Vulvaplasty

[Cutiemus Maximus]

First, a little background: Admiral's first vet had little experience with the breed and pushed me to spay her at seven months. I didn't realize how detrimental such a young spay could be, and regret it immensely. A huge part of it, the vet never told me she had a recessed vulva (I didn't even realize such a thing existed) and now she's spayed with no hope of it naturally resolving.

Today she's going through her third UTI in as many months and her new vet (very knowledgeable and used by a TON of Colonial Newfs members) says more than likely she'll need to have a vulvaplasty to have a hope of permanent relief.

Has anyone on here gone through a vulvaplasty? Any alternatives I should consider? Any help is appreciated, I feel like I let her down and now I just want to make it right :darn:

 

[victoria1140]

cant help you with the info apart from try to keep the area as clean as possible and using baby wipes to clean her up, keep hair trimmed down around the area.

also dont punish yourself as we can only do the best we can with the info we have at the time and we have to trust our vets unless we are better informed

 

[Brandie&Maggie]

I don't have any experience or knowledge of the surgery, but as Victoria said, keeping her clean could help a lot if you aren't doing it already. Keep the hair around the area trimmed very short, and wipe her every time she pees. We use natural unscented baby wipes. A soft wet cloth is good too. Hopefully some others have more experience with the surgery and can weigh in.

Personally, I would probably try the non-invasive cleaning route first before surgery. If that failed and I trusted my vet, I'd listen to his recommendations. However, if you are already taking good preventative measures, then you have to trust your gut and your vet.

Also, try not to feel too guilty about the early spay. While we all know now its better to wait, you listened to someone you trusted. What's done is done. Now you know better and are doing your best for your very beautiful little girl.

 

[Lori]

I don't have experience with the surgery but my current Aussie mix has had a lot of UTI's. I now keep her trimmed very short down there and use wipes often. She also gets a cranberry capsule twice a day. We adopted her from a rescue group at 4 months old and she was already spayed. At one point the vet recommended a vulvaplasty but once she lost weight she didn't need it.

 

[Cutiemus Maximus]

Thanks you guys, wiping and shaving is a great idea. I forgot to mention that the vet recommended exactly that. I've been keeping the area shaved but not always wiping regularly. I'm definitely going to do it daily now.

I appreciate the encouragement, guilt really isn't a productive emotion. You guys make me feel a lot better. I'll keep you updated on how she does, hopefully she won't need surgery. Surgery is always such a scary option!

 

[Carlina]

My girl Emma had this surgery and with this and keeping her with a short trim at back she has done much better. We also give cranberry as a preventative.

 

[Cutiemus Maximus]

My girl Emma had this surgery and with this and keeping her with a short trim at back she has done much better. We also give cranberry as a preventative.

Great to hear, do you mind if I ask how old she was when she had the surgery?

 

[Carlina]

Emma was almost 9 when she had the surgery. She is a rescue and our Vet discovered the problem. She has been great ever since.

 

[NinaA]

Okay. Don't do surgery yet. We're in the same situation and are in a study on the subject. We went from continual UTIs to one in the last year. Get baby wipes. At least twice a day, and more often is optimal, wipe her after she goes out. Shave the hair around the vulva, and keep her clean. We do a urine test weekly and post it to the vet. They can get you the same dip sticks human doctors use. Any time you see a change in the results you know something is up and to get ready. If this happens I test daily. As I said, it's only happened once since we started this about a year and a half ago. Moonlight nearly sits down when she pees and has a short urethra, besides the inversion. Thought she was doomed, but this works so well that all I have to do is wave a wipe at her and she throws herself on the floor, rolls over and waits to be wiped. . .and get a belly rub. The vet gets hysterical, as she will do it for anyone. It's her best trick! Good luck.

 

[Cutiemus Maximus]

Okay. Don't do surgery yet...

Thanks so much, Nina! This gives me so much hope!

 

[Prdmary]

I know a dog that had the vulvoplasty....she was 8 yrs old at the time and has done well as far as I know. It is a very vascular area and probably more involved than most realize, but as I said, the one I know of did well.

You might want to feed a grain free diet, try a good probiotic, and a cranberry supplement.

 

[Lori]

Nina, I just read your post. How funny! Sydney gets all excited when I get the wipes out and tell her it's time for a "hiney wipe". She knows when I tell her to go upstairs too for a "butt bath". Silly girls!

 

[NinaA]

Have you had an ultrasound yet? Because Moonlight's showed the extremely short urethra which meant it didn't matter about the vulva, the bacteria didn't have to go far at all to be a problem. So, I'm just suggesting you get as many facts as possible.

 

[Cutiemus Maximus]

She has had an ultrasound and everything looked normal aside from inflammation from the infection. Her vet says the issue is most likely the vulva being, in his words, "all tucked up in there!". He says it's one of the most recessed ones he's seen, lucky her

 

[janices]

Try giving D-mannose which usually comes Cranberry plus D-mannose to prevent the infections.
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-suppl...redientId=1114&activeIngredientName=D-MANNOSE

 

[Cutiemus Maximus]

Try giving D-mannose which usually comes Cranberry plus D-mannose to prevent the infections.

We were planning on starting Crananidin once she's off her antibiotics. Is there a big difference?

 

[Ginny]

Also have the vet do a digital exam for a vaginal stricture. Those can cause UTI's also. The last thing you want to do is have surgery done and then the UTI's continue to occur.

 

[Ginny]

We were planning on starting Crananidin once she's off her antibiotics. Is there a big difference?

Both Crananidin and d-mannose are supposed to keep the bacteria from adhering to the bladder walls. The powder form of d-mannose is a lot cheaper then Crananidin. Not sure about the price when cranberry has been added...

 

[Cutiemus Maximus]

Also have the vet do a digital exam for a vaginal stricture. Those can cause UTI's also. The last thing you want to do is have surgery done and then the UTI's continue to occur.

Thanks, I'll have him do that! I definitely won't be getting the surgery until I'm sure I've exhausted every option. Thanks also for the recommendation on D-Mannose, I'll look into it.

 

[janices]

D-mannose is a concentrated form of the component found in cranberries.