How To Get Rid Of My Dogs Urinary Tract Infection

What Should I Do If I Think My Dog Has Lower Urinary Tract Problems

Pay attention to your dogâs behavior, because itâs not easy to spot all your dogâs symptoms.

If you notice symptoms of pain and discomfort, especially difficulty urinating, call your dogâs vet to figure out whatâs causing the problems and the best way to treat them.

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American Kennel Club: âDoes Your Dog Have UTI Symptoms or Something Worse?,â Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs.â

Banfield Pet Hospital: âLower Urinary Tract Disease .â

Canine Health Foundation: âCanine Lymphoma.â

Merck Manual Veterinary Manual: âBacterial Urinary Tract Infections.â

MSPCA-Angell: “Lower Urinary Tract Diseases of the Senior Dog.”

Peoria Area Veterinary Group: âUrinary Tract Problems in Dogs.â

Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira: âAnalysis of lower urinary tract disease of dogs.â

VCA Hospitals: âUrinary Tract Infections in Dogs.â

Does My Dog Have An Inherited Urinary Disease

Some inherited diseases can cause chronic urinary problems in dogs and you can test your dog to see if hes at risk. EasyDNA has an at-home DNA test kit that you can give your dog, mail it in, and get results in just a few weeks. Diseases tested for include:

• Hyperuricosuria: a genetic disorder that involves elevated levels of uric acid in the urine, which can cause the formation of stones in their bladders and sometimes kidneys. This EasyDNA test is available for all dog breeds.
• Cystinuria: another autosomal recessive disorder that causes the kidneys to fail to reabsorb amino acids . This can lead to the formation of cystine crystals and stones in the urinary tract, leading to possible blockage of the urethra. This EasyDNA test is available for Labrador Retrievers and Newfoundlands.

Home Remedies That Help Relieve Uti Symptoms

Drinking cranberry juice to help relieve the symptoms of a UTI is one of the most commonly recommended home remedies you may find. Although it is a popular home remedy, it is not the only one that proves beneficial in providing relief for mild symptoms of a urinary tract infection.

There are other things you can do to help you get over the symptoms of a urinary tract infection:

1: Drink lots of water- Drinking water will help to flush out the bacteria that are causing your infection.

2: Wear breathable garments- Clothing that allows your skin to breathe, can help prevent bacteria from further developing. Restrictive clothing such as tight jeans is known to trap moisture and for cultivating an environment that breeds bacteria.

3: Avoid drinks that may irritate your bladder- Avoid drinking beverages that include alcohol or caffeine. Drinks that contain these ingredients can irritate your bladder and trigger frequent urination.

4: Use a heating pad- Urinary tract infections can cause pain and discomfort but by applying a heating pad to your abdomen you can reduce these symptoms as well as bladder pressure.

5: Drink apple cider vinegar mixed with water- Components and enzymes in apple cider can be helpful in preventing bacteria from multiplying.

6: Take Vitamin C- Vitamin C keeps the bladder healthy by acidifying urine and combating the development of harmful bacteria.

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Recovery And Management Of Utis In Dogs

Your vet should test your dogs urine following antibiotic therapy for both acute and chronic UTIs. In some instances of chronic UTIs, urine testing will also be performed during treatment, in addition to afterward, to assess the amount of bacteria.

Once urine testing confirms that a UTI is resolved, no further treatment is necessary for dogs with acute UTIs. If your dog has a chronic UTI, they may be kept on urinary tract supplements and probiotics to avoid recurrence.

If your vet diagnoses an underlying medical condition, treatment will aim to control it to avoid recurrent UTIs. Here are a few examples of possible underlying issues and their potential treatments:

• Diabetes mellitus: insulin therapy and diet changes

• Kidney disease: diet changes, blood pressure management, and fluid therapy

• Abnormal vulvar conformation: surgical correction and/or daily cleaning of the perivulvar region

• Urinary crystals: increased water intake, urinary tract supplements, and sometimes a dissolution diet

• Bladder stones: surgical removal via cystotomy, or in some cases, a dissolution diet

• Urinary tract masses: surgical removal and/or chemotherapeutic protocols

Each dog with a UTI should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis since there are so many factors that can contribute to pain and inflammation.

