If you are constantly rushing your female puppy to the vet for recurring urinary tract infection (UTI), it would very much help if you knew how to spot the symptoms of female puppy UTI before the condition worsens. Most often, owners do not realize that their puppy is suffering from UTI until the condition has already reached its advanced stage.
As a result, the life of the puppy is put at risk and the owner is likely to administer aggressive treatment that may bring about harsh side effects in trying to save the puppy’s life. To keep this from happening, it is imperative that an owner knows the symptoms of UTI in a female puppy.
Early detection of canine UTI is possible. All you need to do is observe the dog’s behavior and urinating habits. An irregularity of his behavior and urinating habits could be a sign of dog UTI. Other initial symptoms of canine UTI include the following:
- Bloody urine
- Pus in the urine
- A foul smell in the urine
- Cloudy urine
- Crystals or stones in the urine
- Fever
- Listlessness and lethargy
- Frequent licking of the genital area. This act could signal pain in the dog’s genital area.
- Incontinence or the inability to control urine
- Frequent and excessive urination
- Straining and yelping in pain while urinating
- Making an effort to urinate but producing none or little urine
- Urinating in inappropriate areas
- Tenderness of the lower area of the stomach
“Why do UTI in dogs happen” you may ask. Urinary tract infections occur when bacteria, such as escherichia coli, klebsiella, esterococcus, proteus mirabilis, pseudomonas, and coagulase positive straphylococcus have invaded the dog’s internal urinary system, causing inflammation and infection.
Bacteria could enter the dog’s body through contaminated food and water. Similarly, it could enter through the dog’s external urinary openings and extend through the urethra. This instance is known in medical term as ascending UTI. Bacteria can be spread through the dog’s lymphatic system and the blood. If not excreted out of the dog’s body, bacteria can multiply and infect the dog’s bladder, kidneys, urethra, ureter, and prostate gland.
There are natural ways to cure or prevent canine UTI from recurring. Homeopathic remedies are as effective as the best antibiotics and could help suppress the recurrence of the disease. The following are natural remedies you could try for your pet:
- Uva ursi
- Cantharis
- Vitamin C and citrus juices
- Beberis vulgaris
- Staphysagris
- Juniper berry
- Goldenrod
The first thing a veterinarian would do when you bring your dog in for a check-up would be to perform a physical examination on the dog. A urinalysis and blood test may also be taken. X-rays and radiographs are taken to decide if stones are present in the dog’s bladder.
Once the cause of the urinary tract infection is determined, the vet may then prescribe proper medication for the dog. Antibiotics may be given to ease the pain and suppress or stop the infection from spreading and causing more harm to the dog’s internal system. The veterinarian may also prescribe a special diet to help increase the dog’s immunity against infection.
