Basset

Question
My dog has a bladder infection (i think) and has a vet appointment this p.m. However, she has zero tolerance for antibiotics-she gets severe diarrea almost immediately and in very short order it gets bloody she has it so often. I try the rice and beef thing but almost always the pills must be stopped which is not a good thing. The vet has tried a couple different antibiotics but she still got the runs. Any help in something more soothing to feed her?

Answer
Hi Jean,

When bladder infections keep coming back over and over again, there is usually a problem that is interfering with the bladder's ability to fight off infection. The most common contributing problems are bladder stones, anatomic defects allowing urine pooling, hyperadrenocorticism, diabetes mellitus, kidney infection and bladder cancer. In some cases, antibiotics are not used long enough to eliminate the infection and it never really goes away but this is probably not an especially common cause of bladder
infections that appear to be recurring over and over.
If the other conditions have been ruled out, perhaps your dog's sensitivities to antibiotics is the cause of the recurring bladder infections.

The usual recommendation in antibiotic sensitive dogs is to use about half the recommended dosage and to use it at night, on the theory that the antibiotic will be retained in the bladder longer at that time.

The best test to perform at this point would probably be a urine culture and sensitivity, withdrawing the urine from the bladder by cystocentesis. This is the process of inserting a needle into the bladder by passing it through the skin and muscles layer and then into the bladder. This is the best way to obtain a sample for urine culture. If it is possible to get a culture of a bacterial agent, this will help in selecting an antibiotic that would work but perhaps cause less problems with diarrhea. This test sounds scary, but it is usually easy to obtain urine in this manner and there is very little risk associated with it. It's something you may want to talk over with your vet.

When an antibiotic is used, besides killing the invading disease, it also kills beneficial bacteria normally found in the colon. Yogurt containing Bifidobacterium longum culture can decrease antibiotic induced diarrhea. If you can't find a yogurt containing Bifidobacterium longum cultures, look for one containing "live cultures", as they too can protect against antibiotic-induced diarrhea. Try to adding a tablespoon of plain yogurt to each of your dog's meals. Your vet can advise if you should use more yogurt or not.

"Probiotics" is a general term used to describe bacteria or yeast that may potentially be beneficial to health when supplemented in the diet. Most probiotics used for humans and animals are normal inhabitants of the gut and they are often lactic acid bacteria. Yogurt is an inexpensive and effective way to supplement probiotics to your dog.

The same diet recommended for controlling struvite bladder stones is often recommended for dogs with chronic urinary tract infections.
Dietary therapy is a useful preventive measure for pets with urinary tract infections. Since most infections commonly occur in alkaline urine (urine with a high pH), diets should help maintain an acidic urine (low pH) as much as possible. Vegetarian or cereal-based diets are more likely to cause an alkaline urine, while animal-based protein promotes acidic urine. So it's worth looking over whatever you feed your dog, and consider switching. This is something else to discuss with your vet.

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to take advantage of the benefits of cranberries in preventing or treating urinary tract infections is to take a cranberry extract in pill form. Cran-Max is one brand to look for, there are others too. These pills are an extract made from cranberry fruit solids that intensifies the natural benefits of the whole cranberry. Look for a brand without any additives or preservatives. Cranberry extract pills are more powerful and work faster in treating urinary tract infections than cranberry juice because of their time-release mechanism that protects it from destruction by stomach acids. Your vet can advise you about the correct dose for your dog.

I hope I've been a help.
Best of luck,
Patti