Can You Buy Urinary Tract Infection Antibiotics Over The Counter

Keep Your Cat’s Urinary Issues At Bay

URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS Causes, prevention& EFFECTIVE OVER THE COUNTER PRODUCTS featuring Uqora ð«

We independently research, test, review, and recommend the bestproductslearn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.

The Spruce Pets / Peter Ardito

Many house cats struggle with a variety of conditions that affect their bladder and/or urethra, broadly known as urinary tract health. This can present as difficulty and pain when urinating, increased frequency of urination and/or blood in the urine. Cats may urinate outside the litter box, in corners, a sink, or a bathtub. While these issues can occur at any age, it is often seen in middle-aged, overweight cats that dont get enough exercise.

A cats diet can contribute to urinary pH imbalance or help improve it. Diets can vary in how they support urinary tract health, but its important to look for restricted amounts of minerals, such as magnesium and phosphorus, which can contribute to the development of urinary crystal and stone formation, explains Dr. Danielle Bernal, Global Veterinarian with Wellness Natural Pet Food. The crystals cause painful urination and the stones are painful to pass. They may cause urinary tract infections, blockages, or kidney problems.

Below are a few of the best urinary tract health cat foods available today.

How Can I Treat A Uti Without Going To The Doctor

When your pup has a UTI, your first instinct may be to visit the vet for treatment. More often than not, a vet will prescribe antibiotics for the infection.

Over-the-counter medications are a great way to treat a UTI in pups without going to the vet. Just make sure that you talk with a vet to determine the best over-the-counter medications for your pup.

What Do We Need To Change And Are We Ready To Make Those Changes

During this phase, long term care homes look at the practice changes and assess both their need for the program and what they should focus on in addition to making sure they are ready to get started. At the end of this phase, LTCHs will have a good understanding of whether they are ready to move forward with implementing the Program.

Use the two worksheets below to help assess for need and fit of the program, and whether your LTCH is ready to implement. Once you have confirmed your readiness, you will then move on to establishing the implementation team that will support the implementation of the program.

You May Like: How To Avoid Urinary Incontinence

Best For Senior Cats: Blue Buffalo W+u Weight Management + Urinary Care Wet Food

Amazon

Key Ingredients: Chicken, chicken broth and liver, pea protein, potatoes, whitefish, carrots, cranberries | Calories per Serving: 68 | Balance: Crude Protein min. 8.5%, Crude Fat min. 2.5%, Crude Fiber max. 4%, Moisture max. 78% | Life Stage: Adult, senior | Texture: Paté

Manages two problems with one food
Grain-free

Prescription required

Obesity can be a problem for senior kitties who become less active as they age, especially for indoor only cats and those with health problems that sap their energy or reduce their mobility. Since some urinary problems are more common in senior, overweight and/or obese cats, it makes sense to consider a food that provides ideal levels of fat, calories, and fiber to help your cat manage its weight as well as controlled mineral levels to keep urine pH lower to prevent crystal and stone formation.

Blue Buffalo W+U Weight Management and Urinary Care canned wet food is an excellent choice carried by many veterinarians. With chicken as the first ingredient, this food also has added plant fiber in the form of powdered cellulose so your cat will feel fuller despite being a lower calorie food. Levels of magnesium and sodium are controlled to promote balanced urinary pH.

Blue Buffalo reports that its science-based formulas are developed by a team of PhD animal nutritionists, food scientists, and veterinarians.

Is It Possible To Prevent Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections With A Vaccine

AZO Urinary Tract Infection Test Strips, 3

Currently, there are no commercially available vaccines for UTIs, either recurrent or first-time infections. One of the problems in developing a vaccine is that so many different organisms can cause infection a single vaccine would be difficult to synthesize to cover them all. Even with E. coli causing about most infections, the subtle changes in antigenic structures that vary from strain to strain further complicates vaccine development even for E. coli. Researchers are still investigating ways to overcome the problems in UTI vaccine development.

Don’t Miss: Guys Get Urinary Tract Infections

Basic Considerations When Buying Medicine For Uti

With so many different types of UTI medicine, it can be easy to make the wrong purchase. To save yourself from a bad buy and a potentially harmful product, make sure you consider these factors to help you land the best over the counter UTI medicine.

Effects. It pays to keep in mind that a urinary tract infection is a bacteria-caused infection, and that means the best medicine for UTI should be an antibiotic however, because antibiotics for UTI cant be purchased over the counter, its the second best choice to buy a product that promotes urinary tract health to fight off the infection.

Most of the products you will find are much less geared towards healing the infection itself, and are formulated to provide health effects that improve the wellness of the overall system. In doing this, these medicines are able to encourage the body to fight off the infection, thus causing the infection to weaken over time.

Homeopathic. Because over the counter UTI remedies are more focused on improving health than fighting off the infection directly, many of them come as homeopathic remedies. These options are made from all natural ingredients, and do not cause any toxicity associated with long term use.

For some, however, these products may not provide results at all. This always depends on how the body reacts to the formulation. Because homeopathic remedies do not contain any synthetic, clinically designed ingredients, they may or may not work on some people.

