Which Uti Antibiotics Are Resistant
High rates of antibiotic resistance have been seen with drugs in the penicillin class, such as amoxicillin and ampicillin, some sulfonamides like sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim , and the fluoroquinolone antibiotics .
Antibiotic resistance can be specific to local patterns in the community. Tell your doctor if you have taken an antibiotic in the last 3 months or traveled out of the country. If needed, your doctor can perform a culture and sensitivity test to see which antibiotic might work best for your infection.
Keep taking your antibiotic even if you feel better and you think you don’t need your antibiotic anymore, unless your doctor tells you to stop. Only partially finishing your antibiotic may increase your risk of antibiotic resistance and your infection may return quickly.
What Care Will My Dog Require After Treatment
Dogs that have had a resistant bacterial infection may be more susceptible to infection again in the future if they have a predisposing condition. In these cases, taking precautions to prevent general infections is recommended. Infection prevention means avoiding another course of antibiotics that could potentially create a resistant infection.
Changes In Urination Habits
Like it or not, most of us are attuned to our dogs elimination habits. Many of us have been caught in the act of examining our dogs poop by non-dog owners, and the same goes for urination. This attention to detail is more than just excessive caring it can help your veterinarian diagnose a medical condition before it gets out of hand.
Changes in your dogs urination habits always necessitate a visit to your veterinarian. While accidents in the house could be a behavioral issue, they could also be a sign of a serious medical condition. Accidents or increased frequency in urination may be symptoms of diabetes, hypothyroidism, Cushings disease, cancer, trauma, or urinary tract infections, just to name a few possible conditions. Your vet my suggest certain supplements or medications.
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Dog Uti Test: How Do I Know If My Dog Has A Uti
Believe it or not, there are home tests for UTIs available.
Theyre pretty easy to use, theyre not really expensive, and they can help you keep an eye on your dogs urinary-tract health.
Just be sure that you read the instructions carefully, as different dog UTI test kits require you to do different things to obtain valid results. It is also wise to have your vet interpret the results, as they can be tricky for canine parents to understand.
The Coastline Global Checkup Kit is one of the best dog UTI test kits available, and it also checks for several other health problems, such as diabetes.
Product
Details
- Telescopic Pole and Disposable Cup For Easy Urine Sample Collection
- To Use With Smaller Females Use the Lid as the Receptacle, So It Works With All Dog Sizes!
- 2 Testing Strips to Test & Detect The Four Most Common Conditions affecting dogs of all ages High
- Easy, Painless, Non-Invasive and stress-free dog urine sample collection
How To Treat Bladder Infections In Dogs
Antibiotics are the primary treatment for bladder infections in dogs, although in some cases your vet may recommend anti-inflammatory medications or pain killers depending on the severity and underlying cause.
Note: The advice provided in this post is intended for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice regarding pets. For an accurate diagnosis of your pets condition, please make an appointment with your vet.
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How Are Lower Urinary Tract Problems Treated
The vet will determine your dogâs treatment plan after they diagnose the underlying cause of the problem. The best treatment will depend on whatâs causing the symptoms.
After your dogâs diagnosis, your veterinarian may recommend some of the following:
- Surgery to remove bladder stones or tumor
- Surgery to correct congenital abnormality
If the vet determines your dogâs urinary tract problems are being caused by an underlying condition, theyâll seek to treat the underlying cause first.
Antibiotics are the typical treatment for UTIs in dogs, and the vet may also prescribe pain medication, because UTIs can be very uncomfortable for dogs. If your vet prescribes antibiotics, make sure you give your dog all of the medication, even if they appear to be doing better, to be sure the infection is resolved and to help prevent reinfection.
After the antibiotics, itâs important for your vet to recheck the urinalysis to confirm the infection is gone. If not, theyâll need to look for other issues that might be causing continued or repeat infections.
What Are The Causes Of Urinary Tract Infections In Dogs
In most cases, UTIs are caused by bacteria, most commonly Escherichia Coli. They migrate from the outside through the urethra to the bladder. When the bladder is inflamed, this is called cystitis.
A dog that does not urinate often is more prone to bacterial urinary tract infections, as these bacteria have more time to migrate and develop in the bladder. Thats why its important to provide frequent wee breaks for your dog.
Some dogs are also more susceptible to UTIs and can have them repeatedly.
Diet plays an important role as well, as it influences the pH of the urine. A slightly acidic pH is preferred, as the bacteria develop more easily in an alkaline pH environment. See below how to help achieve this optimal pH level.
- Your dog has a harder time holding his bladder.
- They need to wee in small amounts, and more often.
- They start to have accidents in the house.
- Noticeable dripping after they have finished urinating .
