How Can I Tell If My Dog Has Urinary Tract Problems
It can be difficult to know if your dog is in pain, and your dog may not show any signs of pain at all. However, some signs may help you determine if your dog is having trouble with their urinary tract:
- Bloody and/or cloudy urine
- Spinal cord abnormalities
Urinary tract infections are more common in older female dogs and dogs with diabetes. Dogs with bladder stones are more prone to getting frequent UTIs. In addition, lower urinary tract disease and UTIs are common in senior dogs, age seven and older, of all breeds and genders.
How Vets Diagnose Utis In Dogs
There are many ways to tell if a dog has a UTI and to investigate the underlying causes for why an infection occurred in the first place. Its important to obtain a definitive diagnosis whenever there is evidence of urinary tract disease, or else UTIs may come back.
Here are the ways that veterinarians test for UTIs in dogs.
Urinary Tract Infection Treatment
Urinary Tract Infection Antibiotics
Urinary tract infections would have to be one of the more common reasons why a women will go to her chemist to seek a resolution for a condition rather than her doctor. There are various pharmaceutical drugs your pharmacist will recommend to treat cystitis, and they will be generally recommended unless a woman is experiencing blood in her urine or is vomiting.
If she is pregnant with a UTI, she will most probably in all cases be asked to check in with her doctor or report this to her midwife as soon as possible. Usually, a single course of treatment is offered and this will clear up the condition, but if symptoms persist even after trying the OTC drug, she will be told to consult her doctor.
Urinary Tract Infection Tests
Your doctor will most probably want to prescribe antibiotics in this case, whilst he or she awaits the results of the urine test. This will also indicate whether the antibiotic is sensitive to the specific bacteria or whether there is any resistant bacteria which is not going to respond to the antibiotic. But what happens if you get a recurrent UTI you ask? Your doctor may in such a case refer you to a specialist who will perform ultrasound scanning or even an X-ray of the urinary system and perhaps a cystoscopy, an examination of the bladder with a minuscule camera.
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What Happens If Your Dogs Urinary Tract Infection Goes Untreated
In addition to pyelonephritis as mentioned earlier, if a bladder infection goes undiagnosed and untreated, a dog can develop struvite bladder stones. Not all bladder stones are related to infection. However, this specific typewhich are quite common in dogsare directly correlated to an infection in the bladder.
Bladder stones can then predispose your dog to more UTIs, and the cycle continues. In addition, they are quite uncomfortable for your dog.
Imagine having a handful of rocks bouncing around in your bladder. It probably wouldnt feel so good! Finally, a small bladder stone can also get stuck in the urethra. When this happens, your dog may be unable to urinate, which is a medical emergency.
Sneaky Utis Are No Match For Informed Pet Parents
In conclusion, I believe in you. You know your dog better than anyone else. And with this information on the sneaky ways of UTIs, youre prepped to help your dog live the happiest, healthiest life possible.
If you sense any abnormality in your dog, and certainly anything related to the urinary tract, please call your veterinarian. Like all medical issues, the sooner it is diagnosed, the easier, cheaper, safer, and faster it can be resolved. And ultimately, that is the very best thing for our dogs.
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Pennys Story: The Worst
Every veterinary hospital has a few frequent flyer patients who seem to be at the office constantly. Penny, a 4-year-old Westie, was one of ours. She was usually on the appointment schedule for her chronic skin issues.
But one Friday morning, Penny presented for blood in her urine. She had a low-grade fever but no other obvious symptoms. After running some tests, she was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and sent home with oral antibiotics.
But heres the horrible part that plagues me to this day: Penny died that weekend. Her death was a shock to everyone on our staffthe doctor who saw her, certainly me, and most of all, her family. It was heartbreaking on so many levels.
Because of this unexpected outcome, I asked Pennys mom if she would consent to a necropsy . She agreed, and I drove the deceased dog to a specialist to have the autopsy performed. Pennys parents wanted closure and I wanted answers, but the final report broke my heart.
Utis And Hospital Stays
A hospital stay can put you at risk for a UTI, particularly if you need to use a catheter. This is a thin tube that’s inserted through the urethra to carry urine out of the body. Bacteria can enter through the catheter and reach the bladder. This is more often a problem for older adults who require prolonged hospital stays or who live in long-term care facilities.