Difficult Organisms Causing Recurrent Uti

Urinary tract infections withE. coli warrant some specific comments concerning treatment. Because of their ability to acquire antibiotic resistance through plasmid mediated resistance, E coli UTIs can become multi-resistant over time. Therefore, appropriate follow-up is especially important with this common uropathogen. Follow-up urine cultures are recommended for any dog or cat with recurrent UTI due to E. coli. For multiresistant E. coli, antibiotics to consider if testing suggests they are effective include amikacin, ceftiofur, imipenem or meropenem. Aminoglycosides are excreted in the urine and achieve very high urine concentrations but are also nephrotoxic. Therefore, aminoglycosides should only be used for shorter durations and with appropriate monitoring for nephrotoxicity. Monitoring for nephrotoxicity should include routine urinalysis and monitoring of urine GGT to creatinine ratios. Ceftiofur or cefoxitin are effective alternatives to aminoglycosides provided the E. coli isolated is sensitive in vitro. Imipenem or meropenem are highly effective against many strains of E. coli and may be required in animals with renal disease and recurrent gram negative UTI. However these antibiotics should be reserved for documented multi-resistant infections when other antibiotics have failed and renal disease prohibits the safe use of aminoglycosides.

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What Is A Dog Uti Anyway

To understand what a UTI is and how they cause problems forpets, youll first need to understand the anatomy of your dogs urinary system.There are four key components of the system, and they each carry out differenttasks.

• Kidneys Your dogs kidneys primarily serve as blood filters. Essentially, blood is pumped through the kidneys, and the bad or unnecessary stuff is filtered out. Once filtered, the now-clean blood to be pumped back into circulation.
• Ureters The ureters are simply tubes that travel from each kidney to the bladder. They dont do much besides carrying urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
• Bladder The bladder is the big storage vessel of the urinary tract. Urine is stored here until the bladder is full , at which time it is released via the urethra.
• Urethra Like the ureters, the urethra is just a tube that ferries urine from the bladder to the outside world. However, while the ureters are paired, there is only one urethra.

Despite notions to the contrary, healthy urine isnt sterile. But, in the case of a healthy urinary tract, the bacteria and other microorganisms present dont cause any problems. They simply get flushed out when your dog voids her bladder.

However, from time to time, pathogenic bacteria that is, bacteria that can cause illness gain access to the urinary tract.

The bacteria involved with UTIs may also affect the prostate glands of male dogs.

How Are Bladder Infections Are Treated In Dogs

Antibiotics are the primary treatment for bladder infections in dogs, although in some cases your vet may recommend anti-inflammatory medications or pain killers depending on the severity and underlying cause.

Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet’s condition, please make an appointment with your vet.

If your dog is experiencing pain or other severe symptoms of a bladder infection outside of your vet’s regular hours contact AnimERge emergency animal hospital . Our veterinarians provide New Jersey pets with emergency and specialist care.

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How To Treat Bladder Infections In Dogs

Antibiotics are the primary treatment for bladder infections in dogs, although in some cases your vet may recommend anti-inflammatory medications or pain killers depending on the severity and underlying cause.

Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pet’s condition, please make an appointment with your vet.

Treating Urinary Tract Problems

Just like UTIs in humans, UTIs in our canine companions are painfuland waiting too long to take your pup to the vet for treatment can make symptoms worse. The infection can spread to kidneys and the prostate. While you might want to run out and pick up over-the-counter treatment to help your pup now, Marx says to avoid medications meant for people, since they’re toxic to pets.

