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Canine Urinary Tract Infection Symptoms

Canine Urinary Tract Infection Symptoms and Prevention
By Tess Thompson

Canine or feline urinary incontinence presages other ailments that could be worse and difficult to treat. There is a strong possibility of diabetes or other endocrinal disorder co-occurring with canine and feline urinary infection. If the bacteria travel beyond the urethra or bladder, urinary tract infection in dogs also carries the risk of spreading to organs like the kidney and even the heart.

It is therefore extremely pertinent to understand how urinary tract infections can be prevented. Detection of symptoms at an early stage also helps since UTI is easily treatable with antibiotics. if the condition is attended to in time, critical damage to other organs can be avoided. Early detection is possible if you keep a look out for the initial signs of urinary tract infection in dogs, which include:

Frequent urination often at places the dog is not supposed to.
Whining or yelping in pain when trying to urinate.
Cloudy urine.
Pus or Blood in urine.
Crystals in urine.
Making an effort but not actually urinating.
Frequent licking of the genital area.
Foul smelling urine.
Incontinence, inability to control urine.
Tenderness in the area near the bladder.
Fever and lethargy.
Pain in lower back.

Many of these symptoms are common and are similar to other diseases. Painful urination, incontinence, hematuria (blood in urine), and lumbar pain are associated with diabetes, benign or malignant growth in the bladder, kidney masses and prostatitis.

Breeds like miniature schnauzer, dachshund, Dalmatian, pug, bulldog, Welsh corgi, basset hound, beagle and terrier are genetically predisposed to urinary calculi (hard lump produced by the concretion of mineral salts in the urine). A veterinarian will usually advise urinalysis and urine culture to rule out other causes of urinary problems before going in for treatment of urinary infection in dogs.

The encouraging part is that urinary tract infection in dogs can be easily prevented by taking some simple measures. Holding urine for too long often leads to development of bacteria in the accumulated urine. If your dog is dehydrated easy elimination of urine is hampered, which too can cause urine to remain in the bladder for too long.

To facilitate easy passing out of urine make sure that the dog bowl is always filled with fresh and clean water. Keep track of the dog’s need to urinate and ensure he has easy access to the designated place whenever the need arises. Complete emptying of the bladder is necessary to prevent UTI in puppies as well as adult dogs.

Ingestion of toxins and chemicals can lead to a situation where the body organs have to over work. This in turn leads to poor performance of important organs like the kidney and the liver. Passive smoking not only harms humans it is injurious to dogs also. Keep the environment around your dog as clean as you can.

The urinary tract is normally sterile. The urethra is the most common entry point of bacteria. Humans are normally advised to keep their private parts clean. If possible, do as much as you can keep the dog’s genitals clean.


References:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Canine-Urinary-Infections-and-Symptoms&id=570265
http://thepetcheckup.com/works/screen/urinary_tract_infections.html