What Causes Bladder Infections in Dogs?

What Causes Bladder Infections in Dogs? As pet parents, this is what we usually ask whenever our fur-babies acquire a bladder infection. We always want to know why certain things happen as we want to know how we can take care of our pets better.

Bladder infections in dogs  are painful and can  occur when bacteria find  its  way into your fur-baby's bladder. Any dog can get a bladder infection at any time but female dogs and the dogs with low immunity are often the ones t hat  are  always at risk.

The following are dogs more likely to develop and acquirebladder infections :

• Female dogs are at high risk of getting  bladder infection  because they have a shorter urethra compared to male dogs and their urethra is positioned just below the ir   rectal opening .
• Bladder infections are often caused by bacteria (commonly  E.Coli  or Staph) that are transferred through fecal matter.  So,  if your fur-baby seems to get a little bit messy when pooping, be cautious  and watchful  of  any  potential bladder infection symptoms.
• Bladder infections in dogs can happen whenever your fur-baby's private area is inflamed or irritated. Your fur-baby will have the tendencies to excessive lick  or bite  the ir   private  area and this can easily transport  bacteria  to the urethra and then eventually  leading up  to the bladder.
• Another reason for bladder infections in dogs is when you allow your dog to stay outside for too long and they get in  contact with  mud, dirty water, etc. Bacteria can be anywhere and when your fur-baby's private area gets in contact with anything  contaminated and  unsanitary, this can pose a bladder  infection  threat. Without  properly bathing your dog  after these situations, it can  possibly  lead to bladder infections.
• Bladder infections can also be caused by certain diseases like diabetes and by medications that weaken the immune system ,  like corticosteroids and some antibiotics.

What to look for

Bladder infections in your fur-baby can cause:

• increased thirst
• fatigue, weakness
• sudden loss of appetite
• fever
• urination in inappropriate places even when  they are  potty-trained  or  house-trained
• excessive licking of the private area
• straining and yelping when urinating
• presence of blood in the urine
• foul-smelling urine
• passing small amounts of urine from time to time

Also, according to  PetWebMD ,  some other signs to look out for include:

• increased amount and/or frequency of urination
• constant licking of urinary opening
• severe back pain
• lethargy
• vomiting
• weight loss
• increased water consumption

Helping your dog recover from a bladder infection

Always provide water.  See to it that your dog always has fresh, clean water by  their  side and is on a wet dog food diet until the infection is gone. This will increase  their  water intake and will constantly help get rid of the bacteria in the bladder.

According to the  American Kennel Club , while not a cure for UTIs, providing more water for your  fur-baby  can  reduce  the  risk  of this infection from  occurring .  Always see to it that  your dog always has  an accessible supply  of fresh  and  clean water . Make sure to change the water when you see something floating.   

Follow the medicine intake schedule on time.  See to it that you give your fur-baby's medicines on time, that  they are  really swallowing those pills, and that  they are  getting the right doses. Follow your vet's advice.

Extend your patience. This is one of the times where you need to keep your chill. Try to hold back on scolding whenever your fur-baby creates an accident. With bladder infections, accidents are common. So instead of getting mad, let your fur-baby wear washable dog diapers or belly bands to help you deal with accidents and steer clear of messy cleanups.

Have a lot of pee breaks. Your fur-baby regularly holding in urine for long periods of time can contribute greatly to making bladder infections even worse. Let your fur-baby go outside more often if possible. Don’t let them hold their business for many hours. By doing so, this can prevent an accident from taking place inside your home as well

Inquire about special diets and supplements.Changing pH levels in your fur-baby's body will help prevent bacterial growth in the near future. You can also help support your fur-baby's bladder health by providing thembladder supplements but always consult your vet first to make surethat these supplements do not have any side effects on any of the medications of your fur-baby.

Supplements for bladder health

When your dog has a bladder infection, they will be having a hard time urinating and may have blood in his urine. And because the infection irritates their organ, it increases your dog’s need to urinate.

Pet Parents® Bladder SoftSupps™ contains a branded form of cranberry extract and Pacra® that helps promote bladder health by not allowing bad bacteria to stick to the uterine walls and flushing them out to help avoid any bladder infections from happening to your fur-baby.