Are There Natural At

Yes. While taking antibiotics is still considered the gold standard of UTI treatments, there are some things you can do at home that help relieve symptoms, as well. These include:

Drink plenty of water. Consuming at least six to eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily can help flush away UTI-causing bacteria, setting you up for a quicker recovery. Plus, the more you drink, the more youll have to urinate.
Urinate often. Each time you empty your bladder, youre helping to flush bacteria out of your system.
Try heat. Applying a heating pad to your pubic area for 15 minutes at a time can help soothe the pressure and pain caused by UTI-related inflammation and irritation.
Tweak your wardrobe. Wearing loose cotton clothing and underwear can help you recover from a UTI.
Go fragrance-free. Make sure your personal hygiene products are fragrance-free to sidestep further irritation, notes the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Cut out certain irritants. Caffeine, alcohol, spicy food, raw onions, citrus fruits, carbonated drinks, artificial sweeteners, and nicotine can further irritate your bladder, making it more difficult for your body to heal, per the Cleveland Clinic.

You May Like: Why Do I Have Urinary Incontinence

Cystitis Symptoms And Treatment

Cystitis is the inflammation of the bladder, usually caused by a urinary tract infection . It can affect anyone of any age, but is more likely to occur in women. It can be treated with a 3-day course of antibiotics. Same-day collection of cystitis treatment is available with our service.

What Is Clarify And How Does It Work

Phenazopyridine for urinary pain relief | AZO | Pyridium

Clarify is a pack of 3 individually wrapped test strips. Uqora Clarify includes the same test that doctors use to see if you might have a UTI.

Clarify is a good option for you if you suspect you have a UTI and you want to see your test results in just two minutes.

The tests work by detecting whether Nitrite and Leukocytes are present in your urine. Nitrites are a form of nitrogen that will often present itself if bacteria like E. coli are present in the urine. Leukocytes are white blood cells, which tend to show up when theres inflammation or an infection in the urinary tract. The test evaluates if leukocyte esterase, an enzyme produced by white blood cells, is present in the urine. Generally, if both nitrites and leukocytes are detected in your urine, its likely that you have a UTI.

NOTE: Clarify will only detect certain types of bacteria, but not all. However, it will detect E. coli which is responsible for about 90% of all non-hospital associated UTIs.

Recommended Reading: How To Treat Urinary Incontinence

Azo Urinary Pain Relief

Similar to the previous product by AZO, this one contains Phenazopyridine as an active ingredient, just a lower dose .

Therefore, AZO Urinary Pain Relief has the same side-effects and method of action. It is also purely analgesic, containing no antimicrobial ingredient, and is sold at a lower price, as it contains less Phenazopyridine per dose.

There are no other ingredients that add value and the same possible carcinogenic effects associated with using Phenazopyridine.

Cystex Urinary Pain Relief Tablets

Cystex Urinary Pain Relief Tablets is yet another product that contains Methenamine, and therefore works in the same way as AZO Urinary Tract Defense.

The dose of Methenamine in both products is identical and both contain the same amount of Sodium salicylate .

Cystex Urinary Pain Relief Tablets will not change the color of the urine as some other OTC medications do.

How To Use Urinary Pain Relief

Take this medication by mouth, usually 3 times daily after meals or as directed by your doctor. If you are taking this medication along with antibiotics for symptoms related to a urinary tract infection, or are self-treating, do not take it for more than 2 days without talking to your doctor.

Dosage is based on your medical condition and response to therapy.

Inform your doctor if your condition persists or worsens.

Recommended Reading: Over The Counter Treatment For Urinary Incontinence

Homeopathic Uti Over The Counter Treatment

Homeopathy treats the whole patient, not a symptom or group of symptoms. If you ask a homeopath, they prefer to prescribe remedies based on individual patient assessment, not just isolated symptoms. Therefore, a homeopathic doctor would prefer to prescribe you a remedy uniquely addressing your individual health needs.

Purchasing an off-the-shelf remedy is considered to be less effective than taking one recommended specifically for you.

However, there are several widely-recognized homeopathic UTI OTC remedies readily available. Many naturopathic doctors find the following remedies helpful for their patients with UTI symptoms.

Cantharis

Advised for those who experience a constant, strong urge to urinate with a sharp pain right before and after peeing. Other symptoms include a sensation of bladder fullness but only being able to release a few drops of urine when peeing.

Nux vomica

This remedy is advised for those who feel a strong urge to urinate, burning or cramping pain in the bladder area, and an itching sensation while the urine passes.

Other notable symptoms that can be helped include irritability, impatience, and feeling cold. This remedy is great if your symptoms are relieved by hot baths or with a hot bottle applied to your lower abdomen.

Sarsaparilla

This remedy is often useful in cystitis and may help when symptoms are unclear, or if other remedies have not been effective.

What Are Possible Complications Of A Urinary Tract Infection

Most UTIs cause no complications if they spontaneously resolve quickly or if treated early in the infection with appropriate medications. However, there are a number of complications that can occur if the UTI becomes chronic or rapidly advances. Chronic infections may result in urinary strictures, abscesses, fistulas, kidney stones, and, rarely, kidney damage or bladder cancer. Rapid advancement of UTIs can lead to dehydration, kidney failure, sepsis, and death. Pregnant females with untreated UTIs may develop premature delivery and a low birth weight for the infant and run the risks of rapid advancement of the infection.

