Home Remedies for Dog’s Urinary Tract Infection
How can I tell if my pet has UTI? One of the first warning signs of cat or dog urinary tract infection might be some straining, pain or discomfort when urinating, but any change in urinary habits could signal UTI.
Watch out for incontinence or increased frequency of urination, the ability to pass only a very small or an abnormally large amount of urine, and urination in inappropriate places. Cats often stop using the litter box altogether to urinate. Other symptoms may include the passing of urine which is cloudy or strong in odor, an increased thirst, and visible inflammation or irritation. Symptoms which may indicate UTI (but could also be signs of other illness) include lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, fever and back pain.
What can I do about it? Urinary tract infection in dogs can be a recurring phenomenon and it might tire you to constantly take your dog to the vet. Consequently, you may wonder if a dog’s urinary tract infection can be treated with a homemade formula. Fortunately, a dog’s UTI can be treated from the comfort of home. Make sure, though, that the dog’s condition is not severe. If it is, it is highly advised that instead of giving the animal homemade treatment, you take it to the vet for proper diagnosis and appropriate medical treatment.
Urinary tract infection does not pose a life-threatening risk to dogs. Thus, you may address the problem yourself in your home. There are several homemade remedies that are effective in treating a dog’s UTI. Some of these remedies are listed below.
1. Frequent bathing. Bathing your pet frequently can help prevent the recurrence or spread of bacteria that are causing complications. Bathing the dog frequently can help flush out bacteria that may invade its urinary system through the opening of the urethra.
2. Citrus juices. If your dog is suffering from UTI, you can give it citrus juices such as orange juice, lime juice, and cranberry juice (NO grapefruit). These can help boost the acid level of the dog’s urine.
Grapefruit has the potential to actually be toxic to your dog, even the essential oils.. The peel, pith and seeds are the most dangerous as they contain chemical compounds known as psoralens which can cause lethargy, depression, diarrhea, vomiting, photo-sensitivity, drooling, trembling and a sensitivity to light. Toxicity can be fatal.
3. Apple cider vinegar. This has properties which can neutralize the bacteria present in the dog’s urine, reducing the discomfort caused by the disease to the pet. You can give the animal apple cider vinegar by mixing it in water. You would like to try 1 tsp. for a small dog and 1 tbs. for a medium-large dog. If you add it to your dog’s drinking water, you should also offer plain water, just in case your dog doesn’t want to drink the water with the ACV in it. You don’t want to risk his/her drinking less water and possibly becoming dehydrated.
4. Clean water. Give your dog ample amount of clean water everyday. This can help wash out the bacteria that have accumulated in the canine’s urine. In the process, the infection may be lessened.
Aside from the remedies listed above, you may also give your dog herbal remedies and homeopathic remedies. These remedies have been shown to have wonderful effects in dogs suffering from UTI and other urinary problems. These remedies cannot only help cure the UTI in your dog; these likewise prevent the recurrence of the disease. Herbal and homeopathic remedies are also safe because they do not have side effects that may add to the discomfort and pain felt by the pet.
If you are going to use herbal and homeopathic remedies in treating a dog’s urinary tract infection, especially look for products which have uva ursi, staphysagris, berberis vulgaris, golden rod, juniper berry, and cantharis as ingredients. These ingredients have properties which can help soothe the dog’s bladder, relieve the inflammation, and ultimately strengthen the bladder. Prolonged use of these remedies can help keep ypur dog in top shape by preventing the recurrence of infections.
Urinary tract infection is truly a rising problem in today’s society. However, you can help keep your dog safe from infections by giving it home remedies. It is still very essential, though, that you take your pet to the vet regularly for check-up. By doing so, occurrence of infections can be detected and dealt with earlier.
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Melissa Simmonds is a dog health enthusiast. She has done much research in the hope of finding ways of treating a dog’s urinary tract infection She has learned from her research that a dog’s UTI can be treated with homemade remedies.