- The urine looks darker and smelly.
In the case of a more advanced urinary tract infection, symptoms can change:
- Your pet seems in pain during urination, it seems forced.
- You notice blood in the urine.
- Your dog becomes incontinent .
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Some Medical Conditions May Predispose Dogs To Utis
In addition to the conditions listed above that lead to urine retention, other diseases or anatomical abnormalities also can interfere with the normal defenses of the urinary tract system. This may happen when the condition changes the composition of the urine, damages the urinary tract, alters its function, or suppresses the immune system. As a result, UTIs are more common in dogs with the following conditions:
- Diabetes mellitus
- Ectopic ureters
- Recessed or hooded vulva
- Cancer somewhere in the urinary tract
Can Dog Uti Go Away On Its Own
It is not likely for a dogs UTI to go away on its own.
It is always recommended that if your dog exhibits signs of a UTI such as straining to urinate, increased frequency in urination, licking of the genital area, and fever, then you should seek veterinary care.
Urinary tract infections are not only unlikely to go away on their own. Without a dog UTI treatment, they can worsen or even lead to complications.
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Something Else Going On
In the medical and veterinary world there is a saying “when you hear hoof beats, think horses, not zebras.” This means that when a veterinarian is presented with a dog showing classical signs of a urinary tract infection, he will treat it as a UTI considering that that’s the most common medical condition seen in dogs manifesting those symptoms however, sometimes they may stumble on the occasional condition that is less common or perhaps even quite rare .
If your dog feels better after taking antibiotics for a UTI , then your vet was right, but if the symptoms persist, then this can be indicative of something else going on.
This conservative think-horse- not-zebra approach is taken based on the chances of what the condition likely is and is also lighter on the dog owner’s wallet, considering that many dog owners may be reluctant to pay for expensive disgnostics or let their dog’s endure more invasive diagnostic tests, especially if they’re unnecessary. However, if your dog doesn’t respond to antibiotics prescribed for a UTI, then this often means that it’s time to do further testing, usually an x-ray or an ultrasound.
Preventing Canine Urinary Tract Infection
It is always easier to prevent a disease than treating it. In order to avoid canine urinary tract infection, make sure to upkeep a proper hygiene for your pet.
The water bowl should always contain fresh and clean water.
Don’t forget to take your dog out so he can urinate regularly and the bacteria will not be collected in the bladder. Walking also stimulates urination.
It is most likely that a dog will have a urinary tract infection at least once in his lifetime.
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Causes Of Urinary Tract Infections In Dogs
There are trillions of bacteria that live in the environment. A dogs external genitalia hold onto a lot of bacteria from direct contact with the environment, licking/mouth contact, and normal bacteria found on the skin. A UTI forms when bacteria enter a dogs urethra from their external genitalia and enter their bladder.
A healthy bladder has defense mechanisms that help prevent bacteria from causing an infection. These mechanisms break down most types of bacteria. However, when these mechanisms are not functioning well or are broken down due to this invasion, the bacteria penetrate the bladder wall, causing inflammation and pain. Viruses and fungus can occasionally invade the bladder wall, too, with similar effects.
Acute UTIs in dogs are usually caused by bacteria going up into the urethra and infecting the bladder.
Chronic UTIs can be due to a number of underlying causes:
-
A reaction to immunosuppressive drugs
Be Observant And Proactive To Help Recognize Early Signs Of A Uti In Dogs
As an example of the importance of the part you can play as your dogs biggest advocate, lets meet Bailey. This sweet senior dog had both predisposing factors AND was taking medications that increased the likelihood of a UTI. Her story paints a clear picture of the importance of observation and how subtle a UTI can be.
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Data Source And Management
This study used retrospective data from the bacteriology laboratory of a veterinary teaching hospital in South Africa. Client owned dogs from Gauteng Province with suspected UTI whose specimens were tested at the laboratory between January 2007 and December 2012 were included in the study. Since this study used retrospective laboratory records, it did not directly involve animals and thus posed no risk to client animals. The data were assessed for duplicates and missing information. Only complete records were selected for inclusion in this study. The following variables were extracted from the records: age , sex, breed and the date of specimen submission. The breed classification used in the study was adapted from the American Kennel Club and included the following categories: working, sporting, herding, hound, toy, terrier, nonsporting and mixed breeds .
Why Your Uti Test May Be Negative Even When You Have Symptoms
How about a study that looked at bacterial DNA in the urine of women with UTI-like symptoms who also had a negative culture test?
To summarize, the researchers looked at urine samples of women without symptoms and a group with UTI-like symptoms. They performed two tests: a culture test and a DNA-sequencing test that allows identifying if there is any bacterial DNA in the urine.
