urinary tract infection

Question
Hi Cassie, I hope you can help me. I'm at the end of my rope, not to mention my pocketbook, with vet bills to treat my female Russell Terrier's recurring "urinary tract infections". I'm sick of putting her on antibiotics, which is what the vet always prescribes. Is there a preventive cure that you can recommend such as giving her a little cranberry juice daily or anything like that? Please help. The antibiotics make her sick and I hate pumping my dog full of pills... it just feels wrong.
Thank you,
Britlyn

Answer
I would follow your vet's recommendations with regard to antibiotics, since he/she should have done a bacterial culture to identify the exact organism causing the problem.  But, once the infection is truly cleared, there are a few things you can do.
First, make sure your dog is well hydrated, and has access to clean fresh water at all times (be sure her teeth are ok and that it doesn't hurt her to drink).   Also, take her out to toilet more often - hire a dog walker if you have to.  Females that have urine sit in the bladder too long are prone to repeat infections.  Exercise helps, too, as it keeps things moving, producing more urine, the excretion of which keeps the system clean.  There's an online store, Berte's Naturals, where you can buy cranberry tabs for dogs, but be aware that cranberry only acts on certain types of bacteria. Hope that helps.