My puppy has UTIs and high pH. What food or cranberry is safe?

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.

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.

What a cutie! I cannot see the ingredients label on your product so I cannot say for certain, but there are no toxic concerns with cranberry or parsley. I would, however, recommend talking to your vet about his urine stream. I would be concerned about the possibility of an issue with the prostate or something like a bladder stone and your vet may want to do an X-ray to check for these problems if your pup isn’t improving on the antibiotics.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Buddy. Cosequin and Duralactin are typically safe supplements. It is unusual though for a male dog to have recurrent urinary tract infections. He should have a sterile urine sample submitted for a urine culture after finishing his most recent round of antibiotics. This will ensure the infection has actually resolved. X-rays of his belly are useful to look for bladder stones as these can predispose a dog to infections. I hope this information helps!

I believe you're referring to Royal Canines brand of urinary diet SO. In conjunction with appropriate medication SO is a great food to help prevent urinary tract infections. Lulu will likely need to be on this food for the rest of her life. Any changes to a non-urinary diet may trigger a recurrence of crystals or stones. If she does not resolve after a month of anabiotic's and diet, further diagnostic testing such as ultrasound or scoping of the bladder may be necessary to determine the cause of the urinary tract issues. My own dog is on Royal Canin SO and he does great, until my kids feed him the wrong food and then he has a flare up again. So please be sure to feed her only the prescribed diet. Good luck I hope she's feeling better soon, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Taffy is predisposed to urinary problems / crystals, I would recommend considering a prescription diet such as Hills C/D or Royal Canin Urinary SO. I would also consider a cranberry supplement such as Paxon, which can be found online quite easily. Increasing water intake is also key. A recirculating water fountain and feeding a canned diet can help with this. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be happy to help you further!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Bella. You are absolutely correct, you need to make sure they are safe before giving them to her. Without knowing the type and brand of supplement, I can't say if they are safe to give to her or not. Speak to her vet about the supplements you want to give her, and they can advise you on the safety and efficacy of them. I hope this helps!