UTI in Dogs

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is not only common in humans. It is common in dogs, too. This is most common in female dogs because of their short urethra, but UTI in male dogs is also probable, although rarely. In its early stages of development, UTI in dogs may not necessarily be harmful and may not exhibit obvious signs. In addition, urinary tract infection in some dogs may resolve itself within a span of time even without medical intervention. But if UTI in dogs is not treated for a long period of time, it may cause further infection and damage to the dog’s urinary system.

Dogs do not have the gift of speech and, therefore, cannot tell their human owners that they are suffering from a discomfort. As an owner, it is up to you to tell if the dog is suffering from a symptom of UTI. Symptoms of UTI in dogs include fatigue, lethargy, fever, bloody urine, a foul-smell in the urine, tenderness of the lower stomach area, constant licking of the genital area, incontinence and urinating in inappropriate places, and straining to urinate. Once any of these signs are noticed, it is wise to bring the dog to the veterinarian.

“Why do UTI in dogs happen?” you may ask. Urinary tract infections occur when bacteria, such as escherichia coli, klebsiella, esterococcus, proteus mirabilis, pseudomonas, and coagulase positive straphylococcus have invaded the dog’s internal urinary system, causing inflammation and infection. Bacteria could enter the dog’s body through contaminated food and water. Similarly, it could enter through the dog’s external urinary openings and extend through the urethra. This instance is known in medical term as ascending UTI. Bacteria can be spread through the dog’s lymphatic system and the blood. If not excreted out of the dog’s body, bacteria can multiply and infect the dog’s bladder, kidneys, urethra, ureter, and prostate gland.

Urinary tract infection is a painful experience for the dog. Now that you have an idea of why and how UTI in dogs happens, it is vital that you take precautionary measures to prevent your dog from contracting another case of dog UTI. Prevention of UTI in dogs is as simple as ABC, as long as you take regular action of the following tips:

• Give your dog ample amount of clean water everyday.
• Give your dog a regular bath, taking note to especially wash its genital area.
• Give your dog a regular dose of homeopathic remedy.
• Wash the dog’s food and water bowl with clean water regularly.
• Regularly take the dog out for a morning or afternoon walk. Exercise can help stimulate its bladder.
• Encourage your dog to urinate regularly. Regular urination is essential to flush out the bacteria that may have accumulated in the dog’s bladder.

Urinary tract infection in dogs can cause a lot of discomfort to the dog. As an owner, it pays when you have an understanding of how this condition happens, as well as how to prevent and treat it. As with other disorders, it is always wise to seek the help of the vet when any of the symptoms arise.

Ways of Preventing Struvite Crystals in Dogs

Struvite crystals can cause a lot of discomfort to dogs. When left untreated, they can cause urinary infection. In addition, they can form into stones and cause more problems and discomfort to the affected dog.

If you suspect that your dog is suffering from the occurrence of struvite crystals, the best thing you can do is to take your dog to your vet. Your vet can help you determine if your dog indeed has struvite crystals. He can also perform the proper medical procedure needed in order to rid the dog of the presence of these crystals.

The occurrence of struvite crystals is not only frustrating to dogs; it is also upsetting and frustrating to owners. That is why it is essential that as a responsible dog owner, you know ways of preventing struvite crystals in your dog.

There are several ways to prevent struvite crystals from interfering with your dog’s health. We have listed some of these ways below.

1. Ensure that your dog is drinking enough clean water every day. Clean water prevents the formation of struvite crystals in the dog’s bladder and also flushes out harmful bacteria that may accumulate in your dog’s urinary system. Filtered water is best for your dog. Avoid giving it tap water as tap water may contain harmful chemicals that are not good for your dog’s health.

2. Avoid giving your dog commercial food or at least lessen the amount of commercial food that you are feeding your dog. Commercial food may contain chemicals and may have properties that can cause the formation of struvite crystals. Instead of giving your dog commercial food, why not feed your dog homemade dog food? Homemade dog food can be made especially by you; therefore you can be sure that the food the dog is eating is indeed safe and free from any contamination of harmful chemicals or organisms.