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Simple Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection
Simple uncomplicated UTI is a sporadic bacterial infection of the bladder in an otherwise healthy individual with normal urinary tract anatomy and function. The presence of relevant comorbidities or 3 or more episodes per year indicates complicated or recurrent UTI, respectively, as are discussed below.
Clinically significant infection implies the presence of a clinical abnormality and is characterized by dysuria, pollakiuria, and/or increased urgency of urination along with the presence of bacteria in urine . These clinical signs are not pathognomonic for infection and can also be caused by noninfectious conditions. Additionally, bacteria can be present in the urine in the absence of clinical signs . Therefore, the clinician must interpret the clinical evaluation, gross and cytological appearance of the urine, and bacterial culture results in parallel to determine the likelihood of a clinically significant UTI.
Urinary Tract Infection: Six Ways To Treat It Without Medicine
It is believed that cinnamon might have an impact on the bacteria causing UTIs especially in long- term catheter users. This is because of its potential of preventing the bacteria from coating the urinary tract
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Taking an antibiotic is the gold standard treatment to tackle a urinary tract infection . This could be necessary if the infection is severe, but there are other ways to deal with it.
Though UTIs can have an impact on anyone, females are considered to be more prone to them. Thats because the female urethra, the tube which carries urine out of the bladder, is shorter than the male urethra.
Due to this, it becomes easier for bacteria to reach the bladder. While UTI is not life-threatening, it may lead to a wide range of symptoms that include a strong persistent need to urinate, a burning sensation while urination and more.
Here are some of the ways to treat it without antibiotics. However, it is important to be cautious as you decide to follow an antibiotic free approach. Make sure that you consult your doctor before you decide to follow a particular strategy.
Cinnamon: It is believed that cinnamon might have an impact on the bacteria causing UTIs especially in long- term catheter users. This is because of its potential of preventing the bacteria from coating the urinary tract. Therefore, cinnamon can be considered to be a natural remedy for UTIs.
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How To Prevent A Dog Uti
You can prevent a dog UTI once the cause of a dogs urinary infection is known, and your veterinary surgeon can make a long term plan to prevent cystitis from returning. There are also some more simple steps you can follow and build into your dogs daily routine. These include:
- Regularly providing fresh drinking water is essential for all causes. It helps to flush away any bacteria and dilute the urine.
- Urinary tract supplements can help prevent inflammation and improve resilience to infection. Talk to your veterinary surgeon about options available, they include Cystopro, Cystaid.
- Keeping your dog groomed and clean around their back end will help to avoid ascending UTIs due to soiling.
- Allow your dog plenty of opportunities to go to the toilet regularly. Regular voiding of the bladder helps to prevent inflammation.
- Feeding any prescription diets as advised by your veterinary surgeon to help prevent further bouts of stones/crystals.
If you have a concern about your dog or identify any of the common signs of a urinary tract infection, contact your localAnimal Trust surgeryorbook a free consultation with one of our vets.
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.
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Female Cat Uti Treatment
There are a few different ways to treat a female cat with a UTI. The most common way is to give the cat antibiotics. This will usually clear up the infection within a week or two. Sometimes a cat may need to be hospitalized and given IV antibiotics if the infection is severe.
Urinary tract infections are more common in cats than infections, but our cats are more prone to urinary tract disease. In cats, a urinary tract infection can cause reduced urine output, increased pain, or discomfort while urinating. The most common cause of urinary tract infection in cats is overweight, middle-aged cats. FLUTD symptoms can be caused by serious underlying health issues such as infection or bladder stones. If left untreated, urinary problems in cats can cause the urethra to become partially or completely obstructed. Failure to eliminate an obstruction within a short period of time can result in death.
Urinary Tract Infection Best Natural Treatment
Here is some dietary advice, advice on the best nutritional supplements and also the best herbal medicines to use in case of a urinary tract infection. Ive been treating patients for almost thirty years and in most cases an antibiotic is not necessary, especially if you treat any minor urinary disturbances at once. As they say, an ounce of prevention is worth a lot more than a pound of cure. Once you start on the recurring drug merry-go-round to cure cystitis, you may well end up like a lot of women Ive seen and develop a female yeast infection.
