10 month old frequently urinating

Question
My 10 month old female sheltie has had 3 bladder infections since she was 6 months old.  The urnies tests had revealed the presence of not only blood, but a lot of crystals. The vet thought it was her food so we have switched to a good quality food.  The urine tests have been normal now for the last 6 weeks, however, she still is urinating in the house wherever she can sneak off to and not get caught (usually the dining room) if not let out every hour.  A holistic book recommended giving her vitamin C powder to make her urine more acidic to help her hold it longer and avoid the "frequent unrination.  What do you recommend to help the problem.

Answer
Hi Donna,

I'm sorry your puppy is having such problems at such a young age.

Many times when a dog or puppy has a recurring urinary tract infection, it's because they weren't on antibiotics long enough, so the infection wasn't totally wiped out, causing additional flair ups when the medication is discontinued. It's not unheard of for a dog to stay on antibiotics for a full month, in order to knock out a persistent bladder infection.

Treatment of crystals in the urine (Crystalluria) is based on changing the diet to prevent stone formation. Which diet is chosen is based on the type of Crystalluria present. You didn't say what new dog food you're now feeding your dog, but just changing brands may not control or prevent your dog from having additional bladder infections. Your puppy may require a prescription diet, designed to control the pH of the urine as well as the mineral content of the urine.

Did your vet recommend using Vitamin C? Do you know what kind of crystals your dog has? You want to be careful with acidifying the urine too much, depending on the type of crystals. The growth of some types of crystals are actually encouraged by a more acidic pH.

Assuming your vet said it's safe to give your dog Vitamin C, it's an excellent way of raising your dog's urine pH. I would use Ester C which is gentle on the stomach and use 2 doses, AM and PM as this vitamin is excreted out in the urine. You want to have its advantage throughout the day. I would even suggest a time release but use a buffered C or Ester C. Cranberry extract capsules is another option.

You don't want your dog to hold her urine, you want her to expel it as often as possible!
Give your dog frequent opportunities to go to the bathroom during the day, and increase her water consumption by adding water to her food. The more water she takes in, means a more diluted urine. This means she will need to go to the bathroom more often.

The fact she's having trouble "holding it" sounds like the infection still hasn't been wiped out, again, she may need to stay on antibiotics longer.

Best of luck,
Patti