3. Avoid giving your dog foods which contain excessive amounts of protein. Too much protein can alter the pH level of your dog’s urine, leading to the formation of struvite crystals.

4. Ensure that your dog gets enough exercise regularly. You can do this by taking your dog out for a walk everyday. Exercise can help regulate his urination pattern and can lead to a healthier bladder. Moreover, exercise can help alleviate stress in dogs. It can also boost the dog’s overall good health.

5. Encourage your dog to have a regular urination pattern.

6. Give your dog a dose of homeopathic remedy every day. Homeopathic remedies can boost the dog’s overall health by strengthening its immune system. These remedies are completely safe so you do not have to worry that your dog might suffer from any unwanted side effects.

Preventing the manifestation of struvite crystals in your dog can be easy if you take proper care of your pet. The steps given above are easy to administer and can be helpful in promoting your dog’s good health. Rather than watching your dog suffer from the constant recurrence of struvite crystals and constantly taking him to the vet for medication, take the necessary steps in preventing the occurrence of crystals in the first place. Your dog will thank you!

Canine Frequent Urination

Being aware of your dog’s daily habits is one way of telling if your dog is suffering from a disorder. If you notice that your dog starts to have frequent urination than his usual habit, he may be suffering from a case of urinary tract infection (UTI).

Urinary tract infection in dogs can be curable but they should not be taken for granted. Leaving the disease untreated may cause further harm and result to life-threatening complications in the dog. It is important that as a dog owner, you know what to do in case of canine frequent urination and urinary tract infection.

Frequent urination in canine which is not caused by a behavioral problem may be caused by urinary tract infection. Urinary tract infection at its advanced stage could result to kidney failure and eventually, take the dog’s life. Owners should be aware of the following signs of UTI in their dog.

• Lethargy. If the dog seems to be extra exhausted at the end of each day and seems to have a tender lower stomach area, chances are the dog may be suffering from urinary infection.

However, these signs may mean other things aside from UTI; therefore, the owner must look for other tell-tale signs that could point to UTI as the cause of the dog’s lethargic behavior.

• Constant licking of the genital region. It is not common for dogs to constantly lick their genital region unless they feel pain in that area. Pain in that area may signal an infection so as a responsible owner, you should be wary of this warning sign in your dog.

• Foul-smelling urine. When bacteria have accumulated in the dog’s urine and have caused infection, they change the urine’s concentration and create a foul smell in the urine. Foul-smelling urine is a sign of UTI.

• Blood in the dog’s urine. When there is blood in the dog’s urine, the dog may be suffering from infection in its advanced stage. It is best to bring the dog to the vet immediately to save the dog from going through further discomfort brought about by the infection.

When any of these signs are noticeable in your dog aside from its unusual frequent urination habit, seek the help of the vet as soon as possible. The dog may be in need of medical attention.
Once the vet has made the necessary examinations on the dog and has determined UTI to be the cause of the problem, the vet may likely give the dog antibiotics to stop canine frequent urination. Antibiotics are the treatment commonly used in dogs suffering from UTI.

However, antibiotics may have side effects on the dog and may not treat the condition for good. They only stop the symptoms but do not kill the bacteria causing the infection. Therefore, a reoccurrence of the disease may happen. The best thing for an owner to do is to give the dog homeopathic remedy. Homeopathic remedy can kill the bacteria causing frequent urination in canine and prevent the infection from reoccurring. The effectiveness of homeopathic remedy has been clinically tested and proven to be sompletely safe. Giving your dog a dose everyday would help it stay in top shape.

