How Do I Know If My Dog Has a UTI? Signs To Watch Out For!

If your dog is struggling to urinate or frequently has accidents indoors, it may be worth considering if they could be dealing with a urinary tract infection (UTI).

Many signs, like bloody or brownish urine, pain while urinating, and peeing frequently, can indicate a UTI, urinary tract infection, or bladder infections in dogs.

Urinary tract infections can cause pain and discomfort for dogs, so it is important to watch out for their signs and seek prompt treatment.

This guide discusses some of the most common signs and symptoms of canine urinary tract infections.

What Are The Signs of Urinary Tract Infection in Dogs?

UTI in dogs may present the following signs:

Frequent Urination

This is one of the most common signs that a dog could have a bladder infection. Your dog will want to pee frequently and may even have accidents indoors due to utis in dogs. This is also seen in adult dogs that are fully housetrained. Dogs may also indulge in urinating licking afterward.

Bloody Urine

Another sign of a bladder infection in dogs is bloody urine or brownish urine. This usually occurs due to the presence of bacteria.

However, many other conditions, like bladder stones, can cause bloody or pinkish-brown urine. Bloody urine can also indicate a more serious underlying condition.

As a dog owner, you must rule out underlying cause to save your pet’s life.

So, please have your vet examine your dog’s urine sample for an exact diagnosis of the underlying cause.

Straining to Pee

Straining to urinate is another of the common dog’s bladder infection symptoms. Your dog might be able to only produce a few drops of urine at a time. It might even have some pain when its strains to pee.

Remember straining to pee could also be due to a more serious underlying condition like urethral blockage and not only urinary tract infections utis.

Strong Odor

A dog with an urinary tract infections utis will also have foul-smelling urine. If your dog’s urine sample seems to have a strong odor, then it may be due to bladder infections.

Which Health Conditions Cause Symptoms Similar to Canine Bladder Infection or Urinary Tract Infections?

Many conditions mimic bladder infections in dogs. some of these underlying cause may be more serious underlying condition including cancer.

That is why, urine culture and culture and sensitivity test using fresh urine sample of our canine companions are important.

Some health issues similar to urinary tract infections in our canine companions are:

• Bladder Stones – Bladder stones can cause similar symptoms to a UTI, including pain, difficulties urinating, urine cloudy, recurrent urination, and blood in the urine.
• Cushing’s disease – Most dogs with Cushing’s disease tend to urinate increased frequency, difficulties urinating, and urine cloudy.
• Prostate Infection or Enlargement – In male dogs, an enlarged prostate gland, can lead to urinary symptoms similar to a UTI. These symptoms may include difficulty urinating, recurring urination, blood in the urine, and discomfort.
• Urethral Obstruction – a partial or complete obstruction of the dog’s urethra can cause symptoms similar to a UTI such as straining to urinate, pain, inability to urinate, and blood in the urine or urine cloudy.

How Do You Check a Dog For UTI?

Your vet is the best guide when it comes to bladder infections in dogs. According to the experts at VCA Hospitals, here are some common UTI symptoms that your doctor may ask you about:

Your Dog’s Urinary Habits

The vet might ask you questions regarding your dog’s potty or dog’s poop habits. How often does your pet urinate? Is he/she urinating licking its privates?

If your buddy keeps urinating indoors despite being housetrained, then there is a chance it is suffering from urinary tract infections in dogs.

Urination Blood

Your vet might ask you to check your dog’s pee for blood. If possible, take a urine sample so your vet can diagnose your dog’s bladder infection.

Note Down Smell

If, along with cloudiness or brownish color, the dog’s urine also has a strong smell, then it is likely that your buddy is suffering from utis in dogs or urine infections in dogs.

Genital Area Licking

Female dogs with urinary tract infections will also lick their genital area frequently. Urinating licking worsens the infection due to the germs transmitted from the anus to the privates.

Mention all your dog’s symptoms to your vet so they can take the next steps. In addition to licking the genital area, fever may also be common in dog’s bladder infection.

Also, Check Out- Dog UTI Treatment Method & Procedure

What Can I Give My Dog for a Urinary Tract Infection?

Please follow your veterinary clinic advice regarding the medication to give your dog for urinary tract infections utis.

Pet parents must remember: bladder infections in dogs can keep recurring if they are not treated promptly or are left untreated. You certainly do not want your dog to suffer. Sure, pain killers depending on the dog’s symptoms but they may not eliminate the infection.

Also, if left untreated, bladder infections could result in kidney infections. So, it is better to have your dog checked by your veterinarian.

According to the experts at PetMD, doctors may use the following medicines for most cases bladder infections.

Amoxicillin – This medicine will treat the most common cases of bladder infections in our canine companions. However, they need a veterinary prescription, and you won’t be able to buy them for canine bladder infections over the counter.

