How To Treat Urinary Tract Infections In Dogs

It’s not just humans who suffer from urinary tract changes. The number of pets suffering from urinary infections is growing. Therefore, it is important to know these conditions better to avoid more problems for your dog.

It is true that love and dedication are essential for a pet’s health. However, they are not the only things to be aware of in their upbringing. It is essential to make sure that their body and mind are in balance.

The regular visits to the vet are essential to monitor the health of your four-legged friend. It is your responsibility to keep your vaccination booklet and other parasiticide treatments up-to-date. To understand if your dog has a urinary tract infection, it is essential to recognize the most obvious symptoms early  .

Urinary infections: what they are and how they appear

The urinary system acts as a filter in the animal body. It works as a separator for all harmful or undesirable components so that they are expelled with the leaking urine.

Its main function is to allow the body to eliminate toxic or non-assimilable substances that have been ingested or that have entered the body.

The organs of urinary treatment are: kidneys, bladder, ureters and urethra. The bladder is an auxiliary organ of retention; the kidneys are practically a kind of filters. The ureters are the actual ducts, while urine is stored in the bladder until it is expelled. And the urethra is the final route of urine elimination.

Urinary tract infections can arise in one of these organs, but it is more common for this to occur in the bladder and urethra, as they are more exposed to the external environment.

Most urinary tract infections are caused by the entry of a microorganism (usually bacteria) through the urethra. They usually remain in the bladder or urethra itself, incubating the disease even for a long time. The risk is that they can go up the urinary tract, causing complications for your dog’s health.

Dogs suffering from urinary infections

No dog is totally safe from a possible urinary infection. Bacteria tend to be present in all environments. Obviously, there are dogs that are more exposed, or are more susceptible to developing urinary tract infections.

Risks of urinary infections in dogs

• Cross with unknown dogs. Getting your dog to combine with a dog whose owner or state of health is unknown can open the door to a whole host of problems and infections, not just of the urinary tract.
• Presence of other diseases such as, for example, prostate enlargement, kidney stones, tumors, urinary incontinence or hormonal alterations.
• Exposure to  dirty environments, where bacteria multiply easily.
• The females have a higher risk of urinary tract infection, since they have to bend down to urinate and may come into contact more easily with environmental microbes.
• Dogs that are immunosuppressed due to a serious illness, abuse or an unbalanced or insufficient diet.

The greater the dog’s exposure to outdoor environments, the greater the likelihood of coming into contact with microorganisms. This does not mean that you have to suspend your outings with your pet. Keep its immune system strong so that the body alone will have enough capacity to  eradicate any external microorganisms.

Main symptoms of urinary infections

In the case of urinary tract infections, it is very important to have periodic visits to the vet. Many times these pathologies have a silent development and the symptoms appear only in more advanced stages.

The main symptoms of urinary tract infections in dogs are:

• The animal urinates more frequently and with less fluid leakage.
• Notice effort and pain when urinating.
• Cloudy and foul-smelling urine .
• Presence of blood in the urine.
• The dog urinates in unusual places.
• Temperature.
• Loss of appetite.
• Fatigue or lethargy.
• Vaginal discharge (in females).
• Irritation around the external genital organs.
• The dog frequently licks his private parts.

Preventing urinary tract infections in dogs

The best way to prevent any infection is to strengthen the dog’s immune system. This is only possible through a healthy life, which includes a balanced diet and regular exercise.

It is essential to provide adequate hydration for your pet’s body. Fresh, clean water is essential to allow urine to form and to eliminate toxic substances.

How to cure urinary infections?

The main way to treat urinary tract infections is through the administration of antibiotics. In general, broad-spectrum antibiotics are prescribed, typical for fighting major bacterial infections.

But, if the infection is caused by fungi or parasites, antibiotics will have little effect. In this case, specific fungicides or pesticides are used.

Your vet will also recommend a special diet to restore normal urine pH and improve your pet’s immune system more quickly and effectively.

Therefore, if your dog has the symptoms described above, he may be suffering from a urinary tract infection. It is essential to take him to the vet immediately: an early diagnosis will allow the problem to be solved quickly and without jeopardizing the general health of the animal.

Main image author: eltpics