-----Urinary Tract Infections

River Road Veterinary Clinic
Box 309
Norwich, Vermont 05055
Phone: 802-649-3877 Fax: 802-649-1345
email: RRVC@Valley.net.com
www.rrvetclinic.com

Dr. Christine Pinello - Dr. JoAnne Giel - Dr. Kathy Ling Newcomb

Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTI"S) in dogs and cats may be manifested by increased frequency of urination, urinating small amounts, straining to urinate, blood in urine, or any other abnormal urination. These clinical signs can also be seen with urinary tract obstruction, diabetes mellitus, renal failure, Cushings disease, neoplasia (cancer) of or trauma to the urinary tract, bladder dysfunction secondary to age or hormone imbalance or behavior problems. If a male cat has any of these clinical signs he should be considered a medical emergency. If an owner does not see their pet urinating they should be seen immediately as a blocked animal can die within 24 hours.

A UTI can be a cystitis (bladder infection), nephritis (kidney infection or localized to any region within the urinary system) and is caused by uncontrolled growth of bacteria within this region. Most UTI's are a result of ascending infection but prostatitis, immune suppression, or the presence of stones or tumors may cause a UTI.

Diagnosis
Most UTI's are a simple cystitis. An animal presenting for the first time with signs of UTI should have a urinalysis with sedimentation performed to check for white blood cells, red blood cells, bacteria and concentrating ability.
Older animals or those with recurrent UTI's should have a complete blood count and chemistry profile to check organ function and presence of systemic infection or underlying disease. (A simple bladder infection will not cause increased WBC's in the blood.) A lateral abdominal radiograph should be performed to check for stones within the urinary tract. 90% of stones in the cat and 70% of stones in the dog will be visible on radiographs.

Treatment
Antimicrobial therapy
A simple cystitis in an otherwise healthy dog or cat should be treated as follows:

Due to potential side effects, TRS should only be prescribed if deemed financially necessary.

The animal should be rechecked in 10 days and urinalysis repeated at that time. If the animal has improved, complete the current course of antibiotic therapy. If infection is still present either change antibiotic and treat an additional three weeks or discontinue antibiotic therapy for 10 days and perform a culture and sensitivity on urine obtained through cystocentesis. Treat according to sensitivity for three months. Animals must be seen for drugs to be prescribed!

Recurrent infections may indicate an underlying disease or infection within the kidneys. Attempts should be made to identify the disease process and treat it appropriately or localize the infection within the urinary tract. Kidney infections require higher doses of antibiotics for an extended treatment time, usually 6 to 8 weeks.

Diet therapy has been proven to decrease the incidence of UTI's by acidifying the urine and making it less hospitable to bacteria. Hill's C/D and S/D diets are both excellent choices.

The importance of timely diagnosis and treatment of UTI's cannot be emphasized enough. Untreated UTI's have been shown to lead to urolithiasis, renal failure, prostatitis and discospondylitis in dogs, and even sepsis.