A dog urinary tract infection is frequent in most dog breeds and may cause a lot of pain. The urinary tract infection is caused by harmful bacteria and more female dogs are affected by UTI due to the reduced length of the urethra.
The symptoms of the infection are not present in the early stages of the disease; but if the infection is left untreated may cause severe complications by attacking other internal organs. If your dog has a urinary infection you will observe the following symptoms: fatigue, fever, spraying, painful urination, incontinence, blood in the urine and powerful urine smell. Any of these signs need a closer look and a vet will be able to give you proper medication.
1. Antibiotics for Canine UTI
The treatment with antibiotics should cure the infection within a week. Antibiotics are effective in treating the infection but have certain side-effects: nausea, diarrhea, lethargy, kidney disease.
If your pet has kidney issues, the antibiotics must be avoided, so as not to cause kidney failure.
Also, if your dog has stomach problems, the antibiotics may aggravate the condition.
2. Homeopathic Treatment
Homeopathic products treat the infection and have no side-effects. These products help relieving the pain and eliminating the bacteria that cause the urinary tract infection.
The ingredients are natural; Berberis Vulg is a widely used ingredient in homeopathic urinary infection treatment and has benefit effects on the urinary tract and bladder, being an anti-inflammatory component as well.
Cantharis may be utilized also, due to its properties to relieve itchiness.
Staphysagris is a good prostate tonic and can be a good ingredient, especially for male dogs.
3. Antibacterial Treatment with Zeniquin
Antibacterial treatment can be effective in tract urinary infections. The infections are caused by bacteria. The most common antibacterial medicine is Zeniquin. This is administered in the form of tablets. However, this drug is not recommended for puppies in the growing phase. The side-effects to Zeniquin treatment are vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite and sleepiness.
Dogs with intolerance to quinolones-the main active ingredient in Zeniquin-should avoid this medication.
4. Treatment with Naxcel
Naxcel is a sterile powder having ceftiofur sodium as active ingredient. Naxcel has antibacterial properties and the substance is active for up to 24 hours-meaning that one dose per day is enough to treat and keep the infection under control. Naxcel is efficient in treating urinary tract infections caused by bacteria such as Proteus mirabilis or Escherichia coli.
The drug is administered through subcutaneous injection. If your dog does not tolerate the substances in Naxcel or injections, this might not be the optimal treatment.
5. Liquids to Flush Out Bacteria
To make sure your dog eliminates all the bacteria in a short time give him a lot of liquids: fresh water or citric juices. He will urinate more frequently, flushing out the bacteria. The citric juices help reducing the pain when urinating as these juices contain acid and will make the urine more acid-killing more bacteria.
This can be a good treatment option for your dog if you detect the infection in time. However, if the infection is severe, other types of medication will be needed.