Content

• Steps
• Advice

Urinary tract infections in dogs occur when bacteria get in and infect the dog's immune system. In many cases, the urinary tract infection in dogs goes undetected, and sometimes there are no obvious symptoms.However, if a dog has a urinary tract infection, the dog often experiences pain while urinating and is at risk for many other underlying medical conditions. To help your dog avoid pain and discomfort, you should work to prevent urinary tract infections in the first place.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Preventing urinary tract infections in dogs

1. 

   Clean the dog. You need to keep the dog's tail as clean as possible. Urinary tract infections are more common in female dogs than male dogs due to the structure and position of the female's vulva close to the anus, so it is easy to get feces from the anus.
   • Whether it's a male or a female dog, the dog needs to shave around the tail and genitals to prevent feces or bacteria from entering the dog's genitals.
   • Dirty dogs need to be washed thoroughly, make sure the hair around the genitals is clean.

2. 

   
   
   Allow your dog to pee often. The longer the urine stays in the bladder, the more opportunities for bacteria to grow. Frequent urination helps to push bacteria out of the bladder, thus helping to reduce the risk of infection. Ideally, you should pee the dog every 4 hours.
   • An adult dog can hold the pee for 8-10 hours, but it is not good for a dog to hold it. You should allow your dog to pee freely.
   • You should take your dog to urinate each night before going to bed and in the morning immediately after waking up to limit the amount of time the dog will stop at night.

3. 

   
   
   Give your dog plenty of clean water. The bacteria can secrete toxins that cause inflammation of the bladder lining. Inflammation of the bladder mucosa will allow many bacteria to enter and grow. Drinking plenty of water helps dilute toxins and reduce the risk of infection.
   • Prepare a large, deep, and clean bowl of water for your dog.
   • Make sure your dog is drinking water at all times.
   • Wash the water bowl and change the water daily.
   • If you have an old dog or have difficulty walking, you should place a water bowl for your dog in many parts of the house.

4. 

   
   
   Do not give your dog orange juice or other "acidic foods (drinks)". You may have heard that high-acid diets are home remedies for urinary tract infections. In theory, the acid helps balance the pH in the urine and kills bacteria that cause infections. However, too much acidity causes a bladder stone instead of a urinary tract infection.
   • Give your dog a diet prescribed by your doctor, instead of using home remedies. You can see your vet for advice on how to feed your dog (drink) scientifically.

5. 

   Give your dog special food. If your dog is susceptible to a urinary tract infection, you can ask your veterinarian to recommend special foods for your dog. The ideal dog urine pH should be between 6.2 and 6.4. A doctor-prescribed diet is specifically designed to help dogs lower the pH of their urine.
   • If your dog has been told to eat raw mashed foods, make sure to keep your dog hydrated by leaving plenty of clean bowls of water available throughout the house.
   • Wet foods recommended by doctors often contain more water than raw mashed foods and help prevent dehydration. However, wet foods often take up more space and make dog droppings worse.
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Part 2 of 2: Recognizing and coping with urinary tract infections

1. 

   Pay attention when your dog's need to pee becomes more urgent. This is shown by the dog's urge to go to the toilet more often. The dog also appears more fussy, as if it were urgent every time. An urgent need to urinate is an obvious sign of a urinary tract infection.
   • You may also notice that your dog is peeing frequently (squatting or pulling one leg up), but is unable to urinate. Dog feel had a real urination but was unable to urinate when she was taken outside.

2. 

   Notice if your dog is urinating blood. Dogs often urinate in the grass, so it is difficult to detect blood in urine. If you suspect your dog has a urinary tract infection, watch the flow of the urine in the air before the urine finishes on the ground. If the urine looks bloody, get your dog to the vet immediately.

3. 

   Take your old dog to be tested often. Older dogs with certain diseases such as kidney disease or diabetes often drink plenty of fluids to fight the disease, thus risking "unclinical infection" due to excessive urination. There will be bacteria in your dog's urinary tract, but not enough to cause any obvious signs of discomfort.
   • The only way to diagnose a nonclinical infection is to bring your dog to the vet for a urine sample. Some veterinarians recommend that you include this in your aging dog's medical care calendar.
   • If your dog has a history of infection that has not been clinically apparent, you should have your dog tested once every 3-6 months.

4. 

   Take your dog to the vet if you suspect that your dog has a urinary tract infection. An "infection" is a warning about the presence of an infectious agent such as bacteria. The infection requires medical treatment, so get your dog to the vet as soon as possible. If possible, take a urine sample from your dog and bring it with you to the doctor to help the veterinarian diagnose the disease faster.

5. 

   See the veterinarian if the infection recurs. If you have been treated with a urinary tract infection but the condition keeps coming back again and again, the dog is most likely having a health problem. Immunodeficiency or bladder tissue impairment can increase the risk of urinary tract infections. Identify and treat these conditions to reduce the risk of urinary tract infections in your dog. It is advisable to have your dog tested at the vet to determine potential causes of the disease. Your dog may undergo tests such as:
   • Blood test: Your veterinarian can find out why your dog is drinking a lot and urinating (kidney disease, liver disease or diabetes).
   • Imaging tests: Your doctor may perform an ultrasound scan to identify tumors, bladder cancer, bladder stones, and diseases that affect the bladder lining.
   • Urine residue test: The doctor will look at the crystals in the dog's urine residue under a microscope to find out the cause.
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Advice

• Bacteria can cause urinary tract infections quickly in female dogs who have had their ovaries removed because their urethra is shorter than normal dogs. Use wet toilet paper to wipe your dog's genitals after he pee to prevent urinary tract infections.