You might first notice that your dog has a urinary tract infection, or UTI, because you are letting her out more often or because there is blood in the urine. Either of these symptoms can be caused by a bacterial infection in the urinary tract and should be treated with antibiotics prescribed by your veterinarian. Amoxicillin is one type of antibiotic available to treat dogs with UTIs.
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Test for a UTI
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Your veterinarian will want a sample of urine to discover if in fact an infection is present. She will use a dipstick to check the levels of different chemicals in the urine, such as presence of blood, which would indicate an infection.
The vet will also perform a visual exam of the urine under the microscope to see what, if any, bacteria are present. This will help her decide on a treatment.
Antibiotics
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If it is determined that there is a bacterial infection, an antibiotic will be prescribed. For the most common infections, amoxicillin is the antibiotic of choice. Amoxicillin is more effective than some other antibiotics and is well tolerated by most dogs. It is also very inexpensive and widely available, according to Merck Veterinary Manual's website.
Dosage
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For dog urinary tract infections, amoxicillin is usually administered orally three times a day, or every eight hours, for maximum effectiveness. This ensures that the levels of the antibiotic present in the urine are high enough to kill the bacteria there. Usually a course of drugs will be prescribed for seven to 10 days, depending on the severity of the infection.
Cautions
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All antibiotics should be given as directed. Owners should not stop giving them to a dog with a UTI until the full course is complete, or else reinfection might occur. Antibiotics like amoxicillin are best given with food to prevent upset stomach and for better absorption of the medication. A common side effect of amoxicillin in dogs is diarrhea or loose stools.
In addition, dogs that have a known sensitivity or allergy to amoxicillin or other antibiotics in the penicillin family should not take it. Amoxicillin can interfere with other canine prescriptions, so dogs taking medications like chloramphenicol and tetracycline should not take amoxicillin, according to PetPlace.com.
Reoccurance of Infection
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If you give all the antibiotics as prescribed and your dog starts exhibiting symptoms of a UTI again, your vet might want to do more exhaustive tests to rule out kidney or bladder stones. It's also possible that bacteria in your dog's urinary tract can develop a resistance to amoxicillin, according to PetPlace.com.
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