Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs
Urinary tract infections are a common infection in dogs, the most common symptom is frequent urination or urinating in the house. Some pets may also strain to urinate, drink more water, cry or whine while urinating, excessively lick at their genitals, or you may see blood in the urine.
The most common cause of UTIs is a bacterial infection. Bacteria travels up the urethra and enters the urinary bladder. The bladder is a sterile environment but when bacteria find their way in it can grow and reproduce, causing the infection.
Your pet will be prescribed antibiotics to help clear up the infection. If your pet’s pH is too basic, we will also recommend a Cranberry or other supplement to acidify the urine to help minimize the bacteria. We always need to recheck a urine sample once completing the antibiotics to ensure that the infection has cleared all the way.
The most common bacteria that causes UTIs in dogs is E. coli, however there are other bacterial organisms that may not respond to certain antibiotics. If your pet has persistent urinary infections, we can perform a Culture and Sensitivity test in which a sterile urine sample is sent to a lab and grown in a petri dish. This will identify the specific strain of bacteria that is causing your pets infection, plus they will test which antibiotic would be best to treat it.
If your pet continues to have UTIs that do not respond to medication, we will recommend further diagnostics such as x-rays, bloodwork, ultrasound, etc. to rule out any underlying causes for the chronic infections. These may include bladder stones, kidney disease, polyps, tumors, etc.
Recommended Cranberry Supplements:
The most common cause of UTIs is a bacterial infection. Bacteria travels up the urethra and enters the urinary bladder. The bladder is a sterile environment but when bacteria find their way in it can grow and reproduce, causing the infection.
Your pet will be prescribed antibiotics to help clear up the infection. If your pet’s pH is too basic, we will also recommend a Cranberry or other supplement to acidify the urine to help minimize the bacteria. We always need to recheck a urine sample once completing the antibiotics to ensure that the infection has cleared all the way.
The most common bacteria that causes UTIs in dogs is E. coli, however there are other bacterial organisms that may not respond to certain antibiotics. If your pet has persistent urinary infections, we can perform a Culture and Sensitivity test in which a sterile urine sample is sent to a lab and grown in a petri dish. This will identify the specific strain of bacteria that is causing your pets infection, plus they will test which antibiotic would be best to treat it.
If your pet continues to have UTIs that do not respond to medication, we will recommend further diagnostics such as x-rays, bloodwork, ultrasound, etc. to rule out any underlying causes for the chronic infections. These may include bladder stones, kidney disease, polyps, tumors, etc.
Recommended Cranberry Supplements:
