Urinary Tract Infection in Dogs I have a 16 week old Maltipoo, and she has had 2 urinary tract infections, since we got her at 8 weeks old. She has been given antibiotics, but I am wondering if there is something natural I should be adding to her diet to prevent further ones? Thank you. It is unusual to have two distinct urinary tract infections in such a short amount of time. Antibiotic resistance may have played a role, which means that the selected antibiotic was not ideal against the type of infection or was not given for a long enough period of time. As a result the infection was not completely eliminated. When the antibiotics were discontinued then over a short amount of time the bacterial population returned in sufficient numbers to cause your Maltipoo’s clinical signs to recur. Unfortunately, antibiotic failure is becoming commonplace due to increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics. It is important to ask your veterinarian to submit any future urine samples for culture and sensitivity testing. This test will determine the kind of bacteria causing the infection and what antibiotics it is most susceptible and resistant to. This will enable your veterinarian to select the best antibiotic for the job and will decrease the likelihood of antibiotic failure in the future. Timely and effective treatment of lower urinary tract infections is ideal because it can prevent the complications caused by long standing urinary tract infections such as ascending infection to the kidneys and the formation of struvite bladder stones. Providing ample fresh water to drink and generous toilet breaks will go a long way in helping prevent urinary tract infections. There are many nutritional supplements that claim to prevent urinary tract infections but be aware that many of these claims are not substantiated and some supplements can be harmful to your dog. My clients have had good experiences with cranberry extract with or without D-mannose. Use of cranberry extract during an active urinary tract infection can greatly increase the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy and reduce the likelihood of antibiotic failure. Dogs that have recurrent chronic urinary tract infections can be given cranberry extract as maintenance therapy to help prevent recurrence. Cranberry extract contains compounds that prevent bacteria from attaching themselves to the cellular lining of the urinary tract. D-mannose is a sugar monomer that is thought to interfere with E. coli ability to adhere to urinary tract cells. E. coli is the most common bacteria involved in canine urinary tract infections. Garlic has long been used as a natural homeopathic antibiotic but should not be given to dogs because of their toxic potential. Garlic is related to onions and contains thiosulfates which can cause digestive problems and red blood cell destruction in dogs. As always please discuss with your veterinarian the various pros and cons before starting any supplementation.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 09:40:04 +0000
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