A urinary tract infection in dogs calls for antibiotics. Even though there are some natural remedies that could help treat urinary tract infections without antibiotics, in some cases, even holistic veterinarians prescribe antibiotics, as the complications can be quite severe.
Urinary tract infections occur due to bacteria reaching the bladder or the urethra. Escherichia coli, straphylococcus, esterococcus, proteus mirabilis, klebsiella or pseudomonas are bacteria which can come from infested water or food and cause a urinary infection. If the infection is not treated, it can spread to the kidneys and the prostate.
Female dogs are more prone to developing urinary tract infections, as their urethra is shorter.
Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infections
During the first stage, the urinary tract infection might not show any symptoms. It is only when the bacteria have invaded the urinary tract that symptoms appear. There are two types of urinary tract infections, and the symptoms are different.
An upper urinary tract infection comes with:
- Lack of appetite
- Vomiting and weight loss
- Drinking more water than usual
A lower urinary tract infection will present symptoms such as:
- Polydipsia (excessive drinking)
- The dog is in pain when urinating
- The urine might contain traces of blood
- The dog urinates significantly more than usual
- The dog tries to urinate, but cannot (this would signal a really severe case of urinary tract infection)
Urinary Tract Infection Antibiotics
Antibiotics are the treatment of choice for a urinary tract infection.
Your veterinarian will perform a sensitivity test to see how the bacteria in the urine react to certain drugs, then check if your dog is allergic to any drugs and then prescribe the proper antibiotics.
If the right antibiotic is prescribed, the number of bacteria in the dog's urine will decrease.
However, your veterinarian may prescribe the antibiotic without performing the urine culture test.
A urinary tract infection is often treated with antimicrobials.
These are usually taken for 2 to 3 weeks, depending on how much the infection has spread.
The most common antibiotics and antimicrobials are:
- cephalexin
- amoxicillin
- penicillin
- enrofloxacin
However, even if the symptoms disappear, you should still continue the medication treatment until indicated by the vet. If not all bacteria are killed, the infection will reappear in a short time and the dog will also develop immunity to the antibiotics administered.
Administering Urinary Tract Infection Antibiotics at Home
Antibiotics are best given in the morning and in the evening, 12 hours apart. Choose the hours when you are sure to be at home, so you can respect the schedule.
A urine culture will be performed in 5 to 7 days after the dog has completed the antibiotic treatment.
The dog should have fresh clean water all the time and he should be
taken out to urinate as often as he needs, to make sure that the
bacteria won’t gather and reproduce in his urinary tract.