Urinary tract infections can be a common problem for dogs year round, causing discomfort and stress for both dogs and owners. Similarly to in people, urinary tract infections are more common in females, and can result in the constant sensation of needing to urinate, in addition to pain when urinating, and urinary incontinence. This article aims to shed some light on why these infections occur, how you can spot them, and what can be done to treat them.
Why do dogs get urinary tract infections?
Urinary tract infections are a relatively common problem in dogs, primarily females and particularly those who have issues related to the urinary tract, such as urinary incontinence or having bladder stones.
The most common cause of a urinary tract infection is where bacteria from elsewhere in the body, usually the skin or intestines, manage to make their way into the bladder and start growing, causing irritation and discomfort. This is typically called an ascending infection, as it usually starts outside the body and works it’s way up the urinary tract. These types of infection are much more common if your dog’s urinary tract is not in good health, if there are bladder stones or kidney disease present for example, or if they have disease elsewhere in the body that is compromising their immune system. In male dogs urinary tract infections are much less common but can still happen.
What are the common signs of a urinary tract infection?
There are a number of clinical signs that are usually seen with urinary tract infections, however these can easily be confused with other signs of illness, so pay careful attention.
- Increased frequency of urination (usually with smaller amounts of urine) – this is caused by the irritation within the bladder making your dog feel like they need to urinate more. If your dog is urinating more but passing large volumes of urine then it is less likely to be related to a urinary tract infection, and more likely to be related to other illness within the body.
- Increased urgency of urination – just like with people with urinary tract infections, dogs can really struggle to hold on because of the irritation within the bladder, so you may notice an increase in desperation when your dog is asking to go out to use the bathroom, and your dog may be unable to hold on until they go outside, passing urine indoors (usually near the door leading to their usual bathroom spot, as they are aware they need to go). This is different from urinary incontinence.
- Urinary incontinence – if you are noticing that there are wet patches where your pet has been laying down or that your pet is dribbling urine, however they seem completely unaware that they have passed anything, then the inflammation in your pet’s urinary tract may be causing them to leak urine.
- Straining whilst passing urine – this is also related to the irritation within the bladder, as when your dog has finished passing urine they may still feel the need to go, despite their bladder being empty. Straining to pass urine and not passing anything at all may be the sign of a urinary tract obstruction, this is an emergency and if you suspect this then you should contact your local veterinarian immediately.
- Passing bloody or cloudy urine – when there is infection in the bladder it can cause the bladder wall to bleed slightly where it is damaged, and the extra contents of the urine from the bacteria and inflammation can turn it cloudy.
- Excessive cleaning of genitals – when passing urine with a urinary tract infection, some animals will experience an unpleasant sensation, in humans most people report a burning sensation. This, in addition to urinary incontinence where they are unconsciously leaking urine, can cause them to clean their genitals much more than they normally would.
- Behavioural changes – when affected by a urinary tract infection, many dogs experience behaviour changes, often this consists of being under the weather or wanting to hide away in bed more than usual, in rare cases this may also cause changes in temperament as well.
Signs that may be confused with having a urinary tract infection
There are a number of conditions that may have signs that look similar to a urinary tract infection, but are not quite the same. These can have varying degrees of importance, but I will highlight the main ones below.
- Increased drinking and urination – typically with a urinary tract infection dogs may have a slight increase in the volume of water they are drinking, however dogs with other illnesses will show a large increase in volume of water they are drinking, in addition to a large increase in volume they are urinating. This can be confusing because although they are urinating more frequently, the amount and usual lack of straining means it is less likely to be related to a urinary tract infection, and more likely to be related to an underlying medical condition.
- Being unable to pass urine – whilst a urinary tract obstruction is much more common in cats, some dogs can present with an obstruction, this is often confused with straining to urinate as they will strain and continue to try and pass urine, but this is because their bladder is full and they cannot empty it, rather than being because of irritation within the bladder due to an infection. This situation is life threatening, and if you are concerned your dog is unable to pass urine at all then you should contact your local veterinarian immediately. The most common cause of urinary tract obstruction in dogs is bladder and kidney stones.
- Passing bloody or cloudy urine – whilst this is a sign you will see in almost all dogs with a urinary tract infection, passing bloody or cloudy urine does not always mean an infection is present. If your dog is passing bloody or cloudy urine without any of the other signs of infection (straining, increased frequency of urination, excessive cleaning of genitals), then some other form of urinary tract disease may be present, such as kidney and bladder stones or a bladder mass. These can be very damaging and so should be investigated further, even if there is no infection present.
- Urinary incontinence – this is not always a sign of urinary tract infection either, and can happen in dogs for a number of reasons, with the two most common causes being old age, and a weakness in the sphincter muscle that holds urine in the bladder. Dogs who are incontinent are at a much higher risk of contracting urinary tract infections, so if your dog does become incontinent then it is a good idea to investigate this even if no other signs are present.
How are urinary tract infections treated?
The first thing any veterinarian will do if they are suspicious of a urinary tract infection is request you bring in a urine sample, as this will provide a huge amount of information from the get go, and will accelerate the process of treating your dog’s infection. The best urine sample to obtain is often the first one passed of the day, and the closer this is to your appointment the better. Samples that are collected first thing in the morning are more concentrated and so a better representation of your dog’s overall urinary tract health, and fresh samples allow for more accurate analysis – if they are old then crystals will form and bacteria will have more time to grow, making the results harder to interpret. If you are booking an appointment to have your dogs potential urinary tract infection investigated then make sure you bring one of these along! You do not necessarily need a medical sample pot, as long as it is contained in a clean disposable vessel (for example a clean tupperware or glass jar) the sample should be useful.
The urine sample will provide a number of clues about the infection, such as if there are any crystals or small stones present, if there is any blood or protein in the urine, and if there are any visible bacteria. Your veterinarian may also recommend sending the urine sample to the lab in order to find out the exact type of bacteria growing in your dog’s bladder, as if the wrong type of antibiotic is used then the infection may become more difficult to treat.
If the urinary tract infection is proving difficult to treat, or is recurring, then further investigations may need to be used to identify if there are any underlying causes for the infections. Underlying causes can include bladder or kidney stones, urinary incontinence, and structural problems within the urinary tract.
Urinary tract infections can be uncomfortable and cause a lot of stress at home, so picking up on them early and getting them treated is key. If you are suspicious that your pet is beginning to show signs of a urinary tract infection then contacting your local veterinarian to get it treated quickly is essential.
