3 mo. golden has UTI-any preventative ideas?

[Donna]

My poor Cassie has her second UTI in her short little life. Getting her meds today, once her sample confirms it but does anyone know of any holistic preventatives for UTIs? I am giving her some cranberry juice which she loves both in her bowl and making cranberry ice cubes for her. She has a water bottle on her crate for when she's in there, she is bathed regularly to keep her clean. I am going to order UTI Free that I found online that is recommended, does anyone have any experience with that?
I feel so bad for her, she has to go out every 10 mins. and we don't have a fenced in yard so we are taking her out each time ourselves. She is acting normal otherwise, eating well, no diarrhea, playing with our other dog.
I just want to do all i can til i get her antibiotic started today and make sure she hopefully doesnt get another one. I am concerned that this is her second one already and she's only just under 4 mos. old.
thanks.

 

[wilderness01]

Does she also have any crystals in her urine? My dog was getting UTI's and having a large amount of crystals in her urine (a small amt apparently is ok). We switched her to SO diet (prescription) and she has been healthy ever since. She has been on this SO diet 1.5 years just to let you know. Good luck.

 

[Donna]

Does she also have any crystals in her urine? My dog was getting UTI's and having a large amount of crystals in her urine (a small amt apparently is ok). We switched her to SO diet (prescription) and she has been healthy ever since. She has been on this SO diet 1.5 years just to let you know. Good luck.

Not that i can see. Are they visible or very tiny? What is SO? She is eating natural balance potato and duck and loves it. Even my picky cocker loves it. She had been on nutro and i switched her when she had the UTI before so I don't think this food is doing anything as far as the UTI is concerned but i'm willing to try anything.
What is a reasonable amount to pay for testing? My vet charges $42 to test the urine and $37 for the two week antibiotic. Does that seem reasonable?

 

[Disney Doll]

I was going to suggest researching dog foods to see if there are any that are "urinary system recommended".

 

[wilderness01]

Not that i can see. Are they visible or very tiny? What is SO? She is eating natural balance potato and duck and loves it. Even my picky cocker loves it. She had been on nutro and i switched her when she had the UTI before so I don't think this food is doing anything as far as the UTI is concerned but i'm willing to try anything.
What is a reasonable amount to pay for testing? My vet charges $42 to test the urine and $37 for the two week antibiotic. Does that seem reasonable?

I never saw them, so no, I don't think they are visible to the naked eye. The problem is if you have large amount of crystals in the urine, you can get a mass in their bladder that needs to be surgically removed. If not surgically removed and it is blocking the bladder, you have big trouble.

SO is a urinary diet, prescription, I think by Science Diet. If it isn't by Science I will come back and update as the bag is in the basement closet.

You need to clear up the UTI by medication first and then ask about her diet. $37 for a two week antibiotic is cheap.

 

[minkydog]

You have to get to the bottom of *why* she's getting UTIs. I'd spring for the urine test. It won't tell you everything, but it will reveal blood in urine, crystals, protein, sugar, etc. Could there be an anatomical problem, like kidney reflux? Poor baby. She must be miserable.

 

[Donna]

oh yes, getting the urine tested is always the first thing to do. I could not get a prescription without that anyways. i was just wondering if that seems reasonable and customary. I have not had a dog that ever had this before so I wasn't sure if that was high or what. Glad to hear it's not too high; this vet is a good vet and i've been going to them since the mid 80s. Just never had this problem til now.
I am waiting for my husband to get home so we can take her sample out to them. Our son borrowed our other car so I can't go anywhere til he gets home around 11:30. She wasn't playing much yesterday but seems to have perked up a little today and she is stretching out to 15 mins. now til she needs to go out again. still not good but not too bad. I just can't wait to get the antibiotic started in her.
I just wish i knew what was causing this so frequently. we've had her 6 weeks and she's only been UTI free for half that time!

 

[janey99]

My female boxer who is 11 has been taking a cranberry pill every day for several years, because she too was prone to UTIs.

This seems to be working and may be easier for you eventually than making cranberry icecubes or making cranberry juice available for your dog.

I put the pill in a little cube of laughing cow cheese every morning.

Hope this helps!

Jane

 

[Donna]

My female boxer who is 11 has been taking a cranberry pill every day for several years, because she too was prone to UTIs.

This seems to be working and may be easier for you eventually than making cranberry icecubes or making cranberry juice available for your dog.

I put the pill in a little cube of laughing cow cheese every morning.

Hope this helps!

Jane

Do you buy those in the health food store, like GNC? also, is there a certain milligram/size? thanks, that will be much easier! well, i still might give her the ice cubs since she just loves ice cubes in general (in the summer).
Thanks!

 

[luvwinnie]

500 mg a day of Vitamin C stopped our bulldog's UTIs! Thank goodness our vet figured out her urine was too alkaline.

 

[Donna]

just got back from the vet. i have to wait 24 hrs for the results! HUH? i never heard of waiting that long. last time, they told me in 15 mins. she had it and i had the meds. quickly. Now she has to go another day waiting and getting those pills in her. i have to say , not sure if it's the cranberry juice or what, but she is not having the need to go quite as often. so until tomorrow, at least she seems somewhat more comfortable.

 

[DisneyFed]

My Golden has had the same type of problems, and it usually took us 24 hours to get labs back if that was the case...

My poor baby has seizure disorder too, and has been medicated for quite a while...but she is our big baby girl

 

[kacaju]

the first time the vet probably did the test *in house* since it happened again and so quickly they are probably seding it out to the lab this time

 

[scouthawkk]

My female golden was the same way when we got her at about 9 weeks. She had a UTI, and also additional bladder problems. Always had to go out and all that. There were 2 possibilities, according to her vet. The first was an ectopic uterer-not very good. Surgery is the only real option there, and not a 100% chance of success. The other possibility was an incomplete sphincter-which, with medication and time can be taken care of (that appears to be what mine had).

Once the UTI cleared, the vet put her on a doggie incontinence medicine to help her control her bladder better, and then recommended spaying to wait until after her first heat cycle, so the hormones could kick in. After a couple of months on the medication, she was weined off it with no further problems, although too much water and she has to go out more often, but nothing like the every 10-15 minuts it was. She has gone through her first heat now, so we are trying to schedule her spay.

 

[Donna]

the first time the vet probably did the test *in house* since it happened again and so quickly they are probably seding it out to the lab this time

this vet just opened a brand new , state of the art facility and i am pretty sure their lab is right there now. they seemed really busy today. she does seem much better, holding it an hour now, just drinking the cranberry juice. Once she gets the meds , it will really help her.

I sure hope she doesn't have the add'l bladder problems as the pp suggested. I had wondered if this wasn't more complicated than a UTI. We have a 2 year health guarantee with our breeder, I would have to check in to them taking care of anything more serious.

thanks!