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What Antibiotic Is Used To Treat Uti In Dogs
Often, veterinarians will prescribe an antibiotic to help provide immediate relief to a dog with a UTI. Its common for vets to prescribe broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ampicillin, and potentiated sulfonamides. These antibiotics target a wide array of UTI-causing bacteria.
Your vet may decide to do a urine culture to determine the specific type of bacteria thats causing your dogs UTI. This will allow your vet to prescribe the antibiotic that most effectively targets that bacteria.
Can I Give My Dog Cranberry Juice
We have heard time and time again that cranberry juice can help get rid of a UTI for humans. But what about dogs? Is cranberry juice for a dog UTI safe? We recommend speaking to your dogs vet about this. Each dog is unique, and what works for one may be dangerous for another. We strongly urge you to speak with your dogs vet before administering any type of treatment.
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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:
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Diabetes mellitus: insulin therapy and diet changes
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Kidney disease: diet changes, blood pressure management, and fluid therapy
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Abnormal vulvar conformation: surgical correction and/or daily cleaning of the perivulvar region
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Urinary crystals: increased water intake, urinary tract supplements, and sometimes a dissolution diet
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Bladder stones: surgical removal via cystotomy, or in some cases, a dissolution diet
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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.
Prevention Of Urinary Tract Infections In Dogs
There are basically three ways to prevent not just urinary tract infections but all kinds of infections:
- A proper diet is very important: certain foods are better suited to its age, such as feed without flour, sweeteners or cheap junk food.
- Both feed and water should be served in clean bowls. The water must be changed every day, but in the summer two or three times a day.
- Dogs need to pee often. If it walks around all day trapped in the house without being able to pee, it can also get an infection.
In short, dogs need special care to stay healthy, especially when they reach a certain age, when they start to get sicker. Urinary tract infections in dogs can be easily cured if detected quickly.
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Veterinary Care Of Urinary Tract Infection In Dogs
If you suspect a urinary tract infection in your dog, a veterinarian should be your first point of contact.
A professional will be able to determine if its really a UTI thats occurring or not and thus be able to take the appropriate steps to treat and healing the issue.
During the initial appointment, your vet will request a sample of the dogâs urine sent out for lab results, usually available within a day or two.
During testing, the staff is looking for culture levels to indicate how severe the urinary infection is.
High concentrations may indicate pyelonephritis, otherwise known as a kidney infection in dogs.
Whether the result , the urine sample will help the veterinary staff determine exactly which kind of antibiotic to prescribe your ailing pup, as UTI in dogs can be caused by a variety of bacterium .
Fluoroquinolones are most commonly used to treat UTIs in people and dogs . Enrofloxacin is a type of fluoroquinolone medicine made for dogs with UTI, and its general approved dosage is from 5 to 20 mg/kg PO q24h .
Veterinarians prescribe antibiotics that will help flood urine with antimicrobials, which will act as a flushing agent, ridding the dogâs body of infection whenever the dog pees . Due to this, its likely the medication will make your dog urinate regularly.
The treatment is likely to last from 7 to 14 days .
Some pet owners may be familiar with the signs of urinary tract infection in dogs and think they can treat it themselves, skipping a bill from the vet.
Diagnosing Uti In Puppies
While a urinary tract infection is painful and uncomfortable for your puppy, it is generally not life-threatening. However, misdiagnosis can interfere with house training and result in accidents that are beyond the puppys control.
In rare cases, a UTI may also be a sign of an underlying problem like Cushings disease in dogs, bladder stones, canine kidney failure, diabetes in dogs, or even bladder cancer. And if left untreated, a UTI can cause permanent damage to your puppys kidneys. So it is important to have a vet examine and properly diagnose you puppy.
To diagnose a UTI, your veterinarian will perform a urinalysis to check for an infection and evaluate kidney function. Further diagnostic tests such as a culture or bloodwork may also be completed in order to determine the type of infection and rule out other health concerns. Your vet may also choose to take x-rays of your puppy to see if there are any stones or abnormalities in the urinary tract or bladder.
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