Dog UTI

Dog UTI

What is UTI?

UTI is what we know as Urinary Tract Infection. It also goes by the name of bacterial cystitis and is pretty common in dogs. The chances of your dog getting an UTI are more if it is more than 7 years of age. Irrespective of the breed, your dog can get UTIs especially if it is a female one. All in all, UTIs should be treated as soon as they are diagnosed in a dog.

Does my pet have Dog UTI?

Although proper diagnosis of UTI can be done only by someone with experience and knowledge like a vet, you can still look for signs in your dog at home. There are some common symptoms which will be able to tell you if your dog is suffering from UTI:

• Your pet will be lethargic
• If your dog urinates then the quantity is very less and it faces difficulty in urinating
• Getting a temperature often
• The dog will have a strong odor in its urine
• The urine can have blood in it
• Urinating will be an extremely painful process
• Vomiting tendency
• Urinating frequently and soiling all around the house
• Loss of weight
• Loss of appetite
• Drinking unusual amounts of water
• Licking the part around the mouth of the urinary tract often

Is there a way to prevent Dog UTI?

Research has not shown any reliable way to prevent UTIs but the chances of it occurring can surely be lessened. If you make sure that your pooch drinks a lot of water then there are chances that UTIs will stay away. Clean the water bowl frequently and especially if you see that the water is dirty or there is food and drool in it.

Taking your dog out for passing urine often is a healthy practice as it is not good to hold it in for long. The more water they drink and pass it out, the better. Including probiotic elements in the diet of your pet is really good for their health. This is because probiotic elements will create an environment inside the body for the growth of bacteria that is beneficial.

Keep your dog clean by wiping the area around the urinary opening after regular intervals so that there is no bacterial growth. These steps are the basic ones that you can start at home to prevent the occurrence of UTIs.

What is the cause of Dog UTI?

It is not really possible to tell the cause of a UTI if you do not run some tests at a vet’s. A common cause is stones in the bladder or some bacterial infection. In the case of male dogs, the chances of getting a UTI are less because the bacteria have to go a long way in order to reach the male urethra. If your dog is a male and has UTI then maybe the problem is serious and you should get treated immediately.

The bacterium that causes UTIs is E.coli. In most cases, a vet will tell you that E.coli is the cause and so it is not that serious. Some causes that are uncommon but quite severe are diseases in the bladder, cancer, diabetes, kidney stones, inflammation in the bladder, prostrate disease, problems in the spinal cord, etc. Such cases are rare but the results can be quite dangerous. This is why we suggest dog owners to get a proper checkup done and the treatment to start as soon as possible.

Treating UTI

The chances are the most that the vet will prescribe antibiotics to your dog if diagnosed with UTI. The course of the antibiotics therapy usually goes on for around 10-14 days in most pets. But, there are exceptions. If your dog has a more severe form of UTI, then the treatment might go on for a prolonged period of time like a month or more. In such severe cases, a good vet will first find out the type of bacteria that is causing the infection and then prescribe medicines meant for fighting those bacteria.

Follow up treatment for UTI

As soon as your pet starts getting treated for UTI, you will see a significant decrease in the symptoms that you noticed. Diagnosis of the state of UTI after the first phase of treatment for two weeks is very crucial. This will show if the medicines are working accurately or not. Usually the vet will ask for a urine test to be done after the first phase. This will bring out any problems that are unresolved, recurring, and firm.

Following this, further treatments and course of action has to be taken. If this is not done then your pet can have long term problems like kidney problems that might be fatal. Vets also prescribe long term medication that go on for long. If your dog has a history of UTI then the vet will keep running urine culture tests, X-rays, etc at regular intervals to see if all is in place. Vets say that constant evaluation might be a good way to combat UTIs if not prevent them.

There are a couple of natural remedies that can be followed to tackle UTIs and you can go the antibiotic way too. The basic tenet is to get your pet treated soon and to make sure that they do not get a UTI in the first place. There is not much your can do to prevent but some hygiene surely helps.