[Pudlmom]

I have a standard poodle who is showing signs of developing her third UTI in a year. She has been on two rounds of antibiotics, which completely clear it up. I am using a prescription wipe and ointment to try to prevent another one, but I am wondering if there is not a dietary problem here, or at least a dietary change that could be made to help prevent this. The vet says that even though she is not overweight, it is as if she is overweight in that area; i.e., moisture tends to be trapped in that area.

Any suggestions, especially for home remedies?

 

[Kathyy]

Cranberry supplement? Helps keep bacteria from adhering to the bladder walls.
Have the lab culture the urine for a longer period of time, the nasties come back from very small numbers.
Ultrasound and xray for stones. Bacteria hide out in them.
Sassy doesn't drink enough water, I force fluids by adding a lot to her food. I even have to feed her three times a day as she cannot hold the amount in two meals. And she WON'T drink it.

 

[Pudlmom]

Oh, I didn't even think of the cranberry. I've taken that myself. She could definitely stand to drink more water, so I will make an effort along that line also. Thanks.

 

[dakotajo]

Didn't your vet say anything about her diet? Less protein or anything?

 

[petra'smom]

Has you vet checked for stones or crystals? These may cause recurrent UTI's. There are indeed special prescription diets for dogs prone to UTI's. Hill's makes some and so does Purina. You should consult with your vet on putting her on one of these diets.

Cranberry indeed may help acidify her urine and make it inhospitable to harmful bacteria. I thibk some stores sell these for dogs in tablets. As others mentioned, encouragaing her to drink is very good. A water fountain may work well for finicky drinkers. You can also encourage fluid intake in other manners such as offering some broth with no onion or garlic in it and now that it is starting to get warm offering some ice chips may be a fun way to get some fluids in!

 

[Pudlmom]

Let's see. On the last visit, they did a test which took several days for the results to come back. He said he wanted to check for stones and crystals, and that she may have to go on a special diet. He had given me an antibiotic and something for her pain in the meantime. When I finally got a call about the results, they said, no need to put her on a special diet, just continue the prescription. I was glad to hear that because I am already buying a very expensive prescription diet for our other poodle. Otherwise he said nothing about diet.

Several months ago we bought the large Drinkwell fountain. We finally realized that she was avoiding it all day -- seemed to be literally afraid of it or something. She would go all day without drinking until she was allowed in our bedroom at night where we have a 2-liter bottle waterer. We had to scrap the fountain so that she would drink during the day.

Last night I put a cranberry tablet and water in her food and she drank all of it. She got up two or three times to drink and/or go out, which is odd because she is so sedentary during the day. The last few days she doesn't want to go for a walk, but then again she hates rainy weather ;-).

 

[Kathyy]

I give Sassy water using these guidelines. I try for 1.5 times the amount that comes up. She gets home cooked food with so much water added it looks like Cambell's soup as served.
I know what you mean, the water sits there and nothing goes in. And when she does drink it is slow laps, I count 1 mississippi, 2 mississippi, no way she gets enough from drinking plain water daily.
http://www.mycockerspaniel.com/h2o.htm

Here is an article with references to follow.
http://http://www.b-naturals.com/newsletter/category/uti/

 

[bambee]

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in dogs, and often there is a primary disease which predisposes to this problem and needs to be corrected or treated. Dogs with endocrine diseases, especially with hyperadrenocorticism, diabetes mellitus or both, are on very high risk -and urinary cultures on a regular base are highly recommended since the urinalysis often is normal! http://www.vetcontact.com/en/art.php?a=1041&t=

For home remedies, you can try to make use of the following:
1. Citrus Juices.
When dealing with a UTI, try giving your dog citrus juices. Some good examples are orange juice, cranberry juice and lime juice. These juices will help boost the acidity of your dog's urine. With a higher acid content, the amount of bacteria in the urine is lessened. If your dog is unable to drink a full glass of citrus juice, try giving it in small doses.

2. Apple cider vinegar.
Apple cider vinegar is a very popular home remedy for UTI's. It works extremely well for humans, and has the same high effectiveness for treating a UTI in your dog. Simply add 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to your dog's food once per day. You can also add apple cider vinegar to your dog's water for three straight days. The effect of apple cider is the same as the citrus juices. Apple cider vinegar neutralizes the bacteria in the urine, and can help reduce your dog's discomfort from this disease.

3. Frequent bathing.
If your dog is suffering from UTI, be sure to give your dog a bath on a weekly basis. Keeping your dog clean will ensure that bacteria from the urine will not travel to the urethra, which will greatly increase the possible complications of a urinary tract infection. Keep your dog clean and well groomed at all times.

4. Give your dog plenty of water.
Water cleanses the body. Dogs suffering from UTI need to urinate often to help flush out the invading bacteria. Keeping a constant supply of accessible clean water initiates the process of urination, which will help speed up the process of eliminating the bacteria in the urine. It is also very important for your dog to urinate as frequently as needed.

http://www.uti-in-dogs.com/uti-in-dogs-home-remedies.php

 

[Pudlmom]

Bambee, thanks for the tips. I will try the vinegar and lime juice today. I am keeping her shaved in that area and am using the wipes given to me by the vet. They have a bit of a vinegar smell, so I am thinking I will make my own wipes (when these run out) out of vinegar. She has water available at all times, but doesn't want to drink often, and also doesn't want to go out often, and we have actually begun to have trouble getting her outside as often as we used to.

 

[hsieh]

i had a male dog i had to neuter because he kept getting bloody urine because his prostate would swell and trap the urine inside then it would get infected from being trapped inside.