★★★★★
WOW!!! Thank you so much for the great info. My 15 yr. Old Corgi mix Tessie has been paralyzed in her back legs for several years and is prone to bladder infections. She had very bloody urine tonight, and none of the zillion vets here have Sunday or emergency hours. I was going to have to get through till Monday, and was concerned because her pee looked so bad all of a sudden. I express her bladder every four hours, and when she gets an infection, it feels "boggy" not firm. I tried the ACV with yogurt (1 tsp. In 2 tsp. Probiotic yogurt). I gave it to her 2. 5 hrs ago, she passed a few clots, her bladder is firming up, and her urine is clearing up already!!! What GREAT results!! Tessie and I thank you. :)
Sea Salt
You could give her a half tsp. of the salt which works instantly on people as per Ted's advice and my own experience.
You could at other times add ACV to the food. About a scant tsp.
Namaste, Om
Dietary Changes
Hey Lucy!
What food are you feeding your older dog? What food are you feeding your younger dog with the UTI? Without knowing what you are feeding I cannot comment on the diet being the cause of the bladder infection.
That said, Ted from Bangkok suggests sea salt for a UTI:
Ted from Bangkok, Thailand: "Sea salt added to the dog's drinking water, 1 teaspoon per liter of water should reduce the UTIs if taken for 1-2 days; then a maintenance dose of 1/4 teaspoon per liter of water of sea salt should be fine. If it is not working then I would likely add some cranberry juice to the water instead of just plain water with sea salt."
If your dog won't take the sea salted water, you can hide the dry salt in the middle of a wad of cheese or in soft canned food - but break the dose up into one half teaspoon doses if you go this route.
Dietary Changes
Hi, all. My 20 lb. Cavalier King Charles developed frequent UTI's. Every time I took her in (which stressed her because she knew she'd, once again, be poked and prodded) the vet would charge see her for 2 minutes, diagnose what I already knew (UTI), prescribe the antibiotic, Clavamox (which can cause a host of other issues, the least among them is a yeast infection), and charge me a huge amount of money. She would also insist on sporadic blood tests, withholding the Clavamox until I conceded. I got REAL tired of this CHIRADE, went to Pet Food Express, obtained the advice from one of their clerks who suggested more protein (she was only on dry kibble - not good for dogs to begin with), and I soon began to giver her ~ 2 TBSP of raw hamburger per day. She hasn't had a UTI since. She's happy and loves, loves, loves the hamburger!! :-)
I may also giver her natural, unsweetened yogurt with probiotics too.
P.S. Anyone who opposes natural remedies is clueless. We should only go to a vet as a last resort. Thanks (! ) to the person who began this site, and thanks so much to all of its contributors!!!!
Apple Cider Vinegar Mixed in Food
★★★★★
My 2 year old female cat was going outside the box. She didn't show any signs of weakness, bloating or pain, so I assumed the problem was behavioral in nature. For two months I tried to modify the behavior with a spray bottle of water but when I mentioned it my neighbor, she said to take Ruth to the vet "IMMEDIATELY".
Instead, I came here and just a few days after adding the ACV to wet food (and cutting out dry food) Ruth is back to going in the box and is more lively, playful and affectionate as she has ever been.
Multiple Remedies
★★★★★
I am very grateful for all the information. I think my 2 year old bison has a uti and we've given her 11/2 tsp organic acv, 1 tblsp yogurt, homeopathic cantharsis and staphysagria, and 4 drops of gaia herbs usnea and uva ursi and 10 tblsp gaia herbs echinacea, goldenseal, propolis for 3 days and she is doing much better. First had blood tinged urine, then no blood but peeing in the house. Today no more peeing in the house (yay) so I think she is on the mend. I read to give cranberry everyday to prevent so I will do that. Also, don't leave them too long without a pee break-I think that is what caused this in mine. I studied herbs for 11/2 years for humans and it seems what works for humans will work for dogs.
Echinacea, goldenseal and propolis are immune enhancers and natural antibiotics. ACV helps the ph of the urine I think and yogurt promotes good bacteria in the gut. Cranberry helps the bacteria not stick to the walls of the bladder and also helps the ph be inhospitable to bacteria. Also, my dog wouldn't drink at all and drinking is important to flush out the bacteria so I gave her water and chicken broth mixed together and that worked. I also gave her a little orange juice which I read would help, but didn't want to give too much because of the sugar content. Good luck! Abriete
D-Mannose
★★★★★
My 3 year old female St. Bernard has had three UTI's. Getting a urine sample from a St. Bernard is not easy to say the least:) The one before her present one I had tried the ACV and yogurt, unfortunately to no avail and had to resort to a vet visit and antibiotics. Two weeks ago I noticed her frequent urination again and went out and bought D-Mannose, which I had read great reviews about. WOW! In one to two days her urination was back to normal. I've given her one 500mg pill (opened in her food) three times a day since and was just researching when to decrease that dose. I may put her on one pill for maintenance now. It's really worth a try for all the damage antibiotics can do to animals and people (although yes, they do have their place in many instances:)
Cranberry
★★★★★
Cranberry and Cantharis for Dog urinary problems
If my Rottweiler mix eats birdseed, he inevitably will get a urinary tract infection. One Sunday, when the vet was closed we decided to try cranberry and cantharis and it was amazing! Worked even faster then the antibiotics prescribed by the vet. Firstly, if your dog likes the taste of cranberry jiuce, as mine does, give several 'doses' of unsweetened cranberry juice along with remedy. If not I am sure it will be effective in just pill form. Cantharis is available in most natural food stores as little blue pills. We gave our 110# dog 5 cantharis pills 3 times a day along with 2 cranberry pills. Cranberry pills come in different strengths so I would follow the directions on the bottle, but I think generally 1 pill for dogs under 75# and 2 pills for dogs over 75# should work. For cantheris, I would use a 1 pill per 20# ratio. We continued this treatment for one week after the first sign of blood in the urine and he had no issues. In fact, after the first dose and drink of juice, he was able to urinate within an hour and had a clear urine within about 3 hours. If your dog does not like cranberry juice, it is still important to encourage lots of fluid with this remedy, as the kidneys will need to be well hydrated for the acidity of the cranberry to flush the urinary tract.
Cream of Tartar
★★★★★
I use a teaspoon of cream of tartar in my dogs water every day for about a week and UTI'S are usually gone, say goodbye to ugly vet bills , at least for this problem.
question...i have a 113 lb mutt that has had a bladder infection on and off for the last 4 month. She is on a sulfer medication and every 30 days she goes thru the bloody urine and not eating. I have started her on cranberry pills but keep seeing about acv. The liquid form that you buy at the store? I really want to get her back to good health. Shes only 5.
D-Mannose
★★★★★
My daughter has large dogs. The dogs were getting UTI's. She has been giving D-Mannose to her dogs and happy day they are doing much better. She used the powder and mixes it in their food.
Cranberry
★★★★★
Organic Cranberry extract for pet UTIs, struvite stones and to acidify urine naturally.
While everyone generally knows that cranberry supplements are usually mentioned when trying to prevent urinary tract infections, it's sometimes not so well known that many supplements don't actually contain enough of the active phytochemical or the right ones to make a substantial difference to a dog or cat suffering UTIs. Cats that have diabetes are for example very prone to recurring UTIs as well as dogs that suffer from bladder cancer (TCC). Also not that well know is the fact that struvite bladder stones in dogs are usually a result of chronic UTIs. The recent lawsuit against multinational pet food companies regarding their "Prescription diets" also highlights the fact that these diets, frequently prescribed for urinary issues and bladder stones, are filled with low quality ingredients and might not be that different to those that are less expensive and "non prescription". So do cranberry supplements actually work?I would imagine that the key would be to find a "clinically proven pet UTI supplement", that has actually been independently tested and verified to work. I know of only one product that actually fits this bill and there are many reviews online, as well as the published clinical trial info in an actual Veterinary Journal. The product is called "Cranimals Original" and works to prevent recurrent UTIs from E Coli, and also prevents struvite stones from infections, acidifies urine naturally and helps alleviate infection related incontinence. Plus it helps reduce the continual use of antibiotics. It's non GMO and organic to boot.