Can I Develop Resistance To The Antibiotics Used To Treat Uti

Yes, the body can develop resistance to the antibiotics used to treat UTI. It occurs in people who have frequent infections. With each recurring infection, the bacteria become resistant and become harder to fight. Due to this, the physician may suggest alternative treatment in cases of frequent UTIs, which include

Waiting: Sometimes, the physician may suggest watching the symptoms rather than treating them with medicines. The physician may encourage patients to drink plenty of fluids to flush out the infection from the system.
Intravenous treatment: In severe cases, the bacteria are resistant to most antibiotics or the infection affects the kidneys and the patient needs to get admitted. Intravenous antibiotics treatment is done in these cases. After returning home, the patients will be prescribed oral antibiotics till the infection completely goes away.

Also Check: Artificial Sphincter For Urinary Incontinence

Best Remedies For Bladder Infections

Outlook

About bladder infections

Bladder infections are the most common type of urinary tract infection . They can develop when bacteria enter the urethra and travel into the bladder.

The urethra is the tube that takes urine out of the body. Once bacteria go into the urethra, they can attach to the walls of the bladder and multiply quickly.

The resulting infection can cause uncomfortable symptoms, such as the sudden urge to urinate. It may also cause pain while urinating and abdominal cramping.

A combination of medical and home treatments may ease these symptoms. If left untreated, bladder infections can become life-threatening. This is because the infection can spread to the kidneys or blood.

Here are seven effective bladder infection remedies.

Why Antibiotics Are The Golden Standard

Home remedies for urinary tract infection or UTI (urine infection)

Urinary tract infections occur due to an external bacterial infection in the urinary tract of a body. The most common treatment option is a course of antibiotic therapy that targets the pathogens and the bacteria causing the infection.

The appropriate antibiotic course leads to higher symptomatic and bacteriological cure rates and significantly reduces the chances of reinfection. The types of antibiotics prescribed as the first line of treatment are based upon the type of bacteria found in your urine after the urine analysis, your health status, and the severity of the infection.

Don’t Miss: Royal Canin Urinary Tract Food

Azo Urinary Tract Defense

This is a relatively new OTC drug that has appeared in 2016 in pharmacies all over the USA and also could be ordered on.

Once you swallow it, Methenamine will work by slowing down the growth of pathogenic bacteria in the urinary tract.

When exposed to acidic urine, Methenamine turns into formaldehyde to kill the bacteria, but its not strong enough to eliminate an infection completely. It cant cure an active infection but may slow down its progress.

AZO Urinary Tract Defense has been created to prevent UTIs, as well as to provide quick relief at the first signs of infection.

On top of this, Sodium salicylate, an analgesic, also acts as a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug .

Taking an NSAID could help to reduce inflammation while fighting a bladder infection. This analgesic, though, will not change the color of your urine and is not linked to cancer.

Quick Tip: In order for AZO Urinary Tract Defense to work to its full potential, youd need acidic urine. For that, take Ascorbic Acid with the drug.

An alternative to AZO Urinary Tract Defense in Canada, Europe, or Australia is Hiprex, which works similarly.

Uti Treatment To Avoid

There are plenty of additional home remedies mentioned by blogs, but none that we would recommend.

Cranberry juice. Drinking cranberry juice is a common piece of advice associated with UTIs, though the effect of cranberry juice on treating or preventing urinary tract infections is very small.
Baking soda. The theory behind this was to change the acidity in the urinary tract and discourage bacteria from spreading but there is no evidence to suggest that this actually works in practice.
Apple cider vinegar. Recommended as a home remedy for the exact same reason baking soda often is, however using apple cider vinegar can actually make a UTI worse. Avoid at all costs.

Most popular

Don’t Miss: Does Diabetes Cause Urinary Incontinence

What About Cranberry Juice For Uti

Its a long-held belief that consuming cranberry juice may help prevent and treat urinary tract infections. While its true that cranberries contain an active ingredient that can prevent adherence of bacteria to the urinary tract, there is still no evidence that cranberry products can treat a UTI.

One of the reasons: Products like cranberry juice or cranberry capsules are not explicitly formulated with the same amount of PACs that have shown potential in lab studies. Moreover, a 2019 report in the Journal of Urology noted that the availability of such products to the public is a severe limitation to the use of cranberries for UTI prophylaxis outside the research setting.

In all, theres actually very little high-quality research on the topic of prevention. For instance, a 2016 study in The Journal of the American Medical Association, found that among female nursing home residents, daily consumption of cranberry capsules resulted in no significant prevention of UTIs.

While consuming cranberry juice or supplements is not considered a first-line treatment of urinary tract infections, in most cases, it cant hurt. After all, drinking plenty of liquids does dilute your urine and help spur more frequent urination, which flushes bacteria from the urinary tract. The exception: Those who are taking blood-thinning medication, such as warfarin, should not consume cranberry juice. And those with diabetes should be mindful of the high-sugar content of fruit juices.