Bladder Infections in Dogs

Bladder infections in dogs are fairly common, especially in female dogs. They're more common in female dogs because their urethras are shorter and wider than those in males. It's fairly easy to diagnose and treat bladder infection in dogs, but if they go untreated for too long serious complications can result, including kidney damage.

Symptoms

Symptoms of bladder infections in dogs include urinating more often than usual, including urination in atypical places, such as a housebroken dog urinating in the house; straining with urination; the presence of blood in urine; urine that has a bad odor; soreness in the lower abdominal area (it will be tender to the touch); and sleeping more than normal.

If a housebroken dog begins to urinate indoors, a visit to the vet is in order. Inappropriate urination can be caused by other things but a bladder infection is one of the first things for which your vet should check.

Diagnosing

If your dog has symptoms of a bladder infection, your vet will test his urine to see any bacteria is present. If you can, take a urine sample with you to the vet. Since it's difficult to collect a urine sample from a dog, don't worry if you can't get one. Your vet can collect a sample at her office using a catheter if necessary.

Your vet will culture your dog's urine to see if any bacteria is present. Some vets can do this in the office while others will need to send the urine to a lab for testing. If bacteria is found, that indicated that your dog does have a bladder infection.

Treating

Vets prescribe oral antibiotics to treat bladder infections in dogs. Generally antibiotics are prescribed for 14 days but your dog may not need them that long or may need them longer. Give your dog all of the antibiotics you get from your vet, even if he seems to feel better before they are all gone.

Make sure your dog has access to fresh water at all times. That's almost important but it's even more important when your dog is getting over a bladder infection. Drinking plenty of water will help clear bacteria out of the bladder. Of course, if your dog drinks more than usual, he'll need to go outside to potty more often as well.

Sources:

Web MD. http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/canine-bladder-infection-what-look-how-treat . Bladder Infections in Dogs: Symptoms and Treatment.