2008)

It's not silly that you cry when you go to the vet. It takes time for the pain of losing a loving pet to pass. It is possible that she may not have a BM for a day because her body digests and absorbs most the protein from the hamburger and eggs. Call your vet and explain your concerns. He/she should be able to help you decide whether or not Teddi needs to be seen. 
Here's a link with some cute diaper cover in Teddi's size;
http://stores.ebay.com/Castle-Paws-...W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ10700085QQftidZ2QQtZkm


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## Luvawolf (Nov 12, 2008)

Thanks again for the links. They have some cute ones too. Gosh, I'd hate to think I had to buy those for a really big dog, like my lab mix Boomer. I might have to learn to sew!

I tried her on some pumpkin puree. Hope it works. She definitely loved the taste!


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## melody (Feb 2, 2009)

I give my dogs frozen green beans, this helps with the poop, if you give too much the poop will be watery. Also know that if you give too greasy foods it can cause pancretitice(sp? ). This happened to my dog when I treid to get her to eat when she was on Proin. I think after reading others suggestions on this site, that I will not put my dog on Proin again. I will let her wet and I will just clean it up. It has not been that bad yet, but she cost me over $5000.00 last year when one medication-Proin or Amoxicellin ( no vet knows for sure which) caused her to get IMHD. So research, and good luck. 



Luvawolf said:


> Teddi is a Schnauzer mix, and I was crushed when I saw the sizing on those cute doggie pants because she's about 50 lbs, and their large is 37 lbs. _Sigh_ I use the Gold Bond medicated powder. She doesn't have a lot of hair back there. She's been shaved for surgery so many times in that area, it never really grew back much. The tumors keep showing up around her tail area, and there's another one coming back already. Her last surgery was at the end of October, and the Vet and I both agreed not to do another. But then I said that the time before...no, I have to mean it this time. She recovers well, but I can tell how much roughter it was on her last October, and the time in between surgeries keeps getting shorter.
> 
> My new concern today is that she's had no BMs for a few days, which could be the reason why she doesn't want to eat. I would have thought the grease in the hamburger would have encouraged a movement. Any suggestions for that? Something gentle that won't send us running for the door? I guess we should just go see the doc. Since putting my Wiley to sleep, going there reduces me to tears. Silly.


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## Luvawolf (Nov 12, 2008)

Thank you for the tip, Melody. I had about decided the same thing about Proin, but when her appetite didn't return after being off it for a few days, I took her to the vet. She has tumors on her liver and spleen. So at this point, I'm happy to get her to eat anything. Today she had me running back and forth between the kitchen and her bed with various offerings, all the while she sat watching me with ears perked, waiting for me to bring just the right thing.


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## melody (Feb 2, 2009)

I am so sorry about your dogs health. I hope the tumors are not cancerious. I have one dog with cancer and treating him, he might/should make it another 9 months ? 




Luvawolf said:


> Thank you for the tip, Melody. I had about decided the same thing about Proin, but when her appetite didn't return after being off it for a few days, I took her to the vet. She has tumors on her liver and spleen. So at this point, I'm happy to get her to eat anything. Today she had me running back and forth between the kitchen and her bed with various offerings, all the while she sat watching me with ears perked, waiting for me to bring just the right thing.


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## Luvawolf (Nov 12, 2008)

How old is your dog, and what type of cancer? Some are very treatable, and I hope that is the case for you.

With my old girl, I chose not to treat. In the last few years she has had so many surgeries to remove different kinds of tumor that I simply could not put her through another. They would have had to have opened her up merely to do the biopsy, because these types are filled with blood and a needle biopsy could have caused her to bleed to death. By the looks of the ultrasound though it looks as though it has spread, so there would not be much point in it. 

She is in the process of dying now, and I am just trying to make her comfortable while I struggle to let her go. Every day she gets weaker, and it's breaking my heart. I will have to make the decision soon, I think but I keep pushing it back one day at a time.


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