If you suspect that your dog has a UTI, contact your veterinarian for advice. You may need to schedule an appointment for an exam and testing. Your vet may ask you to bring a urine sample, but be sure to ask first. Some situations warrant sterile collection of urine in the clinic, which means you’ll want to prevent your dog from peeing right before the vet appointment.

Your vet may start with a urinalysis, a test to look for bacteria, abnormal blood cells, and crystals, the latter of which may signal that your dog has bladder stones. Your vet may also recommend a urine culture, which requires a sterile sample of urine to test for bacterial growth. A urine culture and sensitivity can help determine which, if any, bacteria are growing in your dog’s urine and how that bacteria responds to various antibiotics.

Antibiotics are typically used to treat UTIs in dogs, but the exact type of antibiotic prescribed will depend on the signs and severity of your dog’s condition as well as current veterinary medicine guidelines.

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What Happens If An Antibiotic Doesnt Work For A Urinary Tract Infection

Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment for urinary tract infections , most of which are caused by a bacteria called Escherichia Coli . Infections of the lower urinary tract, which includes bladder infections , are the most common type of UTI and are usually treated with a 3-5 day course of antibiotics. Sometimes, however, the antibiotic prescribed to treat a bladder infection doesnt work.

If you suspect your antibiotic isnt working you should promptly contact your healthcare provider. Left untreated a UTI may become more serious and in rare cases cause permanent or life-threatening complications.

How Are Lower Urinary Tract Problems Treated

The vet will determine your dogâs treatment plan after they diagnose the underlying cause of the problem. The best treatment will depend on whatâs causing the symptoms.

After your dogâs diagnosis, your veterinarian may recommend some of the following:

• Surgery to remove bladder stones or tumor
• Surgery to correct congenital abnormality

If the vet determines your dogâs urinary tract problems are being caused by an underlying condition, theyâll seek to treat the underlying cause first.

Antibiotics are the typical treatment for UTIs in dogs, and the vet may also prescribe pain medication, because UTIs can be very uncomfortable for dogs. If your vet prescribes antibiotics, make sure you give your dog all of the medication, even if they appear to be doing better, to be sure the infection is resolved and to help prevent reinfection.

After the antibiotics, itâs important for your vet to recheck the urinalysis to confirm the infection is gone. If not, theyâll need to look for other issues that might be causing continued or repeat infections.

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Urine Drug Concentration And Clinical Efficacy

Antimicrobial drugs must achieve an adequate urine concentration, which must be maintained for a sufficient time for a drug to be effective in treating UTI.16 It has been suggested that clinical efficacy is observed when the urine drug concentration is maintained at a concentration 4-fold higher than the isolates MIC throughout the time between doses.9

Experimental studies in rats have shown that the time for which the plasma drug concentration exceeds the isolates MIC correlates to the magnitude of bacterial colony count reduction the longer the time for which the drug concentration remained above the MIC, the lower the urine colony counts.12 Successful eradication of bacteria within the renal parenchyma or urinary bladder wall is correlated to the plasma, not urine, drug concentration.

When prescribing time-dependent antibiotics, shortening the interval between drug administration is the most effective method to allow the tissue/urine drug concentration to exceed the MIC for the majority of the dosing interval.

• Drug elimination follows first-order kinetics, where 50% of the drug is lost in 1 half-life.
• In contrast, doubling the dose would only add 1 half-life to the dosing interval.
• To add 2 half-lives to the dosing interval, the initial dose would have to be increased 4-fold. The peak serum drug concentration achieved by this approach may exceed the window of safety, producing adverse drug effects.

What Can Happen If A Canine Uti Is Left Untreated

UTIs are serious enough in their own right and can grow even worse if untreated. At best, a UTI can cause serious discomfort to your dog. If left untreated, UTIs may cause dysfunction of the lower urinary tract in which the bladder cannot empty completely. UTIs may also cause kidney and bladder stones, blood poisoning, infertility, kidney infections, and even kidney failure. In male dogs, UTIs can lead to prostate inflammation.

