I'm suspecting a mild UTI in my male. Rather than rushing him straight off to the vet (he's incredibly sensitive and it takes him a while to settle after) I am looking to try home remedies first for a couple of days. Obviously if it gets worse I'll take him straight there, but at the minute he doesn't seem all that bothered. 

He is drinking a normal amount but his urine seems really dark and smelly. He's urinating small amounts frequently and not at full stream(I al so have a bitch due in season any day now so some could be scent marking)... is it safe to give him unsweetened cranberry juice for a couple of days to see if things improve?

"He is drinking a normal amount but his urine seems really dark and smelly."
Dark urine may contain blood, so I would be off to my Vet with a urine sample very quickly. If you have not got a sterile container no doubt you will be given one at the Surgery and asked to obtain the sample there.

I'd never mess about with urinary problems, especially not in any male animal. There could be stones or sludge causing a partial blockage which could without warning block completely, and the infection could hit the kidneys -both of which could end up with death as a result. I can't stress enough just how quickly something like this can turn serious. If seeing the vet is a problem, get a urine sample and bring that in first but don't wait.

As above.

Having had a dog with bladder sand which eventually led to blockage, operations and eventual kidney failure, I can't stress highly enough how important it is to get this sorted quickly.

Don't forget that UTIs can be incredibly painful too, as can be bladder stones when they get caught in the uthrethra ;-)

Often dogs hide pain until it's really bad ;-)

I'm not one to rush to the vets.....here's what I would do...

Go to the chemists and purchase urinalysis testing strips, you want the ones that have multiple tests for blood, nitrates, glucose, leukocytes, protein and PH.

Next time he goes, catch it in a clean pot, you only need a small amount and I find I have success on a lead out walking (mine would leg it if I tried this off lead in the garden)!

Also if you haven't got one you need a rectal thermometer.

Take his temperature and if it's a degree or more higher than normal and if his urine shows a positive reading for anything in the test then I'd take him off to the vets as it's a likely uti.

If his tests are negative but he has a temperature I'd keep an eye on him and take him to the vets if his temp continues to ride or his behaviour/appetite changes.

If his test is positive for blood or glucose AT ALL I'd have him at the vets.

If his urine is positive for anything else but negative for blood and glucose then it is a mild UTI which you can monitor yourself and he should NOT be given antibiotics unless his temperature rises or he stops urinating or is obviously in pain. The overuse of antibiotics is huge! Especially in veterinary practice. If I ever go the vets and they try and give antibiotics I INSIST on them sending off samples to the lab for testing sensitivities, the vast majority of the time without this testing the vets prescribe an antibiotic that the specific bacteria arnt sensitive to and all this does is increase resisitance, the dog gets better but it's their own immune system that kills the infection not the antibiotics......the majority of minor infections will get better with plenty of fluids and a bit of time. That's what out bodies are designed to do.

Hope this helps.

Go to the chemists and purchase urinalysis testing strips, you want the ones that have multiple tests for blood, nitrates, glucose, leukocytes, protein and PH

I'm intrigued.

Which chemist sells these urinalysis strips to the general public without a prescription?

I get them off ebay. No problem.

Tanya, cranberry juice, even in humans, in humans is a preventative, not a treatment. For dogs it can make certain conditions worse.

I honestly can't believe that people would risk the lives of their dogs for the sake of saving a few pounds. :( Dill said she'd lost a dog from kidney complications after urinary problems, I have lost two cats that way -and have one that is on daily medication for the past two years since a UTI landed him at the vet's for four days and almost killed him. It's far from uncommon.

Nobody who's ever had a UTI themselves would delay proper medical treatment.

One of my girls had a UTI just after her last litter of pups left she was peeking every few yards on a walk and on gentle examination by vets wet herself all over the floor, it's very painful. 

She'd got the UTI from her habit of curtseying very low and the weather was wet and ground conditions muddy.

Dill....all chemists sell them, as do boots, superdrug etc. they're a non invasive test so no need for a prescription.

Testing these things is an easy way to see what's going on without taking a nervous dog to the vets and upsetting him. The OP said she thought he may be marking due to an in season bitch. Certainly worth checking if there's a chance of uti but not necessary to go to the vets if you can confirm it isn't at home for very little!

