There are some rodent poisons that might cause deadly platelet disintegration. The better your dog’s prognosis, the quicker they can be examined by a veterinarian. Additionally, you can look for additional anemia signs in your dog, like pale gums or black, bloody stools.
Urine that is bloody may also indicate trauma. Even minor injuries from dog fights, car accidents, or other incidents can cause internal organ damage in dogs.
Your dog will experience discomfort from stones in the kidney, bladder, or other parts of the urinary tract. Additionally, they can cause scarring or even urethral obstruction in your dog, which would be a medical emergency.
Difficulty Urinating
A medical emergency is when someone has trouble peeing or is unable to urinate. Call your veterinarian as soon as you notice this symptom since it can cause your dog’s bladder to rupture and be fatal if left untreated.
There are a number of potential reasons why urinating is challenging, including the following:
- infection of the urinary tract
- Obstructions
- urinary tract scar tissue
- illness or damage to the spinal cord
- Trauma
- Cancer
- prostate cancer
The person best suited to handle this hazardous scenario is your veterinarian. Scar tissue in the urinary system may be the result of chronic urinary tract infections or other disorders, just as bloody urine can be fatal if not treated. Trauma and blockages can also be fatal.
Trauma or degenerative diseases may call for prompt treatment to keep your dog comfortable. Spinal cord injuries or ailments might impair the nerves that control your dog’s bladder. These illnesses are more common in some dog breeds, including German Shepherd Dogs.
Male dogs, especially intact males, are susceptible to prostate disease, which can be brought on by an infection, an abscess, trauma, or cancer.
Changes in Urination Habits
Whether we like it or not, most of us are aware of how our dogs urinate. Many of us have been observed inspecting our dog’s feces or urinating in public by people who are not dog owners. More than merely excessive concern, this attention to detail might aid your veterinarian in identifying a medical problem early on.
A trip to the vet is always necessary if your dog’s urinating patterns change. Accidents occurring at home may indicate a behavioral problem, but they may also indicate a significant medical condition. Accidental urination or frequent urination may be signs of a variety of illnesses, including diabetes, hypothyroidism, Cushing’s disease, cancer, trauma, and urinary tract infections, to mention a few. Some nutrients or drugs may be advised by your veterinarian.
Bladder Cancer
The threat of cancer is the most terrifying thing to a dog owner. Fortunately, bladder cancer in dogs is uncommon. Even so, owners of breeds like Scottish Terriers, Shetland Sheepdogs, West Highland White Terriers, Beagles, and Wire Fox Terriers should be aware of the signs of bladder cancer.
Urinary symptoms, such as recurrent urinary tract infections, can indicate bladder cancer. Transitional cell carcinoma is the most prevalent type of bladder cancer (TCC). These tumors have a high rate of metastasis and are extremely aggressive. The prognosis for your dog can often be improved by early detection.
Both UTIs and UTI symptoms can be brought on by bladder cancer, which can make a diagnosis challenging. Urination may be challenging as a result of tumors blocking urine flow. Blood in the urine can also be a symptom of cancer. The chance of a UTI on top of this makes it challenging to diagnose bladder cancer in dogs. Other risk variables that veterinarians search for include age and breed. To look for obstructions, tumors, or other explanations for your dog’s symptoms, additional diagnostic procedures like radiography and ultrasounds might be carried out.
Dog urine is currently being screened for indicators of TCC and urothelial carcinoma as part of a study by the NC State College of Veterinary Medicine and the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine (UC). The CADET BRAF Mutation Detection Assay is being used in this study to screen dog urine in an effort to detect cancer before the canines exhibit any symptoms.
Tumor removal is the recommended course of action for treating urinary tract malignancies. Additionally helpful treatments include radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and assistance from your veterinarian in managing persistent bacterial yeast infections.
What occurs if a dog’s UTI persists for too long?
Urinary tract infections are already very dangerous. If they are not treated, they can result in lower urinary tract dysfunction, kidney or bladder stones, prostate gland inflammation, infertility, blood toxicity, and potentially kidney infection and kidney failure. Similarly, some symptoms could indicate a condition that is much more serious than a UTI.
Bloody Urine
Blood is one of the most concerning signs of a UTI. In the event that you suspect there may be blood in your dog’s pee, call your veterinarian right away. While a UTI may be the cause, the following conditions may also be the cause:
How long does it take for a dog’s UTI to go away?
