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What can I do to prevent my puppy's recurrent UTIs naturally?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | 10 months and 27 days old | 48 lbs

My 11 month old puppy was getting frequent uti"s. Since her last treatment a couple of months ago she hasn't had one. Is there something I can do to help prevent them from coming back? She had been taking heart worm medicine, and flea and tick tablets monthly. It seemed like she would develope a uti soon after taking these two medicines so I didn't give them to her after her last uti treatment. Is it a coincidence that she hasn't developed a uti? I'd rather treat her holistically if possible.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Jeffrey Milner

Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

Published on March 27th, 2018

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.
Vote Icon2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Lindsey Edwards MVB, BSc, IVCA

    Veterinarian

    Published on November 25th, 2016

    Poor Ellie, it sounds like she has an underlying issue causing recurrent urinary tract issues and further investigation to identify the triggers would be advisable in order to reduce recurrences in the future. A full urinalysis of a fresh urine sample to identify crystals and xrays to identify any stones, a culture to identify the exact type of infection and most appropriate antibiotic if required, also a specialist ultrasound to rule out any birth defects may all be considered. There is very little evidence for cranberry being effective and it could not be recommended as a treatment when she is showing symptoms although may be useful as a prevention to maintain a healthy urinary system once the current episode has been treated.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

  • Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on October 23rd, 2019

    Poor Nikki! If she has a history of leaking urine, she will need to stay on a medication to address the issue for the rest of her life. Pets with frequent UTI problems needs urine cultures and an ultrasound of the bladder to look for things like antibiotic resistant bacteria, bladder stones and bladder masses.
    Have Nikki examined by the veterinarian. She will need treatment for the infection, maybe rule out causes of chronic UTIs, and there are also diets that can help control UTIs.
    I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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    1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Smart Picks for Smart Questions

Health & Wellness
My dog keeps getting UTIs. What can I do to prevent them 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.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
Why does my dog's UTI keep coming back after antibiotic treatment?
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.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My puppy has UTIs and high pH. What food or cranberry is safe?
I'm so sorry Belle is having urinary tract infection problems. I have not used Might Petz Max Cranberry, but am unsure why it has cranberry seed oil instead of dried cranberry extract in it. There is evidence to suggest that dried cranberry extract is of benefit in preventing urinary tract infections caused from E. coli bacteria, but it does not seem to be because of the pH. Most often, the bacteria increase the pH of the urine and getting rid of the infection will decrease the pH back to normal. However, I do recommend urinary tract supplements for dogs with recurrent urinary tract infections, so I would ask your vet for a recommendation for a cranberry supplement. If they don't have a favorite supplement, I often recommend the following https://www.vetriscience.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=900505090 She is not too young to have such a supplement. Good luck with Belle! Please let me know if that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Food & Nutrition
My dog has a UTI. What OTC supplements can help and prevent it?
Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Kansas has an active UTI, I would recommend antibiotics for treatment. If there is not a current infection and an infection was just treated, you can use cranberry supplementation to help maintain urinary tract health. I recommend using Paxon but there are many other choices and you can find them at Petco. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My dog pees frequently, but nothing works. What's the next step?
Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concerns! My next concern is are we dealing with some predisposing factor leading to these UTIs or is there a resistant bacteria in the urine that is not responding to the current rounds of medications? I would recommend ultrasounding the bladder and obtaining a sterile urine sample for culture and go from there. Have the crystals resolved yet? If there are still crystals in the urine, then these need to be resolved as the presence of crystals will lead to recurrent UTIs and symptoms. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
My dog has a hooded vulva and recurring UTIs. What can I do?
If a UTI is not resolving with typical antibiotic therapy, it's time to do a urine culture to determine a.) the specific bacteria that is causing the infection and b.) the exact antibiotic and dosage necessary to resolve it. If a urine culture has been performed and the infection is still not going away, I would suggest using baby wipes on Riley after she urinates, in order to remove as much urine and debris from the vulva as possible. It also may be necessary to put her in an e-collar (cone) until the infection resolves, as licking may be complicating recovery as well.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025
Vet Q & A
Why does my dog have recurrent UTIs, kidney problems, and a cough?
If she is getting recurrent urinary tract infections than she should be checked for bladder stones as dogs with bladder stones typically have recurrent infections. Your vet can take an x-ray or do an ultrasound of her bladder to check for stones. She should also have her kidney values checked and may need to stay on an antibiotic for an exteded period of time. Call your vet and schedule an recheck. Hope she feels better soon!
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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