Video Answer: Therapy For Urinary Tract Disease In Dogs And Cats
Sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim should not be used in dogs with liver tissue damage, blood cell problems, dogs that are dehydrated or at an increased risk for urinary stones, or those allergic to sulfonamides. It should be used cautiously in Doberman Pinschers as they may be more susceptible to adverse side effects.
The antibiotics prescribed for use on dogs and cats are almost all the same antibiotics used on humans. So, in that sense, yes. However, dosages vary enormously between species, not only in terms of mg/Kg body weight but also in absolute terms.
Absolutely. Dogs, cats, horses, and sheep regularly take the same medicines as wounded bipedals. Many, and perhaps most, antibiotics are approved for use in humans and animals. Versions of some of our anti-anxiety medications and painkillers are approved for other species as well.
Take Antibiotics Exactly As Prescribed If You Need Them
Dispose of Unused Medicines
If your doctor decides an antibiotic is the best treatment when youre sick:
- Take them exactly as your doctor tells you.
- Do not share your antibiotics with others.
- Do not save them for later. Talk to your pharmacist about safely discarding leftover medicines.
- Do not take antibiotics prescribed for someone else. This may delay the best treatment for you, make you even sicker, or cause side effects.
Talk with your doctor and pharmacist if you have any questions about your antibiotics.
What Are Some Common Antibiotics
Antibiotics are often classified into groups.
Here are some of the most common groups of antibiotics:
- Penicillins and penicillin-based: These are among the oldest antibiotics, and are a first-line treatment for many conditions, including UTIs and respiratory tract infections. Amoxicillin is an example of a penicillin class antibiotic.
- Tetracyclines: Often prescribed for common conditions like acne, skin infections, tick-borne illnesses, respiratory infections, and more.
- Cephalosporins: These antibiotics treat a wide range of infections, including ear infections, pneumonia, and meningitis.
- Macrolides: A common alternative for people who are allergic to penicillin, these antibiotics are used to treat some types of pneumonia, STDs, and other infections. Clindamycin and azithromycin are examples of macrolide antibiotics.
- Fluoroquinolones: These versatile antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, are used to treat a variety of skin, sinus, joint, and urinary infections. However, fluoroquinolones can interact with many common medications and may have some serious side effects.
- Sulfonamides: The most commonly prescribed sulfonamide is trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, sold under the name Bactrim or Septra. Sulfonamides work by stopping or slowing the growth of bacteria, and are often used for UTIs and skin infections.
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What If Its Not A Uti
If you have symptoms of a UTI, chances are thats what youre dealing with. In some cases, though, these symptoms can also be signs of more serious health conditions.
Other conditions that can cause similar symptoms include:
- Bladder or kidney cancer
- Loss of bladder or bowel control
- Blood in semen
A family history, physical exam, and lab tests can help your doctor determine the next steps and potential causes of your lingering UTI symptoms.
Urinary Tract Infection Treatment
If you are a healthy adult man or a woman who is not pregnant, a few days of antibiotic pills will usually cure your urinary tract infection. If you are pregnant, your doctor will prescribe a medicine that is safe for you and the baby. Usually, symptoms of the infection go away 1 to 2 days after you start taking the medicine. Its important that you follow your doctors instructions for taking the medicine, even if you start to feel better. Skipping pills could make the treatment less effective.
Your doctor may also suggest a medicine to numb your urinary tract and make you feel better while the antibiotic starts to work. The medicine makes your urine turn bright orange, so dont be alarmed by the color when you urinate.
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How Long For Nitrofurantoin Uti Antibiotics To Kick In
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How Vets Diagnose Utis In Dogs
There are many ways to tell if a dog has a UTI and to investigate the underlying causes for why an infection occurred in the first place. Its important to obtain a definitive diagnosis whenever there is evidence of urinary tract disease, or else UTIs may come back.
Here are the ways that veterinarians test for UTIs in dogs.
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How Long Should A Uti Last After Antibiotics
For most cases of uncomplicated urinary tract infections , you will need to take a 3-day course of antibiotics and make sure to stay hydrated. Some infections, however, may require longer treatment for up to 7-10 days. For complicated UTIs, your course of antibiotics may extend up to 2 weeks or more. How long it takes to recover depends on:
- What bacteria is causing the infection
- What type of drug is used
- Your medical history
Symptoms like pain and the need to urinate often may resolve pretty quickly after starting antibiotics. But its important to complete the entire course of antibiotics to make sure the infection is completely gone, because it can stay in your body for a while.
About Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections are common infections that can affect the bladder, the kidneys and the tubes connected to them.
Anyone can get them, but they’re particularly common in women. Some women experience them regularly .
UTIs can be painful and uncomfortable, but usually pass within a few days and can be easily treated with antibiotics.
This page is about UTIs in adults. There is a separate article about UTIs in children.
This page covers:
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Preventing Utis And Yeast Infections
Urinary tract infections and yeast infections can be safely and easily treated. However, if you have experienced either of these conditions, you know just how uncomfortable they can be.