Your dog’s health history, current symptoms, and possibly a urinalysis will all be discussed with your veterinarian. This normally entails taking a sample of the dog’s urine to be tested for bacteria, crystals, and protein by either you or the veterinarian. The dog will often receive a course of antibiotics for a week to 10 days when the veterinarian confirms the origin of the infection. Unless your veterinarian advises differently, make sure your dog finishes the antibiotics completely to avoid the infection returning. It is advised that you give your dog more water to help him urinate more frequently and wash out any bacteria. Your veterinarian may perform a second urinalysis on your dog during a subsequent visit to see if the infection has subsided.
After taking antibiotics, can a dog still have a UTI?
The UTI classifications were updated in 2019 by the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases.
7 The words “simple or uncomplicated” and “complex UTI” are no longer advised to be used. The three diagnoses included in the updated categorization are sporadic cystitis, recurrent UTI, and subclinical bacteriuria.
Subclinical Bacteriuria
While not a true UTI, the term “subclinical bacteriuria” is used to describe patients who had bacteria found in a urine culture but had no symptoms of the lower urinary tract. In earlier literature, “occult UTIs,” which were almost certainly subclinical bacteriuria, were frequently mentioned. The phrase “occult UTI” should no longer be used to describe bacteriuria in a patient who is asymptomatic. Most patients with subclinical bacteriuria don’t need any therapy and should be thought of as having urinary tract colonization rather than an infection.
Sporadic Cystitis
Sporadic bacterial infection, which previously went by the names “simple or “uncomplicated UTI, results in cystitis and symptoms in the lower urinary tract. It’s no longer advised to use the phrase “difficult UTI.” Patients with functional or anatomical abnormalities of the urinary tract are susceptible to developing bacterial cystitis; nevertheless, unless pyelonephritis or prostatitis are present, the presence of these abnormalities does not call for extended antibiotic therapy.
Recurrent UTI
If a patient gets three or more UTIs in a 12-month period, it is deemed recurrent. To ascertain whether this illness is a reinfection, relapsing infection, or a refractory infection, further investigation is necessary. Within six months of stopping antibiotic therapy, reinfection is the reappearance of a UTI but this time it is brought on by a different organism. When the same organism is cultured again within 6 months of stopping antibiotic therapy, a recurrent UTI is identified. This data shows that the patient has a disease that permits recolonization or hinders complete eradication of infection (BOX 1). For individuals with this condition, further diagnostic testing is necessary. When a positive urine culture is discovered when the patient is receiving the necessary antibiotic medication, a refractory UTI is identified (based on in vitro susceptibility testing). The following are some examples of the potential causes of refractory UTI:
How are canine canine chronic UTIs treated?
Amoxicillin is advised for dogs with recurrent gram-positive bacteria that cause UTI at a dose of 20 mg/kg given PO once daily at bedtime. Preventive therapy for dogs with gram-negative reinfections may involve either nitrofurantoin (4 mg/kg PO once day) or a first-generation cephalosporin.
What canine kidney infection symptoms can you look for?
Dogs’ Kidney Infection Symptoms
- increased water consumption and urination frequency (often with only small amounts of urine)
- a challenge in passing urine.
- discomfort while urinating.
- unsuitable urination (your house-trained dog may suddenly urinate anywhere inside your home)
- Fever.
How can I treat a UTI in my dog?
UTIs in our canine companions can be painful, just like UTIs in humans, and waiting too long to send your dog to the vet for treatment may worsen the symptoms. The prostate and kidneys may become infected as well. Marx advises against using human prescription drugs because they are dangerous to animals, even though you might be tempted to grab some over-the-counter medication to heal your dog right away.
Ask your veterinarian for advice if you think your dog has a UTI. For a test and exam, you might need to make an appointment. Ask first before bringing a urine sample, as your veterinarian might request it. You should avoid having your dog go potty shortly before the veterinarian appointment because there are some circumstances that call for sterile urine collection in the clinic.
A urinalysis, a test to check for germs, abnormal blood cells, and crystals, the latter of which may indicate that your dog has bladder stones, may be the first step your veterinarian takes. A urine culture, which requires a sterile urine sample to test for bacterial growth, may also be advised by your veterinarian. A urine culture and sensitivity test can help identify any bacteria present in your dog’s urine as well as how those bacteria react to different antibiotics.
Dogs with UTIs are frequently treated with antibiotics, but the specific antibiotic that is recommended will depend on the symptoms and severity of your dog’s illness as well as current veterinary medical standards.
