7 month old ridgeback puppy with ectopic ureters. Is this condition painful?

I have a 7 month old ridgeback puppy which 2 vets have diagnosed through process of elimination that he has ectopic ureters. He has been straining to pee and leaking urine since I got him at 8 weeks old. He has been treated for a uti multiple times but all his blood work and cultures have always come back negative. I have had an ultrasound of his bladder done and xrays all inconclusive. I am going to the vet school on monday for an evaluation because for proper diagnosis my vet says he needs a CT scan. But if he does have this condition it is a $4,500 for the surgery and $800 for the CT scan. So my question is if he does have ectopic ureters is this painful for him? Can it wait while I save up to fix him? Or should I put him down because he may be suffering? His breeder offered me a new pup but told me she would have to put him to sleep. ThanksI have already requested help from my local ridgeback rescue and they told me it way not financally possiable for them to help him. I have done everything I can not to kill him. I just want to know if he is suffering because everyone I talk to tells me to put him down or give him back to the breeder for a heathy pup. My kids and I would be heartbroken I can't to either but I don't want him to suffer because I can't pay that much upfront.

Did any of the vets do a diagnostic urogram (inject dye through the urinary tract, take xrays to "track" the dye through the kidneys/ureters/bladder)...? I didn't see that in your details, but it should tell you pretty definitively over a plain xray or an ultrasound.I'd do that before I'd do a CT.Your dog is not in pain. He is messy, and he is probably smelly, but the only thing potentially painful about EU is the recurrent UTIs and urine scalding of the skin that may occur from leakage (more common in females). You can likely continue to treat the symptoms and save your money for the surgery, but I do have to tell you that surgery is not always successful. I had a female Siberian who underwent EU surgery and continued to leak her entire life.Of course, this was back in the 90s...the odds may have improved by now as technology has advanced, particularly if you have the surgery done by a specialist and/or at a vet school (which tend to be on the cutting edge).The good news is that my girl lived to be 14 years old despite the issue, and was a normal, happy, healthy dog (other than the leaking). The real question is can you live with a leaky dog in your home for the next 10 years if the surgery is not successful? My girl was a sled dog and a kennel dog, so not as much of an issue (just plenty of sawdust in her kennel and frequent bedding changes in her house).Hope this helps.