Ok I'm just a Siberian husky owner. He's a male 8-9 years not fixed . He has a urinary tract infection. So I'm giving them amoxicillin now on the 3rd pill yes seen vet.. he just stopped eating all together . He drank some water but he got the scent of the pill and won't eat that now either. I tried ham, bacon , he knows pills sent and pushes it away. He good size dog purebred. And very smart. But is lethargic from the urinary tract infection and drowsy. Any advise would be great as vet I'm seeing hasn't seen alot of huskys . Just open to ideas. Had a huskys for many years just not one this smart. I'm sure you have encountered this issue. Having sled dogs.

Husky 2008

Yes. Vet not open tomorrow do to New year's.

Amoxicillin notorious for stomach upset and diarrhea. As for getting the pill into him, you may have to resort to opening his mouth, putting the pill in the very back, holding his muzzle shut until he swallows. Just keep your fingers out of the way as you very quickly put that pill in there.

I wonder if grinding up the pill and mixing it with yogurt would help?

My girl was getting UTI's one after another, there are several cranberry supplements that do seem to work at preventing UTI's from recurring out there, I order Mishka's from Amazon. One is in powder form, called Cranimals and just gets mixed with some yogurt, and another, that Mishka is currently on, is called Crandadin, it's in pill form. Both have worked for Mishka.

I got pill in him but he's still not eating .. he's drinking water .. but wow his appetite is usually good last 2 days he's not eating since he had the antibiotics. He's taking Clavamox. Had him out for walk today bit slow and lethargic. Totally strange.. his pee is bright yellow witch is great but now get him to eat trying everything. Any ideas.. or what has others seen when Siberian Huskys have bladder infection s ? And yes it's -4f here.. thanks for any info .. the poor fella..
Husky2008

Bright yellow suggests dehydration. I would try to get the yogurt down him as was suggested above or pick up some kefir. If the antibiotics are causing stomach issues a probiotic should help bring back balance. If he hasn't eaten anything, not even treats, for more than a few days you may need to go back to the vet and request a different antibiotic. He maybe having a reaction to the meds beyond just the common stomach upset. Keep an eye out for shaking, vomiting, and labored breathing.

Thanks for feed back . I will request different medications. He's still not eating .. not even yogert or cottage cheese totally out of character.. he's drinking water yet . But very lethargic.
Husky2007

Hey husky2008!

Echo actually recently just finished a course of antibiotics for the same thing! UTI...He started having accidents in the house, and then he started urinating blood.   I have specimen containers at home so I was able to collect a sample and the Dr. immediately started him on AventiClav.  It's amoxicillin for dogs.  Echo never showed any signs of lethargy or refusal to eat during the treatment or with his hematuria.  Perhaps something else is going on.

I'm surprised your dog won't take the pill with food, because the pill doesn't even smell like anything =P.  If you're slathering that thing with peanut butter or whatever floats your dogs taste buds, it really shouldn't be that difficult to get him to swallow it.   I just buried it in his raw food during each meal for 10 days and he ate it every single time not knowing.

Looks like you're already well into the 2nd or 3rd day of treatment which should already be showing results if its a UTI.  How did you find out he had a UTI?  Urine analysis? Hematuria? Polyuria? Straining to Pee? Accidents in the house?  While a hunger strike isn't that uncommon in huskies, it's certainly a bit odd seeing that you just started him on antibiotics.  Hopefully like the users here say the pills just made him have an upset stomach.  Otherwise, he could be ill with something else?  I.E. UTI might be secondary to kidney stones?

Did your doctor suggest blood work to rule out organ stress/failure, x-rays of kidneys to rule out stones or even just a urine analysis to detect crystals and to maybe culture the UTI bacteria to make sure your medication was type specific to the bacteria that caused the UTI?

Keep us updated!  Wishing you guys a speedy recovery!

He on clarmox 375mg 2 times a day . I think they need changing . It's just to nasty on him . Not eating and laying in dog house for 2 days . Took him for run each day but he was super drowsy. Calling Vet in morning.

Husky2008

Got him to eat 1/2 can of salmon cat food canned.

Yes they did a urine analysis and it was a bladder infection. I think the antibiotics just screwed up a stomach that bad. Cuz he quit eating the same day that he took the first pill.

Husky550

Blood spots in urine is the reason that I noticed.
He needed antibiotics. So I took him to vet he might need blood work done.

Husky2008

BChan - I have a husky that won't take pills no matter WHAT i put it in...cheese, meat, peanut butter, whipped cream, cream cheese. NADA. He's not a picky eater, loves any and all food, cast iron stomach. But pills. No way, no how. It's sneak up behind him, straddle, rub his ears and chest, quick like a bunny open his mouth, stick that pill into the back of his mouth and hold that snout! Then endure that look of betrayal when all is done.

amymeme wrote:

BChan -  I have a husky that won't take pills no matter WHAT i put it in...cheese, meat, peanut butter, whipped cream, cream cheese.  NADA.  He's not a picky eater, loves any and all food, cast iron stomach.  But pills.  No way, no how.  It's sneak up behind him, straddle, rub his ears and chest, quick like a bunny open his mouth, stick that pill into the back of his mouth and hold that snout!  Then endure that look of betrayal when all is done.