Dog Bad Breath - Hydrogen Peroxide

As kids, almost everyone had a run-in with hydrogen peroxide. Occasionally, even as adults we still find the need for this antiseptic. But these instances were to clean sores or wounds that we got while playing around. This was done to make sure that we were protected from nasty infections. So it is a bit controversial to hear about our handy antiseptic being used as a breath freshener. But many dog owners are using it exactly to cure their dog’s bad breath problem.


If this trend continues then it is highly possible to see in our local pet store tucked in its shelves a brand name called DOG BAD BREATH HYDROGEN PEROXIDE. But before anyone rushes to the nearest store for this medicine they better study this compound better or ask their vet about it. This way, they are better informed if ever they do seriously consider using hydrogen peroxide to treat their pet’s bad breath.


First of all, what causes bad breath? Bad breath results when the concentration of anaerobic bacteria in the dog’s mouth grows out of proportion because of poor hygiene. These anaerobic bacteria are normally found in the mouth of most animals, humans and dogs included. It is when dog owners neglect to clean their dog’s mouth regularly that these bacteria become too numerous in the dog’s mouth. This alone should be enough to convince every dog owner to make sure that they regularly brush their dog’s teeth with a pet toothpaste.


Second, how does bad breath develop from these bacteria? It is pretty simple really. The bacteria which have been left alone eat the food particles that accumulate in the dog’s teeth and gums. After this happens, the bacteria will then release compounds that are mainly sulfuric and then will mix with the air and these results in bad breath.


So why do some dog owners use hydrogen peroxide to treat their pet’s foul breath? Most dog owners value this compound to clean their dog’s mouth not because of any wound that they may blame for their dog’s foul breath. Rather, they are valuable in treating bad breath because they add to the concentration of oxygen in the mouth.


Anaerobic bacteria are unable to survive in an environment that is loaded with oxygen. Since hydrogen peroxide is loaded with oxygen it manages to do away with the excess bacteria in the dog’s mouth. Then the sulfuric compounds responsible for the bad breath also disappear from the dog’s mouth. This results in a fresher breath for the dog.


It is very important though that only hydrogen peroxide with less than 1.5% concentration is used. This is not one instance where a stronger concentration will do the trick. In this case, if a too strong hydrogen peroxide is used then chances are it will destroy the enamel in the teeth, leading to tooth decay.


Are there any side effects? Yes! It causes vomiting in the dog though it is not really very serious.
With this in mind, it is more practical to use mouth rinses that can easily be mixed into the dog’s water. They are known to be safe and tolerable to the dog. So before anyone thinks of using dog bad breath hydrogen peroxide on their pet, they better use some other safer product in the pet store.


this article contributed by Melissa Simmonds

Homemade Dog Biscuit Recipes

Homemade dog biscuits have become popular among many dog owners not only because they cost less but also because they are sure to be safe. So it is quite natural to see pet lovers going through the web in search of homemade dog biscuit recipes.


The following are some of biscuits that any dog will surely enjoy.


Humane Society Recipe


Ingredients:


1/2 cup cornmeal

6 tbsp Oil

2 cups whole wheat flour

2/3 cup water or broth


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together well. Roll out to 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Leave it to cool and store in tightly sealed container.


People and Dog Biscuits


Things Needed:


large bowl

small bowl

rolling pin

3 1/2 cups flour

2 cups rye flour

1 cup corn meal

2 cups cracked wheat

1/2 cup dry milk

4 t. salt

1 envelope active dry yeast

1/4 cup very warm water

2 to 3 cups chicken broth or other liquid

1 large egg, beaten w/1 T. milk

cookie sheets


Mix flours, cracked wheat, corn meal, dry milk, and salt in large bowl. Sprinkle yeast over warm water and stir in small bowl and add the yeast and 2 cups of broth to the dry ingredients. Mix well with hands. The dough will be very stiff. If necessary, add a little more broth. Roll out dough on floured surface to 1/4" thickness and cut into desired shapes or squeeze into shapes. Place on ungreased sheets and brush with egg/milk mixture. Bake for 45 minutes at 300 degrees. Turn off oven and leave in the oven for overnight. If desired, substitute water that was left from the veggies for broth.



