Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in dogs should typically be treated with an antibiotics course of between 7-14 days. While on treatment, dogs should drink plenty of water to flush their bladder.
Your veterinarian will begin by conducting a urinalysis to detect bacteria, abnormal blood cells and crystals in your pet’s urine. A urine culture and sensitivity tests will often follow this initial exam.
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Symptoms
Your veterinarian will perform a urinalysis to detect bacteria in your dog’s urine. He may also order a culture and sensitivity test, which can detect an infection as well as identify which antibiotics would best treat it.
Bladder infections irritate the bladder walls, prompting dogs to have a constant urge to urinate and produce small amounts of urine that may contain blood. Any difficulty urinating requires immediate medical intervention.
Your veterinarian may prescribe antibiotics and pain medication, and may suggest increasing water intake to promote urination and flush out infection. Herbal remedies such as parsley leaf (an effective natural diuretic), juniper berries (an astringent) or Uva Ursi (bearberry) might also prove helpful and are easily available at health food stores – they could even help relax and comfort your pet, aiding healing efforts in the process.
Treatment
Your veterinarian will begin by collecting a urine sample from your dog and asking about symptoms, feeling around their bladder area and suggesting further tests like x-rays or ultrasound imaging to better identify what is causing a urinary tract infection (UTI). If symptoms recur regularly it’s essential that they be seen as soon as possible as this could indicate cystitis, bladder stones, prostate issues or even kidney disease (pyelonephritis).
If your pet has a chronic urinary tract infection, its prognosis depends on their antibiotic susceptibility and treatment for its source. Longterm antimicrobial treatment may be required in some instances to avoid further infections from recurring.
Veterinarians will conduct a urine culture and sensitivity test as part of a course of antibiotics for your dog, to identify which bacteria are causing infection and select an antibiotic accordingly to ensure optimal outcomes and minimize risks such as antibiotic resistance. It is also crucial that they drink plenty of fresh water throughout this period as this will flush any potential bladder bacteria out more effectively.
Prevention
Prevention options available to dog owners for urinary tract infections (UTIs) include diet modification, supplements that change the pH level of urine to make it harder for bacteria to take hold and medications like Baclofen. Talk with your veterinarian about which options would work best in protecting your pup.
If your dog contracts a urinary tract infection (UTI), follow all veterinary recommendations for treating it. This may involve daily walks and providing plenty of fresh water; this will flush out bacteria that builds up in his bladder. Antibiotic treatment must also be completed entirely to eliminate all of the bad bacteria causing infection from spreading further organs in his body. If symptoms return after taking several rounds of antibiotics, this may indicate something more serious like transitional cell carcinoma/urethral cancer; other diagnostic tests such as urinalysis, abdominal ultrasound imaging and cystoscopy may also be carried out to ascertain what’s causing it.
Home Care
As dogs cannot express how they feel, it’s vital that any bladder infection symptoms present are seen by a veterinarian immediately. Untreated UTIs could lead to serious consequences like urethral blockage or even toxic build-up within their bodies if left untreated, including potential blockage in their urethra and toxic waste buildup in their bladders.
An initial step in treating your dog’s bladder infection should include a comprehensive veterinary exam and urinalysis. A urinalysis assesses urine for bacteria, crystals and abnormal cells which could indicate kidney disease or bladder stones; in addition, culture and sensitivity tests will often be administered to determine which types of bacteria exist as well as how well they react to antibiotics.
Your vet may prescribe antibiotics to your dog in order to treat an UTI, usually both an oral and injectable medicine. In order to help reduce future UTI episodes, have your pup soak for 10 minutes every day in warm bathwater before keeping his/her water bowl filled with fresh water so as to promote more frequent urination.