The collection of a urine sample can be done at home or at the veterinarian’s office, according to Marx. Be sure to first inquire from your veterinarian if you even need to bring a sample (your vet may prefer to do this in the clinic). Obtaining a urine sample at home is as follows:
Taking a Urine Sample at Home
If at all feasible, Marx advises attempting to collect urine from your dog’s first morning poop because it will be the most concentrated sample. Capture it in a spotless, airtight container.
The urine from your dog’s urination can also be collected with a soup ladle, which can then be moved to a fresh container. The vet’s office must receive a home urine sample within two hours, though.
Collecting a Urine Sample at the Veterinary Clinic
Your veterinarian can take a sterile sample with a needle if you are unable to obtain one at home. The majority of canines tolerate the fast treatment very well, according to Marx. In fact, if your veterinarian wishes to perform a urine culture, a sterile sample is required. It is therefore advised to consult your veterinarian before attempting to collect a urine sample at home.
If your veterinarian discovers crystals in the urine sample, your dog could also require X-rays to look for bladder stones. Additionally, bladder stones must be addressed since they might lead to recurrent bladder infections.
According to Marx, the most common form of treatment for a UTI in dogs is a straightforward course of antibiotics, typically recommended for seven to 14 days. For the purpose of clearing bacteria from the bladder, you should also encourage your dog to drink water.
By 48 hours after receiving antibiotics, Marx asserts, “dogs should feel better.” “It may occur as soon as 24 hours from now. But to ensure that the UTI is entirely resolved, keep taking the medication as long as your veterinarian has advised.” At a follow-up visit, your veterinarian can check the urine again to make sure the bacterium is gone.
Empiric Antibiotic Selection
In particular when the patient has received prior antibiotic therapy, the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and multidrug resistance has increased, making empiric antibiotic selection more challenging. 4
Uncomplicated UTI
Amoxicillin, cephalosporins, and trimethoprim-sulfonamide are suggested medications for uncomplicated UTI. 3,6 Despite the fact that patients with an uncomplicated UTI are frequently successfully treated empirically, repeated treatment without results from culture and susceptibility testing may result in the wrong antimicrobial choice, unnecessary side effects, and even the selection of bacteria that are resistant to that antimicrobial. 4
Complicated & Recurrent UTI
Antibiotics should never be chosen based solely on culture susceptibility data for complex UTI (see Culture & Sensitivity). Pyelonephritis, prostatitis, and relapsing or recurrent UTIs are frequently difficult to treat without medication based on culture and susceptibility findings. However, while culture and susceptibility results are being awaited, medication should be started. Amoxicillin, fluoroquinolones, or trimethoprim-sulfonamide are sensible first-line treatment options for complex UTI. 3
Are dogs’ UTIs painful?
Bladder infections can affect any dog, regardless of breed, however they do tend to affect female dogs more frequently. These uneasy, frequently uncomfortable circumstances may be brought on by crystals, bacteria, illnesses like diabetes, or even some drugs.
Symptoms of Bladder Infection in Dogs
Dogs with bladder infections typically experience pain or difficulty peeing, have blood in their urine, or in some circumstances only urinate in very little amounts but repeatedly. Other symptoms of urinary tract infections (UTIs) or bladder infections include:
- effort to urinate
- increased urination frequency
- Urine with blood in it
- Urine that is cloudy or has a strong odor
- reduced urine production
- Mishaps that occur in your home
- Whining when taking a poop
- Sucking on one’s genitalia
- Fever
- heightened thirst
- Not enough energy
Visit your veterinarian right away if your dog is displaying any of the symptoms listed above. For dogs, urinary tract infections and bladder infections can be excruciatingly unpleasant. Nevertheless, the sooner you can get your dog to the doctor, the better, as these illnesses are frequently swiftly and easily cleaned up when discovered and treated early.
How to Treat Bladder Infection in Dogs
Dog bladder infections are most commonly treated with antibiotics, though occasionally your veterinarian may also advise anti-inflammatory drugs or painkillers depending on the severity and underlying cause of your pup’s infection.
Although bladder infections in humans occasionally resolve on their own without the need for medical attention, your dog is not likely to experience this. Additionally, since our canine friends are unable to communicate their feelings to us, it is advisable to have your veterinarian examine any symptoms of sickness. The bladder infection in your dog could worsen and complicate if it is not addressed.
It’s also crucial to keep in mind that the symptoms of your dog’s bladder infection could actually be a sign of a more serious underlying problem that requires veterinarian attention. It is always preferable to err on the side of caution and visit your veterinarian when it comes to your pet’s health.
Please take note that the information in this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice for animals. Please schedule an appointment with your veterinarian for a precise diagnosis of your pet’s illness.
