Antibiotics For Canine Uti – Risks, Treatment, Prevention

Antibiotics for canine UTI (urinary tract infection) are widely prescribed and generally accepted as the first line of treatment against bacterial infections. For the most part they are very effective and form the foundation of urinary tract infection treatment, despite the emergence of resistant strains of bacteria that seems to be emerging at a record pace.

But despite their effectiveness antibiotics for canine UTI are just as good as your veterinarian is at determining the type of bacterial causing the infection, and one mistake could cause your dog to be saddled with a lifetime of chronic urinary tract infections.

Female dogs are at the greatest risk

If you have a female dog, especially one the is very young or very old, it is paramount that extra precautions be taken to prevent bacterial urinary tract infections.

Why? The answer is lies in the length of the urethra and the way bacteria gains access to the urinary tract in the first place. Bacteria can gain access to the urinary tract either orally, through the skin, or through the urethra. At least nine out of every ten infections requiring antibiotics for canine UTI are picked up through the urethra. So if you have a female dog make sure that backside area stays clean through regular bathing along with avoiding high feces use areas when possible.

But what if despite my best efforts my dog is infected and antibiotics for canine UTI are required?

Sometimes all the caution and precautions in world will not keep your dog from becoming infected. When this happens the next step is taking a ride to the veterinarian to determine what type of bacteria is the culprit. The most common tests for determining what type of bacteria is at the root of the problem are blood and urine tests. Once the test results provide the result your pet doctor can only them prescribed the best treatment option. There are many different antibiotics for canine UTI. Here are eleven of the most often prescribed. They are amoxicillin, ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cephalexin, ceftiofur, enrofloxacin, gentamicin, nitrofurantoin, sulfamethox, tetracycline, and trimethoprim.

Out of this list of eleven the top four most often prescribed antibiotics for canine UTI probably are amoxicillin, cephalexin, gentamicin, and sulfamethox.

Once you veterinarian has matched the right one of these antibiotics for canine UTI with the offending bacteria your pet should start to feel better in a few days, with the infection being eradicated in two weeks.

Making sure the road to recovery isn’t just a mirage

Surprisingly once your vet gives your dog a clean bill of health there is at least a 50 percent chance of recurring infections. For this reason many canine owner have adopted preventative measures. Some home care ideas for preventing chronic or recurring urinary tract infections are regular bathroom breaks, regular bathing, plenty of filtered fresh water, adding blueberry or cranberry juice to the dogs water bowl, daily exercise, age appropriate and ph balanced pet foods, and an all natural homeopathic urinary tract reconditioning supplement.

By: R.D. Hawkins

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

R.D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of natural health products and natural living with over 10 years experience in the field. Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at Purchase Remedies.com