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If A Dog Isnt Urinating Frequently/properly Its Less Likely That The Bacteria Are Getting Flushed Out

Next, if a dog urinates infrequently and/or doesnt empty the bladder fully, he or she is at a greater risk of getting a UTI. This is the case for two reasons.

First, a good flow of urine pushes out the bacteria that might have started to ascend up the urethra to the bladder.

Think about the bacteria like little mountain climbers. If every time they start to climb up the mountain an avalanche comes along and forces them down to the base of the mountain, they will never summit the mountain . But if the avalanches are infrequent, the bacteria may have time to get to the bladder.

Second, the longer the urine sits in the bladder, the more time the bacteria have to set up shop and multiply in the bladder.

If the dog urinates frequently and effectively empties the bladder, the bacteria that make it to the bladder get deposited on the ground fairly soon after arriving to the bladder. That doesnt leave as many bacteria in the bladder. However, infrequent urination gives the bacteria lots of time to multiply.

Also sometimes a dog is unable to sufficiently empty the bladder due to conditions such as IVDD in dogs, a spinal stroke in dogs, or other neurologic or orthopedic problems. The residual urine in the bladder can act as a storehouse for the bacteria. Since more urine, and therefore potentially more bacteria is left behind, this makes a UTI more likely.

What Are Utis In Dogs

You might think a UTI means your dog has a urinary tract infection caused by a urinary pathogen or bacterial infection. But your dogs urinary tract disease might not be what it seems. Bladder issues often stem from inflammation with no bacteria causing them at all. In fact, many holistic vets say that UTI stands for urinary tract inflammation . This is important to help you treat bladder problems in your dog.

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Treatment For Utis In Dogs

Based on your dogs urine test results, your vet will prescribe an appropriate antibiotic for you to administer as directed.

For acute UTIs, vets usually prescribe an antibiotic for 1-2 weeks. If urine culture and sensitivity testing reveals resistant bacteria, then treatment will include an antibiotic found to fight off that particular bacteria.

To clear the infection for chronic UTIs, treatment will address the underlying cause. Antibiotics are usually prescribed for 4-8 weeks and are based on urine culture and sensitivity to avoid antibiotic resistance. In rare instances of chronic UTIs, your vet may prescribe a lifelong antibiotic for your dogs comfort.

Your vet may also prescribe pain medications, anti-inflammatories, and probiotic supplements to help treat and clear the infections.

What Is A Urinary Tract Infection

Normal dog urine is on the slightly acidic side of neutral and should have a pH of around 6.0-7.0. This is because dogs are carnivores and should be eating a diet higher in protein or meat.

However, when the pH of the urine gets too high or too low, this is when crystals and even bladder stones, or uroliths, can form. This happens commonly due to inappropriate diets, like ultra-processed kibble. Kibble is higher in carbs and vegetable matter. Also, many over-the-counter diets are too high in magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate, which makes up the common struvite crystal.

If your dog is on a high carb or starchy food, the urine pH will be higher, predisposing them to struvite crystals, stones, and even bacterial infections. But if your dog’s pH is too low, calcium oxalate crystals and stones can form. Ideally, we want your dog’s pH to be just below neutral at 6.0-7.0. This can usually be achieved by being on a species-appropriate diet that is higher in protein due to real meat that is more biologically available and low in starches.

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How To Treat A Uti In Female And Male Dogs: Signs And Symptoms Treatment Causes Prevention And More

This content was reviewed by veterinarian Dr. JoAnna Pendergrass, DVM.

To keep the lights on, we receive affiliate commissions via some of our links. Our review process.

Urinary tract infections in dogs are caused by bacteria that make their way into the bladder . If your dog is prone to UTIs, you probably feel helpless at times.

What can you give a dog for a urinary tract infection? Is there a dog UTI treatment over the counter? How can you help prevent your dog from getting UTIs? Well answer these questions and more.