If the tests come back clear then it is definitely not a uti or kidney infection. In both circumstances there will be leukocytes in the urine and a raised temperature.

As an addition....it's essential to realise that having urine sent to the lab WITHOUT clinical signs of infection (temperature and behaviour change being by far the most important) is the leading cause of wrongful antibiotic prescribing. 85% of animals over the age of 5 (and indeed 80-90% of humans over 80) will have bladders colonised by bacteria such as eColi, staphylococci etc. the presence of bacteria alone does not indicate infection, nor require treatment....

Many people may argue that it's irresponsible to withhold going to the vets, saying that it's purely money saving....for some it might be and to be honest it does come into it for me. Vets bills are horrendously expensive, locally to me even more so, if I can avoid them without compromising my animals then I will. If they truely need to go then they do.

This won't change until the RVC introduces regulations that stop vets giving unnecessary and non specific treatment and being able to charge way over what it actually costs them to buy a product £50 for a course of antibiotics that cost them £3.68 (current price of most commonly prescribed antibiotic)  while vets need to make a living, they should be making it from visit fees and add ons, not medication.

Very few people are aware that at the current rate of usage, within 15 years we will have NO effective antibiotics at all. People (and animals) will die from minor infections that could have been treated easily and effectively  if antibiotics hadn't been prescribed 'willy nilly' for infections they were ineffective against or not needed for and for ailments that didn't require antibiotics at all.

Again, not saying that you shouldn't go to the vets, I've been known to go just from  a look my dogs given me and on a feeling that something's not right. I'm simply advocating responsible decision making with regards to treatment options.

Dark urine may contain blood, so I would be off to my Vet with a urine sample very quickly. If you have not got a sterile container no doubt you will be given one at the Surgery and asked to obtain the sample there.

I'm not one to run to the vet for just anything BUT I've had 2 cases of bladder stones (males) and heaven help them if I'd started messing around with 'home remedies'.    If that all goes pearshaped, you'd have some explaining to do to your vet - it's actually illegal to 'self-treat' in the UK.    Yes, there are occasions when a vet rush isn't called for, but with any restricted urination, producing dark coloured urine (blood) too, I'd not be messing around with testing strips I'm afraid.

Each to their own!!

I honestly can't believe that people would risk the lives of their dogs for the sake of saving a few pounds. :-( Dill said she'd lost a dog from kidney complications after urinary problems, I have lost two cats that way -and have one that is on daily medication for the past two years since a UTI landed him at the vet's for four days and almost killed him. It's far from uncommon.

Absolutely!!   Clearly there has to be trust in a vet/client relationship.   With respect, it does rather sound as if some here don't trust their vets!!?    It does help, to avoid all this 'try this, try that' that can happen, if you have a vet who CAN DIAGNOSE.  If you find one, hang onto him/her.   Since leaving my trusted vet (13 years and rarely stumped) to live the other side of the country, I've been faced with some doozies of vets, so I am a tad more suspicious than in the past but .................

Urine tests do NOT diagnose Bladder sand or bladder stones.   This is done by physical examination.   A scan or  xray is required to determine the presence of both.

Our dog had only signs of a slight UTI, nothing more - peeing more frequently (he was not neutered).   Luckily the vet was up to speed and the dog had the correct treatment.  Sadly, his condition worsened and despite 2 operations and a special diet his kidneys failed at 5 years old.  He was 2yo when his trouble started.

Bladder sand can quickly cause a blockage and the amount of urine retained in the bladder alone can cause incredible pain, not to mention damage to the kidneys.

As has been pointed out, anyone who has ever had even a simple UTI would never leave a dog to suffer without seeing a vet - it's incredibly painful.   By the time a dog shows signs of pain with this it is really bad.    In male animals a UTI is more difficult to get, but can quickly lead to kidney infection.

Most people who know me on here, know that I am the least likely to send someone to the vet.  I avoid them at all cost.  But there are some things that only a vet can diagnose and treat.

The OP said she thought he may be marking due to an in season bitch.

She also said the dog was not peeing at full stream, which COULD indicate stones or sludge and this was the most important remark made.

