Banfield Success Story: Spike

​This here is Spike, an 8 year-old dachshund-terrier mix. Recently, Spike wasn’t acting like his usual self and his mom brought him to the vet. They learned that Spike had a bladder infection and bladder stones. The vet prescribed prescription food hoping it would help the UTI and bladder stones.

Unfortunately, Spike wasn’t improving after his first visit, so his mom returned to the vet. Much to their surprise, Spike was also diagnosed with diabetes and the vet recommended surgery to remove the bladder stones. This single mother who is on a limited income was worried she wouldn’t be able to afford the cost to have the surgery done after paying for the original vet bill, and the vet bill diagnosing him with diabetes. So, she reached out to Fur Kids Foundation for help, and we were able to provide assistance. We received a message updating us that Spike is feeling much better and is back to his normal self. It’s our hope we’ll see Spike wandering around at some of our events. 

Dogs, like people, can develop a variety of bladder and kidney stones. Bladder stones are rock-like formations of minerals that form in the bladder. And, just like in people, these bladder stones can be quite painful for your pooch. The most common signs that a dog has bladder stones is blood in the urine, or straining to urinate—the two symptoms that Daisy had before her parents rushed her to the vet. Breeds most commonly diagnosed with bladder stones include the shih tzu, miniature schnauzer, bichon frisé, lhasa apso, and Yorkshire terrier. If you see the symptoms described above in your pooch, Fur Kids Foundation encourages you to take them to the vet for a proper examination.

Diabetes, a common condition for humans, is also relatively common in domestic animals like dogs. According to The Bark, a veterinarian may discover diabetes in your dog with routine bloodwork, but before that, you are likely to notice some of these symptoms: greater than normal hunger and/or thirst, weight loss, and frequent or copious urination (some dogs start having accidents in the house). If you notice these symptoms in Fido, be sure to schedule an appointment with your veterinarian. This Whole Dog Journal article, Managing Diabetes in Dogs, has some great information for you to review should your dog have diabetes. 

Fur Kids Foundation was recently awarded a $3,500 grant from the Banfield Foundation® to be used to help the Gillette, Wyoming charity with their emergency veterinary assistance program. This funding helped the Foundation grant money to help Ziggy’s family with her vet trip. ​If you would like to help Fur Kids Foundation continue to help families with animals, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. The money helps families during a time when they may not be able to afford adequate veterinary care. Check out more Success Stories.

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