Luckily, there are some things you can do to try to prevent these infections.
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In addition to staying hydrated, proper bathroom hygiene, such as remembering to wipe from front to back, can reduce the chance of bacteria entering the urinary tract.
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Urinating after sex naturally flushes bacteria from your urinary tract that may have found their way there during intercourse.
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Avoid using douches or sprays, as they can kill good bacteria that keeps your vagina healthy.
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Wear underwear and clothing that is made from natural materials to prevent bacteria or yeast buildup.
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When exercising or after enduring a hot day, be sure to change out of sweaty clothes and shower as soon as you can.
Dogs That Are Prone To Utis
Any dog breed can develop a urinary tract infection, but female dogs develop UTIs more commonly than male dogs.
Male dogs have longer urethras, requiring the bacteria to travel farther to invade the bladder. Picture the bacteria getting tired on their long trek and either giving up on their journey or dying before they make it to their destination.
Dog breeds that are prone to bladder stones are more prone to UTIs in generalespecially chronic, recurrent UTIs. This is due to the stones rolling around in a dogs bladder and breaking down its defense mechanisms, causing inflammation.
Breeds that are predisposed to chronic UTIs secondary to bladder stones include:
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Talk With Your Doctor If You Develop Any Side Effects Or Allergic Reactions While Taking An Antibiotic
In children, reactions from antibiotics are the most common cause of medication-related emergency department visits.
Common side effects range from minor to very severe health problems and can include:
- Rash
More serious side effects can include:
- C. diff infection, which causes diarrhea that can lead to severe colon damage and death
- Severe and life-threatening allergic reactions
- Antibiotic-resistant infections
If you need antibiotics, the benefits usually outweigh the risks of side effects and antibiotic resistance.
Im Pregnant How Will A Uti Affect My Baby
If you have a UTI and it isnt treated, it may lead to a kidney infection. Kidney infections may cause early labor. Fortunately, asymptomatic bacteriuria and bladder infections are usually found and treated before the kidneys become infected. If your doctor treats a urinary tract infection early and properly, it wont hurt your baby.
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How Do I Know If The Treatment Isnt Working
If the treatment isnt working, your symptoms will stay the same, get worse, or you will develop new symptoms. Call your doctor if you have a fever , chills, lower stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. You should also call your doctor if, after taking medicine for 3 days, you still have a burning feeling when you urinate. If you are pregnant, you should also call your doctor if you have any contractions.
Diagnosis For A Urinary Tract Infection
A licensed healthcare professional can diagnose a UTI. You may need to undergo the following tests or procedures in order to receive a positive diagnosis:
- Urine sample: Your doctor may ask for a urine sample to examine white blood cells, red blood cells, or bacteria.
- Lab analysis: The doctor determines which bacteria are causing the infection and decides which medication will work the best.
- Computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging scan: Your doctor may ask you to get one of these medical imaging techniques if youre experiencing frequent UTIs.
- Cystoscopy: A medical procedure where a doctor inserts a tube with a lens to see inside your bladder.
Depending on the results of your tests or procedures, your healthcare provider will help you determine the best treatment option.
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What Do Antibiotics Treat
Doctors prescribe antibiotics for all types of bacterial infections from minor strep throat or urinary tract infections to severe, life-threatening conditions such as bacterial pneumonia or sepsis.
“The properties of some antibiotics make them amenable to other medical conditions, as well,” says Anthony Kaveh, MD, physician anesthesiologist, and integrative medicine specialist. For example, the quinolone and tetracycline groups of antibiotics are used in anti-malarial therapy.
Important: Scientists agree that antibiotics don’t directly affect SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. That’s because “antibiotics do not treat viral infections,” says Kaveh.
Certain antibiotics also have anti-inflammatory effects, which may be useful in treating inflammation caused by a viral infection. However, Kaveh points out that there is still more research to be done about the anti-inflammatory effects of antibiotics.
Can Sepsis Be Treated At Home With Antibiotics
If you have mild , you may receive a prescription for antibiotics to take at home. But if your condition progresses to severe , you will receive antibiotics intravenously in the hospital. This method helps the medicine get into your bloodstream quicker so it can fight the infection sooner.17-May-2018
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Cipro And Herbs And Supplements
Some vitamin and supplement products can bind to Cipro and prevent your body from absorbing it. This can decrease how well Cipro works. These supplements include:
- multivitamins
- iron
- zinc
To avoid this interaction, you should take Cipro at least two hours before you take these supplements, or at least six hours afterward.
How To Take Cipro
Take Cipro exactly according to your doctors instructions. You might start to feel better before you finish your entire Cipro treatment. Even if you start to feel better, dont stop taking Cipro. In many cases, its important to finish the entire treatment to make sure the infection doesnt come back.
If youre feeling better and want to stop Cipro early, be sure to talk with your doctor first to make sure its safe to do so.