So, perhaps Earthclinic members will be interested in the product along with all the other remedies they have posted about for urinary issues in pets.
Test for Bladder Stones
★★★★★
While I'm all for natural remedies, I definitely recommend seeking out a vet if UTI symptoms crop up in your pooch. I frequently use natural remedies for myself when treating a UTI, but I also know what's wrong with myself and force myself to drink tons of water to flush things out. Unfortunately we can't do this with our dogs.
my dog has had UTI's before, so I just assumed he had one again. After trying d-mannose, cranberry, ACV, kefir and increased water on my pooch to no avail I took him to the vet. THANK GOD I DID! His X-rays revealed 8 bladder stones one of which was lodged in his penis and he had to be operated on immediately to avoid going into Kidney failure.
I'm so grateful I didn't chance it, and wait any longer. Apparently certain breeds are quite prone to stones, so taking them to the vet is definitely worth it. Yes it was expensive. X-rays and bloodwork $650, surgery etc $2000, but I still have my Chewie! <3 As vet owners we can do all the reading we want, but there really is no replacement for things like blood tests and X-rays. So remember to keep that in mind if after a few days your dogs symptoms don't stop. Or maybe try one of those home uti tests to see if he or she has one, and if not get her to the vet ASAP.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Yogurt
★★★★★
My blue nosed pitbull has been crying all afternoon and she started having blood show up in her urine. She started crying a lot more along with waiting by the backdoor to be taken outside to urinate frequently and she is straining to pee. Unfortunately my vet is closed for the day, so I decided to see what I could find online to make my puppy more comfortable in the meantime. I came across this website and after reading all the positive posts about apple cider vinegar, I decided to give it a shot. I mixed her a tablespoon of unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of plain vanilla greek yogurt. She is whining much less now and not waiting to be taken out every 10 seconds. So I am pretty happy that this seems to have worked for her. I was expecting to be up all night with her trying to make her comfortable.
★★★★★
My puppy had a uti and the last thing I wanted to do was give her antibiotics, so I came on here and did a lot of reading, so grateful for all the free advice. I started with a clove of raw garlic in every meal and the Apple Cider Vinegar 2 teaspoons along with coconut oil a teaspoon, after one to two days saw an improvement. Then added a probiotic and a uti supplement, shes doing great, its been six days and no more burning or squatting. I also cook for her chicken and rice and add a pinch of sea salt. So I don't know if it was one of the things I did or all of the things but shes happy, ...Thank you,
Dietary Changes
★★★★★
GRAIN DIETS are the biggest problem and create UTIs. Get off of grains!!
I'd stay away from any dried food.
A 'wet' food would be better. But, better still a raw diet
Multiple Remedies
Hey Noelle!
I suggest you take your boy in again and spend the money at the vet. Find out why he is having chronic UTI's; are there stones or crystals present? Do a full blood panel; are the levels normal, or is there something deeper going on that is stressing the immune system? You might also check into thyroid medication rather than the hit/miss approach with iodine; out of the many expensive meds out there, the thyroid is a cheapie and it gets results.
I advise this only because, as you know, you have a senior blue boy with IVD - a genetic train wreck and I am sure who is a total sweetheart. A correct diagnosis as to why the chronic UTI is needed when so many helpful remedies have failed will help prevent unnecessary suffering.
Overall, since you are dealing with a jacked immune system and jacked nerve communication to the bladder, expressing his urine 6 times or more per day may help reduce the episodes. Consider alkalizing his water with baking soda - 1/2 to 1/4 in 1 liter of water and this as the only drinking water - the dosage is a maintenance dose, but for a crisis you could bump it up to 1 teaspoon per liter for 7 days.
You do not say what diet you are feeding; if not on RAW check the bag of kibble to ensure you are not feeding a grain based diet and that it is free of sugars and food dyes as these ingredients are directly linked to UTI's in dogs. Consider supplementing with vitamin C - 500 to 1000 mg am and pm.
