Signs of Bladder Infections in Dogs

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs)

• A bacterial infection can be small and localized in the lower urinary tract, or can take over the entire urinary system all the way up into the kidneys. The combination of damage done by the infection and damage done by underlying conditions, which may have prepared the way for the infection in the first place, can cause severe and lasting trouble for your pet, and even death.
  The most common infectious agent causing UTIs is E.coli. An ever-present bacteria native to the lower intestinal tract, E.coli growing outside their proper environment can cause great trouble. Staph infections are also fairly common.

Symptoms

• There are a wide array of symptoms of a UTI. Straining to urinate while producing very little urine is common. A constant need to urinate even when producing little results is also common. If your dog is continually begging to go outside only to strain, produce a teaspoon amount of urine, come back in and then beg to go out again minutes later, you may well be looking at a pet with a UTI.
  Obvious discomfort is another sign. If your pet spends hours licking its belly or genitals, consider having a urine test to see if there's an infection. UTIs can cause swelling and soreness of the bladder and abdomen, and the licking and bathing is the pet's attempt to resolve the problem.
  Blood in the urine is absolutely a sign of a UTI or other urinary tract problem. While you should never delay having a potential UTI diagnosed, if there is blood in the urine, you must consider an emergency check rather than waiting. Blood in the urine not only indicates the possibility of an infection ulcerating parts of the urinary tract, it increases the odds of a blockage forming, preventing a pet from urinating at all and leading to kidney failure and death.
  
  Problems with incontinence can also indicate an infection, particularly in female dogs. A dribble the dog seems not to be aware of, or able to control, can indicate that between swelling, soreness and pressure your dog's control over her urinary sphincter is affected.
  Many of the standard indications of general illness may also indicate a UTI. Lethargy, depression, fever and weakness are all signs of illness that are as valid with UTIs as with any other form of infection.

Underlying Causes

• There are a range of underlying conditions that can increase the chances of your dog developing a bladder infection. If your dog produces urinary crystals the irritation caused by the crystals can set up a vulnerability to infection while at the same time causing enough discomfort to encourage your dog to over-groom, upping the chances of an E.coli infection from bacteria carried from the anus to the urinary tract.
  A range of hormonal issues in female dogs can increase the chances of a UTI.
  Diabetes can promote bladder infections in dogs just as in humans.
  Poorly chosen diets can promote bladder infections.

Treatments

• There are a range of treatments for bladder infections in dogs. The first move will be diagnosis, of course, to determine the nature of the infection and when possible the causes promoting the infection.
  After diagnosis you are likely to be prescribed an antibiotic to kill off the infection. Your dog should be encouraged to drink as much water as possible to promote urination, which will wash out bacteria and (when present) urinary crystals. Dilute urine forms fewer crystals to begin with, so steady fluid intake is a vital part of treatment.
  Depending on the underlying conditions, a number of things may be suggested. Your dog may be put on a prescription diet to adjust its metabolic balance in order to discourage the formation of crystals. Supplements of several sorts may be suggested, including the classic human treatment of cranberry capsules (while many doctors are leery of alternative medication, cranberry has proven sufficiently safe and useful in regards to bladder difficulties in both humans and dogs).
  If there are hormonal problems, you may be given a prescription to attempt to balance the hormonal levels.
  Where there are actual elements causing physical difficulty draining the bladder completely, surgical restructuring of the urinary tract may be suggested.
  In most cases, though, expect an antibiotic, a prescription food, and a recommendation to keep your dog drinking and urinating.

Dangers

• Don't let urinary tract infections slide under the radar or hope they'll just go away, though in some cases they will. But the dangers and damage caused by severe UTIs can lead to death or to permanent problems. Blockages can lead to badly stretched bladders that may never recover from the strain and tearing involved--a problem that affects urinary control. They can lead to actual burst bladders. Most dangerous of all, though, is the chance of kidney failure. A combination of kidney stones caused by crystal formation, an infection and a blockage can force the kidneys to shut down, leading to death in a matter of hours.