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Can Urinary Tract Infections Be Prevented Or Avoided
There are many lifestyle choices that can help you prevent UTIs. These are some of the things you can do to protect yourself from them:
- Drink plenty of water to flush out bacteria. For some people, drinking cranberry juice may also help prevent urinary tract infections. However, if youre taking warfarin, check with your doctor before using cranberry juice to prevent urinary tract infections. Your doctor may need to adjust your warfarin dose or you may need to have more frequent blood tests.
- Dont hold your urine. Urinate when you feel like you need to. Some children dont go to the bathroom often enough. If your child does this, teach him or her to go to the bathroom several times each day.
- Wipe from front to back after bowel movements. Teach your child to wipe correctly.
- Urinate after having sex to help wash away bacteria.
- Use enough lubrication during sex. Try using a small amount of lubricant before sex if youre a little dry.
- If you get urinary tract infections often, you may want to avoid using a diaphragm as a birth control method. Ask your doctor about other birth control choices.
- Avoid taking or giving your child bubble baths.
- Wear loose-fitting clothing , and dress your child in loose-fitting clothing.
- If you are uncircumcised, wash the foreskin regularly. If you have an uncircumcised boy, teach him how to wash his foreskin.
Cephalexin For Uti: How Soon Itll Work
It should work pretty quickly.
I felt almost immediate relief when taking Cephalexin for my UTI symptoms.
- Within an hour of taking the first pill, the pain with urination subsided.
- In a few hours, I no longer had blood in my urine.
Important: just because your symptoms are gone, dont stop taking the Cephalexin early. While it may have killed enough bacteria to stop your symptoms, you run the risk of growing bacteria that can survive Cephalexin, or in other words drug-resistant bacteria.
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Amoxicillin/potassium Clavulanate Cefdinir Or Cephalexin
How it Works: is another combination drug that belongs to the penicillin class of antibiotics. and belong to a different class of antibiotics thats closely related to penicillins.
All three antibiotics kill bacteria by destroying one of its most important components: the cell wall, which normally keeps bacteria structurally intact.
Common doses:
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Amoxicillin/clavulanate: 500 twice a day for 5 to 7 days
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Cefdinir: 300 mg twice a day for 5 to 7 days
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Cephalexin: 250 mg to 500 mg every 6 hours for 7 days
Notable side effects: Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and rash are common side effects of these antibiotics. In rare cases, all three have the potential to cause the dangerous skin reactions, SJS and TEN.
If you have a penicillin allergy, your healthcare provider wont prescribe amoxicillin/clavulanate. They may or may not prescribe cefdinir or cephalexin since there is a small chance that a person with a penicillin allergy may also be allergic to these two.
Can Uti Symptoms Linger After I Take Antibiotics
Since UTI symptoms usually improve just a few days after starting antibiotics, youll want to talk to your healthcare provider if you notice that UTI symptoms are still hanging around after finishing your antibiotics.
Theres no need to panic, but you and your healthcare provider will want to make sure the antibiotics actually worked against your UTI. To do this, they may take another sample of your urine to see if the bacteria are still there or not. If the infection is cured, youll want to be sure there isnt a different issue thats causing similar symptoms.
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Do I Really Need To Take Antibiotics For A Uti
In most cases, it makes sense to start antibiotics if you know you have a bacterial UTI since this is the only way to treat it.
While it is possible for a UTI to go away on its own, this doesnt always happen. Plus, youll still have to deal with uncomfortable UTI symptoms like pain during urination while waiting to see if the UTI will go away. And if it doesnt, the infection can travel up your urinary tract and cause a more serious infection in your kidneys called pyelonephritis. If youre pregnant, have underlying health conditions, or are older than 65 years old, you should not try to treat a UTI without antibiotics.
Can I Stop Taking Antibiotics Early
It’s important to complete the full course of antibiotics, even if you begin to feel better beforehand.
Because if you discontinue the treatment early you may not eliminate enough bacteria, and the condition could reoccur, as surviving bacteria multiply. Doing so also contributes to the growing issue of antibiotic resistance.
However, in the continued battle against antibiotic-resistant superbugs, researchers have started to study the dosage amount. A growing body of evidence suggests that shorter regimes of antibiotic treatment may be just as effective as the longer courses traditionally prescribed.
More research is needed, so you should still complete the full course of antibiotics you’re prescribed for an infection.
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Can Home Remedies Quickly Treat A Uti
As resistance to antibiotics is becoming more common, many people are looking for ways to avoid using them. While this can be a good thing in some cases, it can draw out your illness in other instances.
The most commonly asked about home remedy for UTIs is cranberry. Drinking cranberry juice or taking cranberry tablets has been long-touted as a natural alternative for treating UTIs. The thought is that cranberry makes your urine more acidic which, in turn, kills the bacteria causing your infection.
Unfortunately, cranberry does not treat UTIs very well. On the flip side, though, it can be useful for helping to prevent infections if youre prone to them. This seems to also be the case for other acidic fruits like lemon. Just be sure if youre going to try this for preventing future UTIs that you drink unsweetened juice, as sugar actually helps bacteria to grow.
