German Shepherd Bladder Infection
German Shepherds are one of several breeds that are predisposed to urinary tract infections. Aside from being inconvenient, messy and expensive, most importantly, urinary tract infections are painful. Luckily, you can take steps with your veterinarian's help to treat your dog's urinary infection effectively, and easily prevent future urinary infections.
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Dog Urinary Tract
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A dog's urinary tract is a closed, sterile system comprised of the kidneys, ureters (the tubes that carry urine to the bladder), the urinary bladder and the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the body). Normally, this system runs cleanly; but sometimes, the bacteria that live on the external genital area can migrate up the urethra into the bladder--or, in serious cases, as far as the kidneys. This causes an infection. This is common in middle-aged to senior female German Shepherds, but often happens to either sex in any variety of dog.
Symptoms
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Your German Shepherd may suddenly begin to drink a great deal of water. She may have the urge to urinate more frequently. When she does try to urinate, she may pass little or no urine. The urine may smell bad or be dark in color. With a serious urinary tract infection, it is possible that the urine may even contain some blood. Your German Shepherd may whine while trying to urinate, because it burns and hurts. Your German Shepherd may have accidents, urinating in inappropriate places because her natural sense of when to go will be thrown off by the infection. Your German Shepherd's belly and lower back may be tender to the touch. In serious cases, your dog may develop a fever.
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Diagnosis
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After gathering a full history from you and palpating the abdomen and lower back, your veterinarian will obtain a urine sample. From this sample, your veterinarian will obtain the solids necessary to perform a urine culture. The culture creates an environment in which to incubate any bacteria. This confirms the diagnosis of infection. The veterinarian can also use the culture to determine the concentration of bacteria, the number of bacteria present and how sensitive they are to antibiotics. This helps your veterinarian determine which antibiotic to prescribe.
Antibiotics
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Conventionally, your veterinarian will likely prescribe antibiotic medication to treat your German Shepherd's urinary tract infection. If you go this route, your German Shepherd must take all of the medication as directed, even if her symptoms clear up within a couple of doses. The antibiotics will kill of all of the bacteria. If you stop the medication too soon, the bacteria can regrow and the urinary tract infection will recur.
Alternative Treatments
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Antibiotics can cause other problems such as yeast infections. Plus, it can be expensive to have to medicate your dog more than once. For these reasons, you may choose to avoid antibiotics, in which case, consider finding a holistic veterinarian. This veterinarian may prescribe homeopathic medication that is concentrated from helpful herbs, or may recommend other natural therapies.
Dietary Therapy
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Infections typically occur in alkaline (high-pH) urine. Ask your veterinarian to help you create a diet that can maintain acidic (low pH) urine. Many commercial dog foods are cereal-based and may cause alkaline urine, which is also a risk with vegetarian diets. Meat protein promotes acidic urine. You may also want to add cranberry to your German Shepherd's diet. Rather than trying to get your dog to drink cranberry juice, find a cranberry supplement pill, which is more concentrated and easier to administer.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit german shepherd image by Craig Stevens from Fotolia.com
