UTI or something else? Need Help

[shonna]

Hi all,
Baylee my 2 1/2 y.o. fawn is living with my sister; we are living in an apartment while our house is being built. She told me she was having accidents, which she never had. I took her urine in, and had it analyzed and it had a high content of crystals. She was put on antibiotics and a special canned food. After two weeks I took her back in and she was fine but had a high ph level. So now she is on a special dog food to help get her PH level down. Yesterday after being outside playing, she came in the house and had another accident. So now I'm worried that it's not just an UTI..... Any thoughts????


Thanks,
Shonna

 

[Lola's mum]

UTI's do make dogs have accidents, they get an over whelming urge to go pee right then and there. I found this out when Lola had one a while ago.
Please try not to worry x

 

[gmacleod]

If she has crystals in her urine - then you need to be concerned about overall water intake (crystals can only form in concentrated urine - so ensuring adequate hydration, that is, frequent water intake and urination, is key to preventing this). So - I'd suggest ceasing to feed dry food, if you do, and instead give the dog normally hydrated food instead. Obviously, ensure that fresh water is available at all times, and the dog has regular opportunities to urinate throughout the day. Does this make sense to you? It is one of the major downsides to dry dog food in that it encourages dehydration, which leads to concentration of urine (some people think having a dog that only needs to urinate twice a day is a positive thing - but it has negative health impacts), and that is what allows crystals to form. The next step is bladder stones, blockages, and surgeries.

Another thing you can influence is the bladder conditions. Are the crystals struuvite or calcium oxalyte? The conditions that lead to each are the opposite of each other - so it's important to know what type they are. I expect they're struuvite, since you mentioned high pH (but DO check with your vet). I would suggest changing the dog's water source - which probably means using bottled or distilled water rather than tap water. And if they're struuvite crystals, add a capful of apple cider vinegar (the natural cloudy sort, not the scalded/filtered clear type you get in the grocery store) to her water. This will help to acidify and lower the pH of her urine.

In addition to changing water source, a change in diet is advisable. In the short term, this *needs* to mean no more dry food. Longer term, you can probably get away with a dry diet, but different from that currently fed as it's obviously contributing to overall alkalyne conditions.

 

[DyckDogs]

Our Lexi also had a UTI and a high PH level and we ended up switching her from raw dog food to a kibble which brought down her PH level.
But we have just recently switched her back to the raw dog food (without the veggies and fruit this time) to see if her PH level will remain normal.
I myself take apple cider vinegar for a stomach condition I have.
I have never heard of giving this to a dog.
How much do you give? Lexi's water bowl holds about 1 to 1 1/2 litres of water.
I would like to try giving the ACV to Lexi.

 

[gmacleod]

About a capful a day is what she would need to consume. Up to you how to get it into her (a few dogs don't mind it poured on their food - but some others will object to that). If she drinks the whole bowlful of water daily, then it's easy just to put it in there (and if she doesn't drink that much, then fill the bowl less full).