Trimethoprim – This antibiotic is also used for treating canine urinary tract infections or bladder infections.

Enrofloxacin – This is another medical care for eliminating dog urinary tract infection symptoms.

Pain killers or anti inflammatory medicines like tramadol, acetaminophen, etc. as part of medical care after accurate diagnosis may also help relieve pain and genital area fever in cases of bladder infections.

Remember – the exact medicine for bladder infections and pain killers depending on your dogs urine sample or culture. It is important not to self-treat your dogs for bladder infections but to take them to the veterinarian to resolve the medical emergency.

Will Dog UTI Resolve on its Own?

Urinary infections in dogs usually won’t resolve on their own. Dogs with urinary tract infections will continue to urinate increased frequency. They will need generally need antibiotics and anti inflammatory medications or pain killers depending for genital area fever depending on the severity of the common symptoms in different cases bladder infections.

By trying to resolve dog urinary tract infection or bladder infection at home, you might increase the dog’s risk of kidneys infection, cystitis, or even kidney failure.

That is why, you must take your dog to the nearest veterinary clinic at the first sign of cloudy urine with urinate increased frequency or difficulties urinating. Have your vet immediately prescribe antibiotics so, if treated early, your dogs can get better within days instead of weeks.

Every pet owner must know the signs and common symptoms of dog utis and administer prompt veterinary care. Accurate diagnosis with sterile sample of urine can help you get your dog treated early with the best veterinary care for bladder infection.

How Can I Treat a UTI at Home for my Dog?

Dog uti or bladder infection cannot and should not be treated at home. If left untreated, they can result in many complications such as kidney infection and prostate disease in male dogs. In female dogs, if left untreated without medical care, a UTI could cause infertility and completely damage your pet’s health.

In both male and female dogs, an untreated UTI or bladder infection can result in kidney infection and even kidney failure in male dog or female dog.

Here are some things you can do to manage the bladder infection:

Continue Administering Antibiotics

Your vet will have prescribed a course of antibiotics for bladder infection for 10-15 days. Follow this dosage, and even if your dog feels better, continue to administer the complete dosage. If your dog is in pain, use the anti inflammatory medications given by the vet.

Take Your Dog to the Pee Area Frequently

Your dogs should empty their bladder frequently to eliminate the bacteria in the urine. This will help in recovery and also prevent recurrent bladder infection.

So, give your dogs adequate potty breaks for urination. Frequent potty breaks will also eliminate urine accidents inside. This is essential for pet’s health.

Provide Plenty of Water

Make sure your dogs drink a lot of fresh water as it is very important for your pet’s health. You can add some unsweetened cranberry juice and/or apple cider vinegar to the water. This will help eliminate the germs that result in the bladder infection. As stated earlier, take your dogs to the pee area or on a pee pad to prevent urine accidents inside.

Strengthen Your Dogs Weakened Immune System

Provide your dog with a nutritious diet. Check with your vet if you can administer any supplements to strengthen the dogs immune system to fight the bladder infection.

Check out our detailed guide on How to strengthen your dog’s immune system

FAQs – Dog’s Bladder Infection Symptoms

What can I give my dog for a UTI?

Your vet will prescribe antibiotics and anti inflammatory medications or painkillers for dogs UTI symptoms or bladder infection which you must administer as prescribed. These can be extremely helpful in resolving the infection promptly.

How to prevent urinary tract infections in dogs?

Taking your dog to pee to empty out the dog’s bladder frequently is the best way to prevent bladder infections. You must also complete the dosage of antibiotics for bladder infections to prevent recurrent uti in dogs.

What are the obvious signs of dog UTI?

Straining to pee, increased frequency of urination, cloudy urine, or blood-in-urine, with increased urination frequency are all warning signs or dog’s bladder infection symptoms of UTI in dogs.

Which dogs are more prone to bladder infections?

According to experts, older female dogs and dogs with diabetes are more susceptible to bladder infections.

What does the presence of white blood cells in dog urine indicate?

Increased WBC in urine indicates inflammation, infection, trauma, or cancer, whereas red blood cells may be warning signs of urination blood in the GI tract. Your vet will need a sterile sample to diagnose dog’s UTI.

What is sensitivity testing for UTI Symptoms?

Vets use a urine culture test with antibiotic sensitivity tests during urinalysis are extremely helpful to know which bacteria are causing the bladder infections and the best antibiotic to treat these bladder infections.

Conclusion – Symptoms of Urinary Tract Infections in Dogs

A urinary tract infection or bladder infection can cause your dog to urinate frequently. Along with an increased frequency, it may strain while peeing and also cry or whine when it pees. The urine may also be cloudy or bloody.

If you suspect a UTI in your dog due to these uti symptoms, please take a vet appointment as soon as possible. If treated early, you can prevent many complications.