Urinary tract infections will affect both dogs and cats.
Since cats seem to be extra special when it comes to pretty much every condition out there I will make a separate post on feline lower urinary tract disease.
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are pretty common in dogs. It is one of the more common conditions I see on a regular basis. I would say female dogs are more prone to UTIs compared to males and this has to do with their anatomy. Males have a much longer urethra compared to females. This makes it harder for bacteria to travel up the urethra and into the bladder to set up shop and cause a problem.
Signs your pup may have a UTI
The following are some symptoms to watch for that may indicate there is a lower urinary tract problem:
- Frequent, small urination
- Inappropriate urination (accidents in the house)
- Straining to urinate
- Bloody urine
- Excessive licking of the ‘downstairs’ (vulva or prepuce)
There could be other subtle symptoms, but the more common ones are noted above.
I have had situations where I see a patient for an annual exam and owner reports one or two episodes of blood noted in the urine, but it ‘went away.’ I wish it was that easy. Please note, if you see bloody urine from your pup, even if it is just once, something is likely going on and warrants further investigation.
I usually recommend a urinalysis but I do not always get the okay to follow through. In these cases, I strongly advise owner to monitor. I make it clear that they should be seen for re-evaluation and testing if it is noted again, which usually does happen.
What to expect at the vet
The first part of any vet visit is going to include a thorough physical exam. The physical exam is always an essential part of the process to help figure out what is going on with your pup. In these cases, the physical exams allow for palpation of the bladder area to evaluate for pain, bladder size and distension, and some times I can even feel stones!
I can also assess what the ‘downstairs’ parts look like. Females may have evidence of inflammation and sometimes even small stones caught in the fur.
Usually the next best step is collection of a urine sample so that we can perform testing. In this case a urinalysis.
How is urine collected for testing?
There are a few different ways we can collect a sample of urine.
The easiest is a free catch sample. This is exactly what it sounds like. You basically follow your pup around and catch a sample of urine while they are doing their business. Most pups will do this no problem, but there are few that are very reserved with their peeing habits. There is no way they will go if someone is following them around with a cup.
This is where we come in.
We have the ability to also collect urine with a needle and syringe (cystocentesis) or via catheterization for the males. So no worries if you are not able to do this on your own.
We got you!
For the troublesome pups or the very large pups, we may need additional assistance with an ultrasound to guide our sampling needle.
Urine sampling via cystocentesis will be recommended if we are trying to collect a sterile sample for urine culturing. This collection method minimizes the possibility of contaminant bacteria. In other words, if our testing confirms the presence of bacteria we can be sure that it is actually in the bladder and we have diagnosed your pet with a UTI.
The urinalysis
When your pup presents with symptoms that may be indicative of a UTI your vet will likely recommend a urinalysis as one of the first tests to perform.
A urinalysis is exactly what it sounds like – urine analysis.
Some of the information we are able to collect from this test includes:
- Urine specific gravity (USG) or the ability of your pet to concentrate their urine
- pH
- Ketones
- Glucose
- Bilirubin
- Blood
- Protein
- Bacteria
- Crystals
- Red blood cells/White blood cells
- Inflammatory cells
Depending on what is seen on the urinalysis there may be additional testing recommended.
Since we are talking about UTIs in this post I will keep it simple. A straightforward UTI would be diagnosed if we see bacteria in the urine; however, usually we are also seeing blood, inflammatory cells, protein, changes with pH, and sometimes even crystals.
The more we see in the urine, the more we have to address and rule out.
As noted above, in the case of a simple urinary tract infection we are usually seeing blood and bacteria. However, keep in mind that there could still be other things happening within the bladder that contributed to the UTI in the first place. These are things like inflammation, resistant bacteria, stones, and/or bladder masses.
The urinalysis cannot provide this information so we may need additional testing. These will include:
- Bloodwork for underlying systemic conditions
- Urine cultures for resistant bacteria
- Xrays for bladder stones
- Ultrasound for bladder stones and bladder masses
Treatment for a UTI
When a UTI is diagnosed this indicates that we have found an overgrowth of bacteria in the bladder. With the confirmation of bacteria antibiotics are warranted for treatment. Usually a broad-spectrum antibiotic is selected for treatment; however, if the UTI persists or recurs a urine culture is needed to determine if we are treating with the correct antibiotic.
Keep in mind if we have complicating factors (bladder stones or bladder masses) we will need to address these underlying causes to resolve the secondary infection.
In situations where there is also a significant amount of inflammatory cells found on urinalysis (red blood cells and white blood cells) along with a painful pup I will also treat with anti-inflammatories, but these are not always warranted.
Long-term management to prevent UTIs may include diet changes and promoting increase in water intake, along with treating any underlying primary problems.
Preventing UTIs
Although we won’t always be able to prevent urinary tract infections there are some ways to be proactive to give us a fighting chance.
A good diet is always going to be at the core of preventing many conditions especially for the pups that seem to be prone to them.
Having access to plenty of fresh water and also regular walks or outings to promote bladder emptying are proactive measures for bladder health.
The final recommendation would be ensuring that the environment is clean and hygiene is appropriate.
I have to note that there are some breeds that are prone to urinary tract infections and more specifically bladder stones. These are going to be your small breed, usually white, floofy pups. Think of the Bichons, Maltese, Shih Tzus, and Yorkies.
So for those owners that do own these breeds and think they just pee inappropriately because they like to hold a grudge when you leave them alone, think again because it might actually be a urinary tract infection!