According to the study, 90.5% of symptomatic women with a negative urine culture tested positive for Escherichia coli bacteria with molecular methods compared to about 5.3% of women without symptoms.
This allowed the researchers to conclude that culture tests might not be sufficiently accurate and if a patient complains of urinary tract infection symptoms, she might as well be treated for an acute UTI.
The findings are gaining traction among chronic UTI sufferers who feel that the study finally gives more credibility to their complaints.
However, argues Dr. Hawes the significance of finding bacterial DNA may be different than the significance of finding live growing bacteria. Does the DNA stay around after an infection? If so, for how long? How do you determine antibiotic sensitivity based on DNA findings rather than live growth?.
As Dr. Hawes concludes, We dont yet understand the clinical significance of this data. In other words, do not dismiss the results of your culture test because of this study.
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What Is The Cost Of Treating A Urinary Tract Infection In Dogs
The cost to treat a UTI varies, with geographic location being one of the biggest factors to take into consideration. Costs to consider include:
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Office visit: varies depending on your vet, with an emergency veterinary clinic often costing much more.
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Antibiotics: medication can range in price from $25$100 or even more, depending on the type of antibiotic needed, the length of treatment, and the size of your dog .
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Tests: a urinalysis and urine cultures can run up to a few hundred dollars depending on your location, veterinarian, how the urine is collected and the extent of diagnostic testing required.
Dog Urinary Tract Infections
A Urinary Tract Infection , can make it uncomfortable for a dog to pass urine. The most common cause for straightforward cystitis in dogs is a bacterial infection. However, similar signs may be seen with urinary stones and crystals, bladder inflammation, incontinence due to excessive water consumption or a weak bladder, kidney disease, cancer, stress, spinal cord disease, prostate disease or an abnormality in the urinary tract from birth.
Older female dogs and dogs with diabetes are particularly prone to urinary tract problems.
Some breeds of dog are prone to certain types of bladder stones, including Dalmations, Bichon Frise and Miniature Schnauzers.
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Why Is My Dog’s Urinary Tract Infection Uti Not Getting Better
When a dog gets a urinary tract infection, a course of antibiotics is prescribed as a treatment, and therefore, it can be concerning when a dog’s urinary tract infection is not getting better despite such treatment. It’s important to follow up with your veterinarian if this is what you are dealing with considering that normally a course of antibiotics is all that is needed to treat this type of infection. It’s therefore normal wondering “why is my dog’s urinary tract infection not getting better despite using antibiotics? ” There may be several reasons for a dog not getting better and most of them require veterinary evaluation.
A Matter of Time
Defeating a urinary tract infection may take some time and it’s important to monitor the dog carefully to determine whether the dog is feeling better or not.
Dogs with a urinary tract infections often show signs of increased urination, straining and licking private parts. There is also often presence of blood in the dog’s urine. Generally, after starting antibiotics, dog owners should start seeing some signs of improvement.
After how many days on antibiotics should a dog show signs of recovering from a urinary tract infection? Generally, for a dog urinary tract infection, antibiotics take 3 to 5 days to start killing the infection, explains veterinarian Dr. Drew.
Caution Flag #: Bailey Was Taking Prednisone
Second, Bailey had been prescribed prednisone, which decreased her ability to fight infection. Taking prednisone was another caution flag in her predisposition to develop a urinary tract infection.
Why? One of the side effects of prednisone is that it decreases the bodys immune system. So while the prednisone and acupuncture significantly improved Baileys mobility, her chances of developing an infection were higher than that of the average dog.
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Option #: Uti Symptoms Return After Antibiotics
Another story is when your urine test did show a UTI. You then took antibiotics, felt completely fine, but several days later woke up with the same nasty UTI symptoms.
Here two options are possible: we were unable to eliminate the infection completely or it is reinfection, says Dr. Hawes if only 2-3 days elapsed since treatment and symptoms recurred, most likely we were not able to clear the infection. However, if you get an infection 2-3 weeks after your last antibiotic treatment, count it as reinfection.
What Happens If Your Dogs Urinary Tract Infection Goes Untreated
In addition to pyelonephritis as mentioned earlier, if a bladder infection goes undiagnosed and untreated, a dog can develop struvite bladder stones. Not all bladder stones are related to infection. However, this specific typewhich are quite common in dogsare directly correlated to an infection in the bladder.
Bladder stones can then predispose your dog to more UTIs, and the cycle continues. In addition, they are quite uncomfortable for your dog.
Imagine having a handful of rocks bouncing around in your bladder. It probably wouldnt feel so good! Finally, a small bladder stone can also get stuck in the urethra. When this happens, your dog may be unable to urinate, which is a medical emergency.
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