7 mo old male puppy with UTI's, Vet doesn't know what it is... STILL :(

[Nicole & Dexter]

Hello everyone,

Dexter is still having problems when he pees. Dexter has been on 4 different antibiotics! We have done urine-analysis tests and cultural tests like crazy in the past few months. The first few tests showed stuvite crystals in his urine.  We put him on a couple antibiotics because it would come and go, finally it seemed to clear up the crystals, but then the vet found a drug resistant bacteria in his urine weeks later and we had to put him on another antibiotic. We then went back for testing after his last round of antibiotics and the vet said the bacteria is gone. Well that's great and all, but he's still licking his area after he urinates.  When the vet called to give me the results, she didn't know what to say. She doesn't know what it is. She recommended doing an xray, to see if there is something we are missing, such as a stone. She said if that doesn't work, then she will refer me to an imaging center to take a picture of his insides. I have asked several times if it's the food, and she seems to disagree. She said he's too young, and we would see sign of allergies. She also thinks maybe it's nothing. Maybe he just is obsessed with licking there. I disagree. I'm at my wits end here! Last Thursday I put him on Taste of the Wild grain free food. He has really only been on it since Saturday because I mixed it with his kirkland food he's been on. Which, today he threw up a little, and I'm wondering if it's because I rushed it too fast changing him from kirkland to grain free food in a matter of only a few days? 

Dexter is 7 months old now. He's had this issue for most of his life already and I feel like there's not much more I can do. The vet hasn't helped much. I'm praying this is something he will grow out of. I'm going to keep him on TOTW, but add some kirland for a little bit longer so his stomach can adjust to it, and hopefully see some progress! If anyone has any other advise, please please help me! Sometimes I wonder if I'm just going crazy and over-reacting, but when I see him stop whatever he's doing just to lick his private area, especially after peeing, it definitely tells me there is a problem! Again, any help would be great. Even if you've given me advise about it before when I posted in September, I would appreciate the advice again.

Thank you! 

-Nicole

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree. You can't treat something unless you know what it is. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

Is Dexter just licking after he urinates? My dogs will do that often. But I can' tested how X-rays etc will help with that. Maybe a second opinion from a more experienced vet or specialist if this is a real problem. If his penis is not irritated from licking it may be nothing.

[Nicole & Dexter]

Yes, it's really just after he urinates. yesterday he licked there just after a nap. But usually it's only after he pees. I'm thinking I'll keep watching him for a week or so, and then take him to another vet I've heard about that has a lot of experience. 

[Sue, Murphy and Bella ()*o*()]

I'm wondering that if it is just out of habit now, if possibly putting underpants or a t shirt wrapped around his bottom would deter hm long enough to unlearn his annoying habit.? There are several discussions and pictures on here about how owners have used this after surgeries of one type or another. Much less annoying for everyone than a cone, but that was my next suggestion.

[Nicole & Dexter]

Okay! I'll have to look into that. Good idea. He had a cone on for about a week, and he was miserable!

[Donna K & Quincy]

This may be way out there but is it possible he has an ulcer or sore area of some kind on his penis or inside the penile sheath? Did the vet look at the area? 

[Nicole & Dexter]

The vet has breifly looked at that area. She told me it looked find. I wonder if an xray would show something that's deeper? I'm going to try to keep him from licking down there for a bout a week, and if it seems that something is really bothering him down there I may just do an xray...

[F, Calla & Luca]

An xray won't show anything in soft tissue so his penis would not really give any information. A stone in his bladder might show up. I think licking after peeing is not unusual in a dog.

[Anne & Mr. Haley]

Haley has always licked after peeing; however, he does not obcess

[F, Calla & Luca]

Same with mine. They don't always do it but they certainly do it. I think it is their equivalent of toilet paper : )

[Ginny Nightingale]

Several dogs I know of have had skin ailments on the outside of the penis this summer--I attribute it to the wet summer we had and the vets think it is a staph infection--the owners had ointments to put on the area and it took a long while to clear up---just a thought...

[Nicole & Dexter]

Thank you!!