Lastly, you might consider a doggie chiro or doggie acupuncturist. Yes, it is spending yet more money. My feeling is your boy is older, is immune compromised, and these techniques may help improve quality of life and extend his life.
Good luck and please report back!
D-Mannose
I was wondering what you mean by natural antibiotics - do you mean colloidal or ionic silver water? I was thinking about giving my dog colloidal silver for her UTI but decided against it because it's still an antibiotic, and I figure that if I disturb her gut flora it will just lead to more UTIs in the future, so I'm going to stick with D-mannose powder and cranberry capsules for now. I don't think her UTI is severe though, so maybe if it were I would do the silver. But if there is something else out there, I would love to hear about it.
I am also giving her herbs for Cushing's (the ones from Adrenal Harmony Gold) and have just added some more for her kidneys that are listed in some UTI formulas like stone root and oregon grape root.
Does anyone know anything about using human UTI test strips for dogs so I don't have to keep going back to the vets? Human test strips are so much less expensive than dog test strips - $13 for 10 as opposed to $40 for 2.
Hey Monroe444!
It appears the post you replied to is from last year; not sure if the poster will answer about the natural antibiotics - I hope they do!
I did research into using human UTI test strips for dogs, and it appears the ones used for dogs are the exact same ones used in humans - so yes, you can save money and buy the human test strips for your dog.
Sea Salt
Hey Linda!
I *hear* you on the high price for the fancy diet. I know some who do feed it and others who have chosen to research the ingredients and then select another more affordable diet based on their research. I cannot recommend a specific diet for you, but I do encourage you to research diets or consider home made; dogfoodadvisor and dogfoodanalysis are both good sites to start your research.
You might consider Ted's sea salt remedy for a UTI:
Use a quality sea salt - the aquarium stores tend to sell the best.
A crisis dose is 1 teaspoon of sea salt into a liter of pure, non-chlorinated water, for 1-2 days [play it by ear; you *should* see a rather immediate resolution to the symptoms in that time frame, but if not go for 3 days and consider adding cranberry juice to the water.
A maintenance dose after the crisis resolves is 1/4 teaspoon sea salt into 1 liter of water.
If your dog won't drink the water with 1 teaspoon of sea salt added to it, consider dosing 1/2 teaspoon sea salt into canned food and hiding it that way so your dog takes it. Give 1/2 teaspoon am and pm for up to 2 days.
Ted also adds: "As to the apple cider vinegar for UTI, I do not think it to be as effective as a sea salt remedy. However if ACV is used then it is likely to be mixed with a pinch of baking soda."
Some folks report good results with powdered cranberry. As for the powdered cranberry dosage, some contributors have used 2 capsules [Cranactin brand] diluted in 1 oz water for a cat, while others have used 1 capsule for a 65 pound dog. This is something you will have to compare brands and potencies and work out for your dog, but it makes sense to me to start out with 1 capsules with food am and pm during a crisis and then scale back to 1/2 capsule am and pm for maintenance.
Many mix yogurt and ACV together and feed with the am and pm meals. 1 to 1-1/2 tablespoons of raw, unpasteurized, unfiltered, "with the mother" ACV into wet food or yogurt. Yogurt provides probiotics; it may be easier to simply buy the probiotics in powder form and add to the diet, as some dogs don't do well with dairy.
The ACV can be used as a maintenance dose with the food; if you dose a probiotic as well its a good idea to switch brands every couple of weeks to rotate the species of probiotic for proper balance in the gut.
If the UTI comes back after using home remedies you really should make another appointment with the vet to rule out/rule in urinary crystals or bladder stones.
Sea Salt
★★★★★
Thank you for these recipes, I have tried the Sea Salt with a bit of Apple Cider Vinegar in my dog's water and after 24 hrs, I AM SEEING GOOD RESULTS, thank you!!!
Apple Cider Vinegar, Yogurt
★★★★★
Thank you so much for the great info. My dog woke up this morning showing signs of a UTI. I came across this site when I Googled it. The ACV and yogurt is working so well for her. I will tell all of my friends about your site if they ever need help with their pets
