Could your Dog Have a UTI?

If you’ve ever had a bladder or urinary tract infection, you know how painful it is. A dog urinary tract infection (UTI) is unbearable for your dog too. Unfortunately, these nasty bacterial infections are common in dogs—about one in three dogs will develop a UTI.

Almost all dog urinary tract infections are caused by bacteria, which are normally present on the skin or in a dog’s poop. 

Typically, problems start when the bacteria move up through the genitals and spread into the bladder, kidneys, and prostate. 

Although most of the time, these infections do not require intensive treatment, in some cases, UTIs can be signs of more worrying conditions, such as the inability to urinate or bladder cancer.

Here at Volhard, we believe that the approach you take towards dog nutrition is essential to your dog’s general health. 

With a proper diet focused on keeping your dog well-nourished and hydrated, you can keep your furry friend away from chronic UTIs. 

Our mission is not only to guide dog owners towards proper dog nutrition and natural remedies but also to offer actionable solutions. 

That’s the reason why we will dedicate today’s blog to UTIs and how to combat them with our Volhard 21-Day Kidney & Bladder Cleansing & Balancing Diet!

Understanding Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections occur when unwanted bacteria get past anatomic barriers and mucosal defenses, making their way through the urethra to the urinary tract and causing infections. 

From a statistical perspective, bacterial UTIs account for the most instances of infectious diseases in dogs, affecting approximately 14% of all dogs during their lifetimes. 

Overall, UTIs affect the lives of even more dogs—around 27% of all dogs. Out of all these cases, the E. coli bacterium is the main UTI culprit, though several other bacteria and fungi can cause UTIs.

Main Causes of Urinary Tract Infections

As we mentioned earlier, several bacteria and fungi can cause UTIs. 

Most of the time, dogs become infected when their immune systems are not capable to properly respond to external threats. 

For example, several health conditions, such as kidney and bladder stones, prostate disease, and bladder tumors, can facilitate bacteria buildup in the urinary tract. 

Furthermore, stress can also take its toll on your dog’s immune system.

UTI Symptoms in Dogs

The most common symptoms of infections developing in dog’s urinary tract are the following:

• Frequent need to pee but little urine comes out
• Straining to pee
• Crying out or whining during urination
• Blood in urine
• Peeing in the house
• Leaking urine
• Licking genitals

If the kidneys are infected, your dog may also have:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain

Out of these symptoms, several of them, such as bloody urine, can be indicators of more serious illnesses. 

When dealing with this particular symptom, we recommend that you take your dog to a professional care provider and check whether your furry friend is suffering from other ailments, such as poisoning, kidney disease, or bladder cancer.

Dealing With Recurrent UTIs

Although we have the necessary means to combat UTIs, it is essential to know that dogs who have suffered from this disease in the past are predisposed to contract it again in the future. 

Overall, approx. 25% of dogs with past UTIs will experience a recurrence. 

That is the reason why, for us, dealing with UTIs in dogs is less about medication and more about prevention. 

With that in mind, how can dog owners keep their furry friends safe from UTIs in a natural, healthy way? 

Our answer lies in proper dog nutrition.

Cleanse Your Dog’s System With the Volhard 21-Day Kidney & Bladder Cleansing & Balancing Diet!

Here at Volhard, it is our firm belief that proper dog nutrition is fundamental to your dog’s general health. 

If you pay enough attention to what your dog eats, he will always reward you with happiness and well-being. 

However, if your dog’s diet mainly contains dry, processed foods, then his immune system will have to suffer and make way for diseases.

Supplementation with B vitamins and antioxidants in times of stress, as well as offering cooling foods such as raw fruits, vegetables, and yogurt to reduce the symptoms of urinary tract infection. 

Foods that are known to aggravate UTIs include asparagus, spinach, raw carrots, tomatoes, and dairy products.

A dog that is having urinary issues should be eating a hydrated diet. The dog’s digestive system needs hydration in order to make sure the pH of the urine is appropriate and that there is enough water to flush toxins and unwanted bacteria out of the body regularly.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the element associated with winter is water, and the two meridians and organs related to the water element are the kidneys and the bladder. 

The kidneys and the bladder control water metabolism and maintain homeostasis. 

Earth is made up of 75% water, and approximately 60% of our body weight is water. 

During the Kidney/Bladder season, if that organ system is struggling it will express much more prominently than in other seasons. 

What can we do to support those systems once they show us that they are in need of support?

Wendy Volhard, founder of Volhard Dog Nutrition says that if your dog’s kidney/and\bladder system needs support you should try this Volhard 21-Day Kidney & Bladder Cleansing & Balancing Diet. 

This diet and other great cleanses can be found in Wendy Volhard’s book, “The Holistic Guide for the Healthy Dog” 

Here is how to make the diet:

• Protein: 1/3 of the diet; the best protein sources are beef, chicken, fish, lamb, or cooked five-minute eggs with a shell.
• Grains: 1/3 of the diet; oats singly or with brown rice, millet, or buckwheat groans.
• Vegetables: 1/3 of the diet, either lightly steamed or home processed: parsnips, beets, broccoli, kale, radishes, cucumbers, etc.

To improve the cleansing remedies of this diet, make sure that you add the following ingredients:

• Dried herbs: 1 teaspoon of goldenrod, parsley, dandelion, etc.
• Fruit: Watermelon is perfect if you want your dog to stay hydrated. Aside from the fruit, skin, and seeds are also beneficial. Feed watermelon to your dog at least 2 hours before or after the next meal.

If your dog is having chronic inflammation issues that lead to chronic UTIs, you may want to consider switching to the Volhard Rescue diet as a long term solution.

The Volhard Rescue Diet

Rescue is a functional food blend developed by our founder, Wendy Volhard, with particular care towards dogs with a history of digestive upsets, inflammatory diseases, sensitivities to grains, and other medical issues. 

Although it goes through a dehydration process, the vitamins, minerals, and amino acids are preserved while only moisture is removed!

The Rescue diet is made in small batches containing whole food and non-gmo natural ingredients and healing herbs. 

Once ingested, your dog will easily digest the diet and receive the required amount of vitamins and minerals to help reinforce health in the liver, kidney, heart, lungs, stomach, and digestive tract. 

With a long history of happy dogs and pleased customers, the Rescue diet will help your dog maintain a strong immune system while preventing numerous health issues from developing, including UTIs.

Conclusion

Using natural ingredients, the Volhard diets promote a healthy life for your furry friend without resorting to the use of medicine for long-term health and expensive medical treatments. Would you like to learn more about us and our mission? For more advice on dog nutrition, health, and training, make sure that you contact us and check out our blog!

Volhard Dog Nutrition and its expert nutritionists are now offering online consultations to help more dog parents discover why, what, and how to feed their dogs the healthiest of foods! Speaking to a Volhard nutritionist will help you understand the inseparable relationship between healthy food, a healthy body, and a healthy mind. If you're interested in contacting one of our Volhard nutritionists, don't hesitate to access our consultation page!