Peanut Butter Cookies


4 1/2 cups flour

1 1/3 cups cornmeal

6 Tablespoons peanut butter

1 cup applesauce (with one batch, I just pureed a regular raw apple)

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup sunflower or sesame seeds, optional

1 egg for basting


Mix all the dry ingredients. Add peanut butter, milk, eggs and applesauce. Mix well until dough is firm. Let it stand for 15-20 minutes. While waiting, set the oven at 350 degrees. Roll out the dough on floured surface to a 1/4" thickness. Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Baste with egg and then sprinkle with seeds, if desired. Bake to 30 to 40 minutes. Cool on wire racks. This makes approximately 4 dozen biscuits, depending on the cut size.


Crunchy Biscuits


5 T bouillon - any flavor dissolved in 3 C boiling water, or 3 C meat drippings (bring to a boil before adding other ingredients)

2 C oatmeal

1/2 C oil1 C wheat or oat bran

1/2 C honey (optional)

2 eggs

6 - 8 C white or wheat flour


Add oatmeal, oil, bran and honey to liquid while still hot. Carefully add eggs so they don't cook in lumps. Mix in flour gradually until dough is stiff. Roll out. Cut w/ cookie cutters. Bake on cookie sheet at 325 degrees for one hour. Turn off the oven, allow biscuits to remain in the oven overnight. They will be hard and crunchy. Store in a paper bag or cardboard box. Do not store in an air tight container.


These are just some sample homemade dog biscuit recipes that can be found on the web.

Homemade Dog Treats and Onion Toxicity

Homemade dog treats have become a sort of a fad nowadays due to the hidden dangers that were discovered in commercial dog foods. So it is very easy to find recipes for dog treats online.
Although finding these so-called recipes online is very convenient for the busy dog owner, he must be on the lookout for unhealthy ingredients. Dog treats must contain foodstuffs that will keep the dog full in the stomach as well as safe from any danger.


This article will help to open the mind of every dog owner on the hidden danger of a common household foodstuff that is commonly given to the dog without thinking of its health effects. This dangerous foodstuff is none other than the onion.


This is not meant to scare anyone from eating the onion. It is perfectly safe for humans but for dogs it can cause a medical condition known as hymolitic anemia. This is an unknown fact unlike the danger of feeding chocolate to dogs. So it is natural to hear of pet lovers having given their dogs leftovers containing onions such as pizza, burgers and even the gravy.


Although taking a small amount of onion may not produce any ill effect on the dog’s health, still it can lead to a life-threatening hemolytic anemia. How does onion toxicity come about?


Dogs have red blood cells that carry the protein hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is very important because it delivers oxygen to the tissues and organs. However, onions contain a substance called thiosulphate which dogs and cats have difficulty to properly digest because they do not have the right enzyme to break it down. Thiosulphate causes oxidation of hemoglobin in the dog’s red blood cells. It then forms clumps that weaken the cell membranes. These clumps, called Heinz bodies, stick out from the cell and eventually cause rupture. In the end, it shortens the life span of the cell. Anemia results when enough red cells are destroyed as the body begins to starve oxygen. Another foodstuff that contains thiosulphate is garlic although it comes in smaller amounts.


If the amount of red blood cells decreases significantly then many health problems can come about. One of which is heart failure. It is important to mention that the number of red blood cells which is destroyed usually depends on the amount of onion that has been eaten by the dog.



However, some dogs can develop very serious reactions even after eating very little amount of onion. Small amounts of onion fed over a period of time can create illness just as a one-time dose can because the Heinz bodies can build up over time. On the other hand, some minor cases of onion toxicity may go undetected because it only results in a slight damage to the red blood cells. Sometimes, it may take several days before symptoms begin to be noticed.


What are the symptoms of Onion Toxicity?


