[aimee]

Hi Suzanne,

I know that having a needle entering the bladder is cause for concern and worry. I ‘ve had it done multiple times to multiple dogs… never gets easier ….I always worry. I’m just saying I think I understand why your vet wants it. I know you just recently had it done and nothing grew. It was also done fairly close to having been on antibiotics in which case you can get a false negative. This means that there is no growth but that there is an infection. So as I see it your vet wants to double check. If you dog never had signs of a problem ( the frequent urinations with small amounts) your vet may have made different recommendations.

I do remember with Brooke her first followups were with the needle in the bladder. Then I used to take a chance on culturing a clean catch. I’d boil water in a plastic tray in the microwave.. dump it and air dried then catch a mid stream urine sample and transfer to a sterile container. As long as that came back negative we’d be good… if it came back with bacterial growth than I was to follow up with the needle test. Thankfully she had negative cultures that way and she didn’t have to have more needles.

The problem is that female puppies get vaginitis and the signs are the same as for a UTI. The only way to figure out where the problem is is with the needle urine test compared to a caught sample. My previous lab as a puppy had a lot of problems with frequent urination and had multiple urine tests and multiple cultures all negative.. it was so frustrating! She had a vaginal scoping as well …then her signs suddenly increased and I think it was her third culture that grew out bacteria.. she was treated and then everything resolved. I don’t know if she had a UTI all along or if she had vaginitis that then became a UTI.. UGH But I was sure glad when it resolved. I felt so bad for my baby as I’m sure you do for yours

I hope this test answers the question your vet is trying to answer and that you can close this chapter in her life.