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Canine Owner’s Guide To Urinary Tract Infections In Canines
July 20th, 2009
It’s pretty common for dogs to experience a urinary tract infection. Older, spayed females have an increased risk of developing this condition when compared to males. Bacteria can invade more easily since females have a shorter urethra than males. So, why does your dog develop these infections?
Cause
These urinary tract infections are caused by various species of bacteria. E. coli is particularly common. These are strains similar to the ones that infect humans. You may be wondering what are some of the common symptoms of a UTI.
Symptoms
This conditions causes dogs to display a range of symptoms. One of the most common symptoms that you will notice is increased urination. It can be difficult and painful for your dog to urinate while he suffers from this condition. Sometimes, your dog’s urine will contain blood. It’s also common for dogs to experience lethargy and a fever. If your dog shows these symptoms, you will need to take him to a veterinarian soon.
Diagnosis
In order to diagnosis an infection of the urinary tract, the vet will analyze your dog’s urine. The urinalysis will help the vet determine the amount of white blood cells, blood, protein, and sugar is in the urine. Bacteria may also be detected in the urine. Urine samples can be collected by inserting a catheter in your dog, or removing urine from the bladder with a needle. Or, your dog can simply urinate in a container.
Treatment
As mentioned earlier, this type of infection should be treated promptly. The kidneys can become infected if not treated in time. Kidney damage is very serious. Treatment of these infections is through the use of antibiotics taken for a couple of weeks.
Prevention
UTIs can easily be prevented. Always make sure that your dog has plenty of fresh water. If you keep him inside, make sure you let him out every few hours so he can use the bathroom. You don’t want the urine to stay in the bladder for too long. The bacteria will multiply and increase the risk of infection.
All owners should know a little something about various diseases that can affect their dog like canine constipation. You can read up on many different potential health problems at dog-illnesses.com. Click over right now to start reading about some of these conditions such as dog pancreatitis.
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