Some of the obvious symptoms of onion toxicity are the following: weakness and lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea, difficulty breathing, pale or bluish gums, bloody urine, jaundice, decreased appetite, and increased heart rate. It can also lead to the death of the dogs if the dog eats a lot of the onion.


Keeping the danger of onions in mind, homemade dog treats must not contain any onion, even in only small amounts.

Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipes for a Dog With Allergies

If your dog has the misfortune of having allergies then it important to find healthy homemade dog food recipes that will help control its itch. There are some recipes that contain ingredients that help control its desire to itch. But before trying on any of these recipes, it is important that it is brought to the vet to find out what is causing the allergy in the dog. If the cause of the allergy is not based on food then these recipes may actually help control the itch. But if the cause is diagnosed to be based on any food stuff then be on the lookout for these ingredients and be sure not to include them in any homemade dog food.

One of the safe recipes for dogs with allergies has the following ingredients: 3 lbs ground beef, 3-16oz cans of tomatoes, 2 cups corn meal (white or yellow), 2 cups Wheatena, 3 eggs, Up to 2 cups water as needed. The procedure for the preparation is as follows: Mix the ingredients together as you would a regular meat loaf, then bake in a loaf pan in a pre-heated 345 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes. Feed when cold. It might help to add some suitable multi-vitamin supplement.

Feed this diet for a month and compare the dog's condition at the end of the month to see if the dog food has been beneficial or not to the dog with allergies. Make sure to stay away from salt as adding too much salt has been associated with outbreaks of skin irritation. Dogs with persistent dry skin and skin irritations might well benefit by being given purified low sodium water to drink.

Another dog owner who owns a dog with allergies was kind enough to share healthy homemade dog food recipes that worked for her. She prepared a stew with only lean chicken meat and potatoes as ingredients. She fed this food to her dog as a start and managed to observe that her dog’s condition began to improve. After this, she started to include vegetables and barley into the stew. Through time, she was able to take her dog out of commercial dog foods and only served the dog with this mixture of this homemade dog food. Not only did it solve the allergy, also it helped to keep her dog healthy and energetic.

It has also been found that venison is a type of meat that is allergy-free for the dog. It might help to prepare a homemade recipe that uses this type of meat. Also, duck is known to be hypoallergenic or free from allergens, the chemicals that cause allergies. It might also be helpful to the dog if a homemade recipe will incorporate or be solely based on duck meat.

Although a bit expensive than chicken, turkey are known to be helpful to dogs with allergies. A simple homemade recipe will simply call for ground turkey rolls, carrots and green beans. Mix these three together and feed them to the dog. Dogs are known to love this food.

These are just some helpful tips that will help a dog that is suffering from itchiness brought by allergies. Before anyone tries them though, it helps if they are housed in a clean environment. For all we know, the allergy is brought simply by dirt in the house.

Causes of a Dog's Bad Breath

The smell of a dog's breath may not be the best smelling scent that anyone may come across. Nonetheless, wait till he smells a dog's bad breath. By then he would have compared both and would undoubtedly prefer the normal aroma of a dog's breath to its nasty counterpart. Apart from its foul smell, bad breath in our fave canine is usually an indicator that something is not right with our beloved house pet. Generally, it shows the way to a lurking health problem that our dog may have. What follows is a list of possible causes of the foul smell in our pet.


The usual cause of bad breath in dogs is tooth decay. As many pet owners fail to take care of their canine friend's dental hygiene, it is but inevitable that they lose some of their teeth through some nasty tooth decay. As such, whenever the foul smell starts to rear its ugly smell, it is best to check your dog for any rotten teeth that is usually caused by plaque. If the pet owner is aversive to checking the dog's mouth on their own, it would be best to have the veterinarian check the dog's mouth for any plaque or rotten teeth.


