Urinary Tract Infection

Simple urinary tract infections (UTI) occur more frequently in female dogs due to the short length of their urethra. Male dogs, on the other hand, have a long urethra, which offers more protection from infection. While cats may suffer from urinary tract inflammation, the majority of the episodes are not associated with infections. Pets with a urinary tract infection may: strain to urinate, have accidents in the house, have blood in the urine, and have a foul odor to the urine. A urinalysis and urine culture confirms the UTI diagnosis. Most UTIs resolve with a 10-14 day course of an oral antibiotic. Despite proper treatment, some patients develop persistent or recurring UTIs. These patients require further investigation (e.g.: blood work, repeat urine cultures, and x-rays and/or ultrasound to visualize the bladder) to search for complicating factors such as: urinary bladder stones, prostatic disease, resistant infections, immunosuppressive disorders (e.g.: chronic kidney disease and Cushing’s disease), and urinary bladder anatomical defects.