My puppy has recurring UTIs. Can she stay on antibiotics long-term?

Make sure your vet does a culture on the urine to be sure your pup is on the right antibiotic. Then, make sure to recheck the urine at the end of the antibiotics to make sure the infection is resolved. If you haven't yet, get an xray to make sure there are no bladder stones present. Make sure your dog doesn't have a recessed vulva or a vaginal stricture that traps the urine and leads to infection. If these things don't work, there are also supplements like probiotics, herbal products, and even foods that can help. A good holistic vet could help with this.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. 2 urinary tract infections in 1 month is not normal. I recommend having Bella's urine checked by a pathologist to see if there is actually a UTI present, or if it is just cystitis. Also, puppies can get 'puppy vaginitis' that shows as a white discharge from the vulva, but doesn't respond to antibiotics and doesn't require antibiotics. This often looks like a UTI (licking at vulva, frequent urination), but isn't. Treatment for this is to have her spayed at 6 months of age. I would talk to your vet about getting a cystocentesis sample and sending it way for a culture and sensitivity and a urinalysis at the lab, before more antibiotics. Best of luck with Bella!

She should have an x-ray and/or ultrasound of her bladder to look for bladder stones. Dogs with stones tend to have chronic urinary tract infections. If your vet has already ruled out any stones than her urine should be cultured to make sure the right antibiotic is used. She may need to stay on an antibiotic for an exteneded period of time.

The most common thing is the antibiotics may not have been given long enough and she needed maybe another week, so when you stopped the antibiotic there was still bacteria left over in her urine. Clavamox is a great antibiotic to start out with but she may need a different medication that is more broad spectrum. The other thing that could be going on (especially since she is so young) she could have a congenital issue like an ectopic ureter. With this, she will continually dribble or drip urine. An ectopic ureter is when the ureter (brings urine from the kidneys to the bladder) is attached at the wrong location on the bladder. I recommend a urinalysis (if one wasn't done last time). You can bring one when you go to the veterinarian tomorrow. You can also have a urine culture performed. This will state what bacteria is in the urine and what antibiotic is best used to treat it. If you do these tests and treat the urinary tract infection and she is still having issues the next diagnostic would be an ultrasound looking for anything congenital like ectopic ureters. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

In dogs, recurrent urinary tract infections are often caused by persistent bacterial infections that can alter the pH of the urine. Sometimes the result of this can be the formation of urinary crystals, and ultimately larger urinary bladder stones. If Ashlynn hasn't had an x-ray ever, I would recommend getting at least one just to make sure nothing has formed or is in the process of forming. As to your question regarding prevention of future UTIs, it would depend upon what bacteria is the culprit in her previous infections (as this would likely be the culprit in future ones as well). There is some evidence both scientific and anecdotal that indicates that cranberry juice or cranberry supplements can help prevent certain strains of e. coli bacteria from sticking to the bladder's wall. There are many different supplements available, I do not have a preference as to one in particular. If the kidneys and bladder are producing / storing urine at an inappropriate pH, there are special diets that can be fed (both long term or short term) that chance the bladder's pH back to the appropriate level. To confirm if this is a problem, a urinalysis can be ran by your primary veterinarian. With regards to the HW and flea medications, it is unlikely that one of these predisposed her to a UTI. This is not a typical side effect of most medications in that class, and they are not known to lower the immune system enough to cause a secondary urinary tract infection. Hope this makes sense.

Many times there is an underlying cause of recurrent UTI-like symptoms. Daisy likely needs additional diagnostics, like: Urine sediment exam: to look for crystals in the urine Abdominal x-rays: to look for bladder stones that cause inflammation and can create an environment for UTI Abdominal ultrasound: to look for possible tumors Urine culture: to look for resistant bacteria, this will also help your vet determine the best antibiotic to use. Other medications to consider are anti-inflammatories, prescription urinary diets, and bladder support supplements; you can discuss this with your veterinarian.

If the antibiotics didn't make much difference, I'd be suspicious of puppy vaginitis, which is a relatively common inflammatory condition that can lead to accidents and sometimes make them more susceptible to urinary infections. It generally resolves with age. I would also check for a stricture (this may require sedation as they don't love vaginal palpation...). For now, since your vet hasn't been able to check a urinalysis, that would be the first priority. See if you can get a sample- sneak a small container under her when she squats. If you have to hold onto the sample a few hours before dropping it at your vet, stick it in the fridge, but the fresher the better. If you're having no luck, your vet can collect a sterile sample via cystocentesis. Hope this helps.