Urinary Tract Infection Symptoms??

Well, Willow will drink like crazy but some dogs do the opposite.  She will lick herself.  She has to go out fast or she might have an accident which she never does at any other time.  She will also pee a long pee, that she never does either.  And, then after that it's just little drips here and there--she feels like she has to go but doesn't-- a lot of squatting but nothing much happening.  Blood in the urine--you might not see that until you catch some though. 

Depends on the dog.  Some, like Willow and my Billy will drink the house down.  (They're smart enough to realize that the more they drink the less it burns.)

Others STOP drinking (it hurts to pee so I'm not drinkin nuffin!). 

Some dogs will have such burning that they will try (and often strain) and try and try and try to go every few feet.  Others (usually those who drink so much) will not be able to hold it all and may have accidents in the house if you don't see the signal fast enough.

If the urine is really concentrated it's dark and stinky ... if the dog drinks a lot it can be clear and almost like water.

The dark stinky one is easy to diagnose.  However if your dog drinks a LOT then it can be tough for the vet to diagnose because it may be too dilute to register properly.

Usually a dog with urinary tract problems will "pee" frequently, or inappropriately.  You may notice a smell, or sometimes there in blood in the urine.  Licking their "private parts.  varies from dog to dog..

 Symptoms would be any of the following :

1. Straining to pee

2. Burning upon urination making it very painful

3. Being completely blocked and unable to pee

4. Constant licking of the genital area.

5. Constant desire to urinate without passing much urine

6. Cloudy or bloody urine

7. Fever,  lethargy and loss of appetite  

I study and practice homeopathic medicine and there are some extremely effective natural remedies for "cystitis"  or UTI's in dogs and cats. UTI's are caused by bacterial infections, most notedly by the presence of  e Coli.

Upon the first symptoms you will want to switch your dog over to distilled or purified water and discontinue use of any tap or spring water which contains minerals that can contribute to the development of "crystals".   Secondly switch to a WET diet... canned, homecooked or raw but keep off the kibble until the problem clears up.  Don't use any GRAINS and opt for a higher protein diet.  Add GARLIC to the diet.. it is a natural antbiotic.

 Secondly you'll want to either search online or at your local healthfood store for the following items :

1.Cantharis C6 is prescribed homeopathically for a variety of conditions, including severe cystitis and the burning urine associated with bladder infections, as well as the inability to pass more than a few drops of urine at a time.  Depending on the size of the dog you would want to administer a dose of 1-3 pills  in 3 consecutive hourly  doses  the first day  and then one more dose at night. Then continue this dose 2x daily until you see results.

2.. Apis Mellifica  30c - is used for inflammation.  Cystitis / UTIs cause inflammation of the urethra and bladder and this is a powerful anti-inflammatory.  Administer the same (  1-3 pills) following the same directions as above.

3. Arctostaphylos uva ursi is a well known urinary antiseptic and excellent treatment for cystitis and all urinary tract problems. This herb contains the glycoside arbutin as the main active constituent. Hydroquinone derived from arbutin and methylarbutin is a powerful anti-bacterial agent and is thought to be responsible for uva ursi's ability to treat urinary tract infections.. Uva Ursi reduces acidity in the urine and inflammation in the mucosal linings. This comes in capsule form and is made from dried leaves of the Uva Ursi plant. Available in any healthfood store or online.   Follow the same directions as above.  

Berberis vulgaris: This widely studied herb contains berberine as a main constituent. Berberine is a recognized antibacterial agent and has been shown to kill amoebae in test tube studies. It also prevents bacteria from attaching to cell walls, reduces inflammation and strengthens immune functioning, thereby warding off infection and acting as a preventative as well as a natural antibiotic. Berberis also helps to treat the symptoms of diarrhea, especially if related to E.Coli infection.

As you see a symptom improve... cut the dosing for the remedy for that symptom down to once a day for that week, then once every other day, then  2x a week,  once a week, etc.

(There are also herbal remedies that can be added to the diet to booster the immune system and treat symptoms  such as  Licorice Root tincture, Couchgrass, Stinging Nettle , Echinacea, Rosehips,  alfalfa  and other herbs which  produce similar results )

You may also want to purchase a remedy called "Tinkle Tonic" which is a blend of natural herbs and botanicals you can give as a daily supplement. It actually will dissolve crystals and prevent them from forming.  I use it daily in my cat's food as the two males h ave had problems  with UTI's and FUS before I switched them to a wet and raw diet.  There is also another good one  by PetAlive  called UTI Free.

It took about 3-4 weeks to get them back to good health but their symptoms started improving almost immediately  with this regimen and diet.

This approach is not only EXTREMELY effective but it is VERY economical as well.  Homeopathic remedies can be bought fairly inexpensively, especially online at sites like Vitacost.com where they tend to run about HALF of what they cost in a brick and mortar store.

Conventional veterinary treatments are often ineffective and pumping your dog full of antibiotics actually LOWERS it's immune system instead of bolstering it to naturally fight off infection.  Also Rx diets are of so poor quality and then you have the same problems down the road going back to your old diet. The best remedy is to IMPROVE the diet from the beginning and create a stronger immune system.   Also those diets are no more than EXTREMELY expensive bags of cereal and are no more effective and no where near as nutritional as a proper, healthy diet.  Unlike conventional ( allopathic ) medicine, homeopathy goes to the ROOT SOURCE of symptoms and actually CURES them instead of treating and masking symptoms which is why most dogs and cats that are treated by conventional means usually have reoccurrences later on.