For many knowing that dog urinary tract infections are relatively common will come as a surprise.
Others may be under the false impression that house dogs are not vulnerable to a dog urinary tract infection because indeed they can be.
Statistics compiled over many years tell us that about 15 percent of all dogs will acquire one of these infections at some point with around one out of every three cases becoming chronic or recurring.
Note: While 14 percent is the official number some experts suggest the number could be as high as 25 percent due to the number of untreated dogs or cases written off to co-existing conditions.
The highest probability exists in female dogs over the age of ten, though it can be acquired by virtually any dog at any age.
In the vast majority of cases the infection is bacterial in nature gaining access through the urethra and working its way up to the bladder in short order.
Once the infection has been able to gain the upper hand it will spread rapidly often producing a number of very predictable symptoms.
Symptoms of dog urinary tract infections In less than 5 percent of cases a dog urinary tract infection will produce few if any symptoms but the other 95 percent of the time it is an entirely different story.
The most common symptoms are: *A change in urinary habits.
This could include accidents in the house or wanting to go out more.
*Foul smelling cloudy urine.
*Yelping, crying, or whimpering when urinating.
*Changes in emotional behavior such as depression, anti-social behavior, or aggression.
*Blood in the urine stream.
*An unexplained increase in water consumption.
If I recognize the signs what should I do? The treatment for dog urinary tract infections are any one of a number of antibiotics or antimicrobial drugs such as amoxicillin, cephalexin, or enrofloxacin.
If all goes as planned your dog's condition should start to improve in a few days and be completely eliminated in a seven to ten days.
It is also important to make sure to give the entire round of antibiotics.
If this is not done it leaves the door wide open for the infection to become chronic requiring long term antibiotic use.
Note: Dog urinary tract infections often strike pets who have a weakened or compromised immune system.
Regular exercise along with supplementing their daily routines with a pet urinary tract conditioning supplement are just two of the ways to reduce the chance of infection.
Prevention A dog urinary tract infection can be an expensive proposition to treat, especially when the condition becomes chronic.
While preventative steps will not guarantee that your dog will not become infected they can greatly reduce the risk.
Let's look at a six simple preventative ideas.
*Bathe your dog regularly.
*Make sure their backside stays clean and neatly trimmed.
This is especially true if you have a long haired breed.
*Add extra bathroom breaks to their daily routine to make sure urine pooling in the bladder is kept at a minimum.
*Make sure clean purified water is always available to them.
Adding cranberry or blueberry juice will make it harder for bacteria to cling to the wall of the urinary track.
*Make time for daily walks.
Daily walks will both stimulate the urge to void and relieve excess stress.
*Consider herbal and/or homeopathic remedies for dog UTIs from trusted sources to keep the urine flowing and improve overall immune system function.
Many of these products also possess antibacterial properties and can be used in conjunction with a convention drug treatment approach.