Equine Urinary Tract Infections

Although extremely uncommon, urinary tract infections can occur in horses from time to time. Generally those most likely to experience a urinary tract infection, or UTI, are either very young or ill.

  1. Risk Factors

    • Newborn foals, usually less than a month old, are at higher risk than healthy adults. More rarely foals that are critically ill, and on antibiotics to treat serious bacterial infections, develop secondary, fungal infections by way of the urinary tract.

    Types

    • Two types of urinary tract infections can affect horses: upper urinary tract infections and lower urinary tract infections. Upper UTIs are the more serious of the two, as these affect the kidneys and can lead to kidney failure.

    Cause

    • Most UTIs are caused by common bacteria, including E. coli and Staphylococcus sp., but fungi can also cause the condition.

    Symptoms

    • Symptoms of a UTI in a horse are very similar to those in other animals with UTIs---trouble urinating, blood in the urine and frequent passing of urine.

    Diagnosis

    • In any animal, the best and most reliable way to diagnose a urinary tract infection is to perform a urine culture. This is done by collecting a urine sample and allowing any bacteria present to grow.

    Treatment

    • Standard treatment for clearing up urinary tract infections is administering of antibiotics to kill the bacteria causing the infection.