Article Source: Melissa_Simmonds
MORE INFO
Cranberry Extract is high in Vitamin C and prevents bacteria from adhering to the bladder wall. Women who drink a pint of juice a day had 63% reduction in recurrence of urinary tract infections. And YES YOU CAN GIVE IT TO YOUR PETS!!!! One 3000 mg capsule is equivalent to 24 ounces of cranberry juice.
Dosing schedule: 1/8 capsule for cats & small dogs, ¼ capsule for medium dogs, ½ capsule for large dogs and 1 capsule for giant breed dogs. Give THREE times a day.
From the Antietam Valley Animal Hospital‘s newsletter
Guidelines for Use: Cranberry has no known interactions with antibiotics or other medications. But by acidifying the urine, cranberry may lessen the effect of another herb sometimes used for UTIs called uva ursi (also known as bearberry). Try one or the other.
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I have a 4 year old dashhound. I rescued her from the pound so I do not know much about her health history. She likes to travel so I take her with me to lowes and home depot etc. Today in lowes she urinated on the floor, something she does not normally do. It was a small puddle and it was very dark. She doesnt act like she is in any pain when she pees. She cant get in to see the vet for a week. I was thinking maybe i should go to petsmart and see if they have fish flex. Do you think this would help of hurt her?
It’s so great to hear that you rescued a companion! Good for both of you!
When urine becomes concentrated, it can be darker yellow. Is she drinking plenty of water? Because it was on a concrete floor, could the darkness have hidden that it was dark because it was tainted with blood — which could indicate a possible infection. If you are unable to get to the vet, I think the fish flex may help. Just be sure to dose it down for her small weight. Also monitor her habits — does she need to go out more frequently, is she drinking more water than usual, is she having other accidents or was this a one time thing, is she eating normally?
You might consider adding some probiotics to her food as any antibiotic affects good bacteria as well as bad.
I appreciate your replies but aside from cleansing the area which I’m doing already there’s nothing that relates to my question about dosage of cranberry extract or suitable alternative for a 2 week old bottle fed puppy. Sprinkling over food or adding to a bowl of water isn’t appropriate so doesn’t help me. If you feel it’s not the correct thing for such a young puppy that’s helpful.
You might check your pet store for cranberry treats. Supplement-wise, no more than 200mg per 10 lbs, but you might start at a lower dosage.
Hi, I’ve read everything I can find on the Internet including the piece you’ve cut and pasted from another article but my question was about suitability and dosage for a 10 day old puppy. She was seen by a vet yesterday and because of her age and recent enforced transition to puppy milk replacement the vet didn’t want to administer antibiotics hence looking for a natural remedy. There are no visible signs of injury, she’s feeding well but passing a small trace of blood in her urine.
At the end of my previous response, I included some natural solutions you could try. Because your vet recommended against administering antibiotics, due in part to her age, that speaks to the suitability at this point. The bottom line is that you need to flush her urinary tract and make sure her genital area stays clean so no bacteria enters her system from that direction.
You also mentioned that she does not seem to be gaining weight as fast as the other puppies. If you decide to add high calorie supplementals to her diet, be sure they do NOT contain sugars as that will only make a uti worse because the bacteria feed off the sugars.
I have an orphaned litter of four GSD pups, one of the females seems to be suffering from a UTI, passing blood stained urine. She’s 10 days old and the vet doesn’t want to try antibiotics as I’ve only been using milk replacement powder (lactol) for 6 days. Would this be of benefit to her and if so in what dosage. She seems fine although her weight gain is slowing down in comparison to the other female.
Congrats on your rescue. Sounds like a bundle of joy!
There are several reasons she could have blood in her urine from an infection to an injury. In addition to the blood in her urine, UTIs can include the following:
• Frequent urination
• Dribbling urine
• Crying out while urinating
• Straining to urinate
• Frequently or obsessively licking the genital area
Here are a few dog UTI home treatment options to help your pup feel more comfortable and recover without using antibiotics. Please check with your vet before administering a urinary tract infection treatment.