Way for our huskies to hate the $100 antibiotics that make them feel better but have no problems eating another dogs dodo.

I guess i'm lucky with Echo. He'll eat anything, rocks, stuffing, sticks, poop, squeakers... Illness be damned!

good luck y'all!

Update at vet stopped taking nasty antibiotics ($85)clarmox ( augmentin ) 375 mg twice a day
New batch at ($29 ) cefpodoxime proxetil 200 mg
1 tablet once a day .. he's just starting to eat some ham and he's drinking lots of water. And after 8 hours without nasty antibiotics I finally seen a tail wag and he's coming out of doghouse 3 times today
That's 3 more times then he did in to 2 days . So it's looking like a nasty ( augmentin ) reaction .. I notice his face was puffed up also from it all. Poor husky .. hope he eats more tomorrow.. stopping his appetite in its tracks on Augmentin was crazy. He eats alot normally. Hope he bounces back .. no more augmentin for this husky.

Husky2008

@husky2008 That facial swelling is a known side effect and would be considered an allergic reaction to the augmentin. I'd have your vet make a note, if he hasn't already, that your boy is allergic to it.

<< smile >> Now, let's see, you feed him ham and then seem surprised that he drinks - ham's generally salty so I'd be surprised if he *didn't* drink.

Hope your boy continues to improve and gets back to 'normal.'

Thanks for the info ..I tried can salmon tonight. He still not eating . I noticed tonight his feet look smaller it was like they were swelling also. He was more excited about fresh bedding he even moved it around to get comfortable. Strange .. do I need to start putting food in his mouth .. I'm not understanding this husky .. he's like super tired and lethargic. Last augmentin he got 1 1/2 days ago how long does it take to get out of his system ?

Husky 2008

@amymeme can you work your magic to determine the half life of AMOXICILLIN AND CLAVULANATE??
Absorption into the blood stream is in the 1/2 hour range but no where can I find a half life for it.

BTW, I'm confused here @husky2008 augmentin seems to be the human version of the drug while clavamax would be one of the veterinary products.

Al, I don't remember the drugs Mishka was taking for her UTI's, I'd have to dig around in the receipts (I really should enter that stuff on my computer where it'd be more accessible) but after her second UTI, the vet recommended changing meds. Second one was supposed to be stronger and I know I requested the duration she be on them being a little longer because the vets opinion, and mine, was that the first med wasn't quite doing its job, allowing the UTI to keep going. So *maybe* one was the human version, the other being the vetinary version. Prices were a bit different though, than Husky2008, first drug cost like $78, while the second, stronger med was $110, so not positive they are the same meds.

Yes it was clarmox grizzly had . It's the same as augmentin human forum . He had big reaction to it.
Husky2008

Pretty wild blood test came back .. need to reevaluate he's doing better today went for run drank water peed etc ate some salmon . So what I see he's doing better bloodtest is not saying that but they took the bloodtest same day he was dealing clarmox reaction
So I wonder if that made bloodtest come up with crazy stuff . Goes back to vet Monday . Maybe next 3 days we'll see if he keeps getting better. Before we go crazy on meds $400 ( if I do it myself ) because bloodtest was wild. It's $1000s if vet does it. Anyone ever have issues with crazy bloodtest results when a dogs having a reaction to antibiotics. He had swelling that has gone down after stopping the clarmox.

Husky2008

Dig this grizzly fine after stopping clarmox he's eating again doing his thing . Still think clarmox was toxic to him . He still being closly watched and going to vet on Monday . But wow clarmox took him for a loop. I need to investigate why his blood work went so wacky. They were requesting $400 + of meds for him.. because his blood test was so wild. Just apart of husky experience I guess.. will tell you my findings ..

Husky2008

What sort of wild were his blood tests?

Kidney issues . But he's eating drinking and coming back to his normal acting . Better each day ... Like this morning he was out scratching his back on ice at -10f
And pee and pooin .. hes super hard to get a pill down
I'm trying different tricks . He's eating can dog food a day and pork and bit of dry food. I'm scared if I do get pill down he will just stop eating again . We'll see what vet says Monday . He's doing great now compared to last 7 days . You have to remember all this going on during mn polar vortex. We just had 9 nights below 0f and this husky will not go in a warm building . He's a tuff guy . He's watched super close until Monday .
It's warmed up here so weather wise it's not so bad.

Husky 2008

One thing husband always says is..if the test is wildly out whack...repeat the test.  Poor kidney function is not to be . Taken lightly.  Kidney failure is a killer.

Yes I know blood test will be repeated. But when they took the blood test he didn't eat for 4 days and was displaying toxic reaction from clarmox . Just last night was first night he ate his normal amount of food in 10 days . And yes he got some bounus pork also.

Husky2008

Lyme's disease .. more antibiotics. No other heartworm etc.

Husky2008