one urinary tract infection after another

[jmonet]

My 12 year old dog has DM and is NOT incontinent but has been having one urinary tract infection after another. As soon as we finish the antibiotics she starts a new infection. I would not notice but the smell of her pee is really bad! Has anyone experienced that? Does anyone know why this is happening and what can be done to prevent urinary tract infections? Thanks for any advice! Leila

[CarolC]

Even though she is not incontinent in terms of leaking or bedwetting, she may not be emptying completely. Dogs with a degree of nerve deficit may not empty completely because either they cannot feel they are not completely empty, or they lack muscle control to completely empty. Therefore when they urinate, a little stale urine remains in the bladder, creating an environment for germs.

Here is a video that explains some dogs are able to initiate urination but still benefit from assistance getting the bladder empty.

http://www.scoutshouse.com/videos/video_bladder.html

Hope this helps.

Your vet can show you how to express the bladder. Many tips and more videos are here:

http://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Express_a_dog_or_cat

[Bobbie]

To add to what Carol said, there are drugs that will help relax the bladder if it has too much control to be expressed. (You don't want to force it if there is too much muscle tone; in fact, you probably won't even feel the bladder in that case.)

Also, have you had the urine cultured? There may be a more effective antibiotic.

Third, make sure she's drinking a lot. You can encourage that by making up unsalted chicken broth and diluting with water, or adding other things to flavor water like yogurt or pumpkin. Also make sure she gets out to pee frequently.

In addition, some supplements may help, such as D-mannose and Vitamin C or cranberry (to acidify.) D- mannose helps prevent bacteria from latching onto the bladder wall. The amino acid methionine is also good as an acidifier. (Ask the vet if her urine is alkaline, no point if it isn't though the D-mannose should still help.)