• Add one teaspoon (for small dogs) or 1-2 tablespoons (for big dogs) of apple cider vinegar to your dog’s water bowl. Repeat up to two times per day for up to seven to ten days, depending on how severe the UTI is. Be sure to have a second bowl of water without apple cider vinegar in case your dog doesn’t like the taste.
• Have your dog soak in a hot bath (make sure it’s not too hot and the level isn’t too deep) for ten minutes to help relieve the muscles. Wash your dog with a mild soap and pay attention to the genital area. Don’t leave soap on the area for too long and be sure to rinse the area with clean, warm water. Do this every few days until the UTI is gone.
• Encourage your dog to drink more water by placing extra water bowls around the house. Change the water once or twice a day to make sure it’s fresh.
• Crush one 500mg Vitamin C tablet and sprinkle it over your dog’s food. Do this once per day for seven days.
• Give your dog one to three teaspoons of citrus juice. The juice should NOT be from concentrate and SHOULD be all natural. Make sure there is no added sugar because it could aggravate your dog’s UTI further.
• Add about two teaspoons of chopped blueberries or cranberries to your dog’s food. Do this twice per day for seven to ten days.
Thank you for the info. My little 6 month old Maltese has indications of UTI but just went to the vet who said she was ok. I thought about what I use for urinary health for myself and that would be fresh cherries or cherry juice concentrate. Both high in vitamin C. Mixed a tiny bit in some water for her to drink so am going to watch her. She won’t drink the ACV water no matter how diluted but she liked the cherry water. We’ll see.
How much cranberry juice can I give my dog per day
Quite often, dogs will not drink cranberry juice due to the bitterness. Instead of cranberry juice, the easiest and quickest way to administer cranberry is to give your dog tablets. A 3,000 mg capsule is equivalent to 24 ounces of cranberry juice. Give small dogs 1/8 of a 3,000 mg capsule. Give medium sized dogs 1/4 of a capsule, give large dogs 1/2 a capsule, and give giant breed dogs a full capsule. Administer this dose up to three times a day until symptoms have gone.
You should start off giving your dog only a small amount to be sure they can take it. Too much cranberry, could cause your dog an upset stomach and/or diarrhea. Neither of these should cause any serious problems, and once you stop giving your dog the juice, symptoms should subside. If they do not, then you should consult your local vet for guidance.
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Does a probiotic have the same effect as cranberry pills, they both have vitamin c?
Cranberry essentially affects the pH in the urine making it more difficult for bacteria to take hold. This pH affect is why cranberry is not a longterm supplement — unless you are testing your pet’s pH regularly. When pH is too high or low, crystals can form in the bladder and/or urethra (the tube that drains urine from the body). There are test strips for this testing.
Probiotics are good bacteria. They may create a better, more healthy overall environment in your pet’s gut as they work to fortify the immune system and can be administered a regular basis. From Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine:
I have a 2 year old spayed border collie/Pitt mix. I’ve noticed in the past 4 days, she had been licking her genitals obsessively. My male dog is trying to mount her. I came home today and I noticed a wet spot on my chair. She has 24 access to water and she might be drinking a little more lately. She usually stays outside for hours and let’s me know when she wants to come in. Her energy level has always been high and it hasn’t changed. I’m thinking she had a UTI, and I want to give her the apple cider vinegar. I’m sure she won’t drink it in the water. Can I give her a tablespoon straight?
Was the spay recent? If so, it could be related to that.
Or the obsessive licking could be a sign of pain, maybe related to a UTI. If you have ever had a UTI yourself, you know how painful that can be. If that is the case, your best option is to have your vet check her out. The vet can prescribe the appropriate pain meds as well as something for the UTI, if that is the problem.
No, you don’t want to give your dog straight vinegar. In general, they do not like the taste. And a straight amount may make her vomit. It’s generally given very diluted in their water.
Also, the obsessive licking is going to irritate her genitals and that will create a whole new problem. Her obsessive behavior may be what’s attracting the male.