Your house-trained dog suddenly has an accident on the rug. Then it asks to go out every hour, squats for a long time, and only a few drops come out. These are classic signs of a urinary tract infection, or UTI, one of the most common reasons dogs visit the vet.
UTIs are usually easy to treat once they are diagnosed properly. The tricky part is that several more serious problems look exactly the same at first. Here is what every dog owner should know.
How common are UTIs in dogs?
Very common. Research estimates that roughly 14 percent of dogs have a bacterial UTI at least once in their lives, and reviews give a range of about 5 to 27 percent. Female dogs get them more often than males. The most common cause is E. coli, a bacterium that normally lives in the gut, which accounts for about a third to half of positive urine cultures.
What causes a UTI?
According to veterinary reviews, most bladder infections happen when bacteria from the skin around the genitals travel up the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body, and into the bladder. Normally, the body’s defenses and regular urination flush them out. A UTI develops when bacteria get past those defenses.
Things that raise the risk include:
- Being female, since the urethra is shorter
- A hooded or recessed vulva, where extra skin folds trap moisture and bacteria
- Bladder stones, which irritate the bladder lining and shelter bacteria
- Diabetes, since sugar in the urine feeds bacteria
- Cushing’s disease or long-term steroid medicines, which weaken the immune response
- Kidney disease, which makes urine more dilute
- Obesity, which can make keeping clean harder
- Holding urine for long periods
- Prostate problems in older, unneutered males
Symptoms of a UTI
The Merck Veterinary Manual lists these common signs:
- Peeing more often, often in small amounts
- Straining or seeming uncomfortable while peeing
- Accidents in the house in a dog that is normally house-trained
- Blood in the urine, often at the end of the stream
- Cloudy or strong-smelling urine
- Licking the genital area more than usual
Some dogs show no signs at all, and the infection is only found on a routine urine test. Dogs with a kidney infection, which is more serious, may also have a fever, low energy, a poor appetite, vomiting, or back pain.
When it is an emergency
Go to a vet the same day, or an emergency clinic, if your dog strains to pee and little or no urine comes out, especially if it is male. PetMD explains that male dogs have a longer, narrower urethra, which makes them prone to blockages from bladder stones. A dog that cannot pee can become dangerously ill within 24 to 48 hours. A blockage and a UTI look the same at home, so do not wait to find out which one it is.
Also seek prompt care if your dog seems lethargic, stops eating, vomits, or has a lot of blood in its urine.
How vets diagnose a UTI
A proper diagnosis needs a urine sample. Your vet will usually run:
- A urinalysis, which checks the urine’s concentration and looks for white blood cells, red blood cells, crystals and bacteria.
- A urine culture, which grows the bacteria in a lab, identifies them, and shows which antibiotics will work. Veterinary guidelines consider the culture the only definitive test.
The best sample is collected straight from the bladder with a thin needle, a quick procedure called cystocentesis. It sounds unpleasant, but most dogs tolerate it well, and it avoids contamination from bacteria that normally live at the end of the urethra. Your vet may also recommend X-rays or an ultrasound to look for bladder stones, especially if infections keep coming back.
Treatment
Bacterial UTIs are treated with antibiotics. Guidelines from the International Society for Companion Animal Infectious Diseases (ISCAID), updated in 2019, recommend:
- Choosing the antibiotic based on the culture results when possible
- Short courses, often 3 to 5 days, for simple bladder infections
- Longer treatment for kidney infections, prostate infections and complicated cases
- Pain relief if your dog is uncomfortable
Always finish the full course your vet prescribes, even if your dog seems better after a day or two. Stopping early or using leftover antibiotics helps resistant bacteria develop.
Interestingly, ISCAID also advises that dogs with bacteria in their urine but no symptoms, called subclinical bacteriuria, usually do not need antibiotics. Treating them has not been shown to help and adds to antibiotic resistance. Your vet will decide based on your dog’s overall health.
Recurrent UTIs
Cornell University’s Riney Canine Health Center defines recurrent UTIs as two or more infections in 6 months, or three or more in a year. Repeated infections almost always have an underlying cause, so vets look for problems like bladder stones, diabetes, Cushing’s disease, kidney disease or a hooded vulva. Fixing that cause is the key to stopping the cycle. Repeating antibiotics alone usually does not work.
What about cranberry and home remedies?
Cranberry products are popular, but the evidence is weak. A review by researchers at the University of Guelph concluded that current evidence does not support cranberry for preventing or treating UTIs in dogs and cats. The best-known dog study included only 12 dogs.
Apple cider vinegar is also often recommended online, but there is no evidence it treats UTIs in dogs. It can irritate the mouth and stomach, and changing urine acidity without guidance can make some bladder stones worse.
The biggest risk of home remedies is delay. A UTI that is not treated can spread to the kidneys, and a blocked bladder can be fatal. Talk to your vet before giving any supplement, and never give your dog human UTI medicines.
Prevention
- Give your dog plenty of chances to pee, at least every 6 to 8 hours for adults.
- Keep fresh water available at all times to encourage drinking.
- Keep the genital area clean and trimmed in long-haired dogs, and keep skin folds dry.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Manage conditions such as diabetes and Cushing’s disease closely with your vet.
- Ask your vet about a special diet if your dog has had bladder stones.
- Bring in a urine sample whenever you notice changes in your dog’s peeing habits.
