UTI in male puppy-questions

Mortomo

Our 5 mo old puppy had a UTI about a month and a half or so ago.  He was on antibiotics for 10 days and all seemed well.

He had 3 accidents in the house in one day this weekend and has been drinking more water than usual. I don't know if the accidents are from drinking more or if he's drinking more because he has a UTI (not sure if they instinctively drink more water when they are sick?).  He's good about letting us know he has to go outside, so we are concerned he has another one.  He doesn't seem to drink much water on a daily basis and I'm wondering if that's part of the reason he's getting them.  He always has fresh water available to him.

Last time we brought him to the vet for his UTI they ended up sticking a needle in his bladder only to have him get scared and pee on the table (they used that as his sample, so the needle was for nothing).  They did not tell us they were doing this and brought him off to another room to do this. We did not care for this and don't really want to go back to them.

Anyway...I know he needs to be checked out, but we are discouraged that he appears to be prone to UTIs. Does anyone have any advice to prevent these?  What websites do you recommend to get quality supplements?  I know that cranberry works for dogs too.

spalko

I know you don't want to hear it but your best option is to take your dog to the vet. A puppy that young should not be getting UTI's that frequently and if he is then he needs to be supplemented to prevent anything worse from happening. Stones can form quickly in the dogs bladder and he may need to have them removed which often requires surgery (cystotomy) since they can become too large to pass. Often times after a bladder stone removal the dog will have to be on a special urinary dog food for the rest of his life since he is prone to getting stones quickly. The way the vet handled the situation was uncalled for but the reason for sticking the needle in the bladder (cystocentesis) is to ensure they get a clean sample. Getting a sample by just having the dog urinate on the table or into a pan (free catch) can sometimes, but not always, cause contaminates to get into the urine alternating the results. If you were unhappy with the original vet, I would look for another one in your area that you are more comfortable with but I wouldn't wait too long to have him seen as this can be life threatening if left untreated.

Birdie1483

Ozzie came home with all kinds of germs when we adopted him. A bad UTI was one of them. It took a few rounds of antibiotics to finally clear it up. We probably waited too long after the first round because we didn't know if it was him being a puppy or him being sick.

Either way, if you think there is a chance the UTI is back, I would find a new vet and take him for a checkup. Sometimes it takes going to a few vets to find a good match. Changes in his behavior like drinking more water than usual or suddenly having accidents when or where he didn't before are signs something could be up.

Doggies do drink more water when they have UTIs too. It's their way of trying to clear out the bad stuff.

Mortomo

Thanks.  We are planning on bringing him to the vet, although it was just Sunday that he had those accidents and yesterday and this morning he seemed normal. 

I was hoping that maybe someone could recommend a supplement to give him once it's cleared up to prevent him from getting them so frequently. Humans can take cranberry supplements to prevent, so I thought maybe there was something that also worked for dogs.

spalko

You can give your dog cranberry powder, I give it to my Chloe Bear daily, but if your dog already has a UTI it won't help treat it. Once the UTI (if that is what it is) is cleared up then you could give your dog a cranberry supplement to help possibly reduce the risk of further infection. I use the stuff made specifically for dogs so I don't know what the equivalent dose would be with a human product.

Mortomo

spalko:

You can give your dog cranberry powder, I give it to my Chloe Bear daily, but if your dog already has a UTI it won't help treat it. Once the UTI (if that is what it is) is cleared up then you could give your dog a cranberry supplement to help possibly reduce the risk of further infection. I use the stuff made specifically for dogs so I don't know what the equivalent dose would be with a human product.

Could you post what product you use?  I know it won't cure a UTI, but it would be nice to be able to prevent future infections.

spalko

I use Dogzymes brand of Cran-Tric-C. It is made my Nature's farmacy. It's an 8oz container that lasts a long, long time

Mortomo

spalko:

I use Dogzymes brand of Cran-Tric-C. It is made my Nature's farmacy. It's an 8oz container that lasts a long, long time

Thank you!