At times, our dogs go through the garbage and end up eating some of our house's refuse. If this happens then it is inevitable for bad breath to occur in our dog's mouth. However, it would not take too long because in a few hours, these garbage passes through its stomach and intestines. Nonetheless, to take out the possibility of our dog eating garbage, it would be best to keep this out of our dog's paws and mouth. That way, we avoid the possibility of our dog developing something more serious other than bad breath.


In some cases, a simple foreign object getting stuck in between our dog's teeth can cause bad breath. This is highly possible given that our dog eat anything that they fancy to be attractive. In some serious cases, these foreign objects cause abscessed tooth or infections in their mouth. Both of which can cause bad breath if not properly treated. Likewise, if in doubt, it would be best to have a vet check our dog's teeth if we cannot handle it ourselves. In the long run, this might prove to be more sensible inasmuch as infections may be best handled by medical professionals.


More importantly, a dog's bad breath can be resolved by simply taking care of our dog's dental health. We can save up on trouble and the cost of veterinary services if we simply buy a regular dog toothbrush to clean both our dog's teeth as well as scrape accumulating dirt in its tongue. It would not cost as much as the bill we may rack up if our pet gets sick and ends up in the vet.



Also, it is important to get toothpaste that will do the trick. Keep in mind that human toothpaste will not help get rid of the dirt in the dog's mouth. Generally, it will simply be swallowed together with the toothpaste. It would be best to buy dog toothpaste as they are readily available in the market. With these two handy tools, it would not be long before our favorite pet gets a sparkling smile and nice breath.

- this article contributed by Melissa Simmonds

Dog Breath as a Health Sign

A foul smelling dog breath can be taken as a sign of a health problem that needs to be cured as soon as possible. If left unchecked, such a problem can be a major headache for a dog owner especially if it hits a puppy. A puppy with bad breath would not be cute to play because its foul breath will surely be a major turn off for its owner.

Bad breath in puppies can be worse to treat compared to that in adult dogs because of the young dog’s playful nature. However, all it would need is an owner with the patience as well as the knowledge as to how to address such a problem. Having said that, it would be important to know the possible health problems that cause canines to develop such a problem.

Although the causes of bad breath in dogs can be varied and may range from simple to the complex, in most cases its cause is simply rotten teeth. If its rotten teeth that is causing the bad breath then its simple root is plaque or tartar. Plaque and tartar are deposits of germs and bacteria in the dog’s teeth. This is simply a result of poor hygiene on the part of the owner.

As a result, its solution is very simple, namely, improved hygiene. All it would take is simply clean the dog’s teeth regularly. To do so, a pet toothbrush and toothpaste will do the trick. It must be said though that human toothpaste should not be used to clean the dog’s teeth and mouth. The dog will simply swallow the toothpaste. If this happens then the problem will only be transferred into the dog’s internal organs. To be able to escape this problem, buy a pet’s toothpaste as it is especially designed to solve pet health problems.

Another possible root of bad breath in dogs may be an infection in the mouth either in the gums or in the tooth area. In many cases, dogs eat garbage and feces or wastes. Because of this, they have the tendency to develop abscesses that are full of bacteria. Considering that this is more serious than a rotten tooth, it would need the assistance of a vet who would have to use antibiotics to solve the problem.

The vet may find out that the dog is suffering from gingivitis or the inflammation of the animal’s gums or periodontitis or an inflammation in the tissue surrounding the tissue in the tooth. Either way both can be remedied by a professional such as a vet. It would be best not to provide medication without the help of the vet or it might worsen the problem instead of solving it.

Other more serious causes of bad breath in dogs can range from lung cancers to severe kidney problems as well as bleeding stomach ulcer. Having said this, it is best to take bad breath as a warning sign of serious diseases in our favorite animal. It should not left alone or else it would cause the problem to become worse. Dog breath should be seen as part of the animal’s overall health not just as part of its hygiene. If we keep this in mind then there is no reason for the dog not develop into a happy and healthy animal.