I thought one of my dogs had a UTI- frequent weeing but only small amounts at a time -  so as I was taking another dog to the vet for his vaccinations I popped him in the car and took him along too. My vet examined him and discovered he had huge bladder stones that she could feel during the examination. He had to have an emergency operation to save his life as one stone had completely blocked the urethra and it was touch and go for a while. It was a Sunday but my vet counts weekends as normal work days and didn't charge any extra. It cost me £1500 for his op and subsequent treatment that was also needed due to problems he developed following the operation.

If I had left it any longer ( had noticed he was going little and often the previous day) he wouldn't have survived.

A not so funny coincidence here. This morning we had to take a cat to the vet. Minutes after coming home, Bobby the oldest Papillon (in my avatar) asked to go out. He was let out, had a wee, came in. Seconds later he asked to be let out again. Went out, had a wee, came in. Seconds later asked to be let out AGAIN. So we called the vet, caught them 5 minutes before closing for the weekend, and yes was told to bring him in straight away -they'd stay open for us. So Bobby got to the vet half an hour after first showing signs -I didn't want to risk having to wait until Monday, or use Vets Now OOH. Bobby was examined for bladder stones or a blockage, none found on eternal examination, so it is assumed "just" a UTI. But that meant antibiotics and Metacam for 5 days (and he's had a steroid injection) and to keep a very close eye on him, watching out for signs of kidneys being affected or a blockage as of course sludge/sand can block as well -the vet certainly took it very seriously indeed which is why he stayed behind after he should have closed.

and yet your vet prescribed antibiotics without confirmation of what type of uti or even if it is indeed a uti. No way of telling whether the bacteria (if there are any) are sensitive to the antibiotics he/she prescribed as no lab work to ascertain sensitivities. It's great that you sought prompt treatment and that your vet took you seriously but this type of 'guesswork' vet treatment is exactly why we have multi resistant infections such as MRSA CDIFF EBSL etc.  also no need at all got the steroid injection which will be ineffective in the case of uti or bladder/kidney stones.......

Maybe I should quantify.....steroids suppress your dogs natural immune response, making it impossible for their immune system to fight any present infection. They act as an anti inflammatory yes, but are clinically contraindicated for infections and would have no affect at all as they are denatured in the kidneys and never reach the 'closed system' of the bladder interior. Indeed if the problem is in the kidneys to start with then steroids can be seriously harmful as they are hard work for the kidneys to break down and excrete.

Labgundogs I strongly suggest that you change your vet as you clearly have no confidence in vets. Alternatively don't keep dogs at all as you don't seem to have their best interest at heart. I have perfect confidence in my vets. With the number of animals I have, I am usually at the vets every week, often several times a week, so I know full well who to trust.

By the way Bobby HAS HAD MRSA, last year, and that was cleared up by lab testing telling us what antibiotics would be most suitable. No way on earth would I put any animal through several days wait for test results without starting treatment, with something as painful and dangerous as a UTI. You change treatment if it turns out to be wrong, you don't delay. When I last had a UTI myself I remember telling the doctor that it was even more painful than giving birth.

>No way on earth would I put any animal through several days wait for test results without starting treatment, with something as painful and dangerous as a UTI. You change treatment if it turns out to be wrong, you don't delay.

Exactly right.

We've had a couple of cases of bladder 'stones'.  In the first case there was a blocking up (we'd left him with a fellow breeder for 3 weeks, and she told me on our return that he'd not been well ......) and in the second, on a Basset Walk I noticed him peeing more than normal and broke off the walk to get straight to the vet.   Catheterising him told him there was rasping going on - which meant sand.  I can't remember it all, but he was 'backflushed' and I seem to remember opened up.

With UTI most vets are able to test on site to see whether there is anything wrong with the urine so there shouldn't be any waiting before antibiotics are able to be prescribed?   As said if the patient doesn't respond, then the treatment can be switched.

I forgot to update this. I took him to the vets the following afternoon and it was indeed suggested a UTI dipstick was positive for nitrites and leukocytes. 5 days of antibiotics and all is fine again.
I wasn't scrimping on the costs, so far this boy has cost me £3000 in vets bills for swallowing toads and rat poison so I'm certainly not shy about spending money at the vets, I would just rather have given it a couple of days avoiding antibiotics and an unpleasant examination (for him) if there was a way of flushing it out of his system. I'm familiar with UTI in humans... spending 4 years catheterised will do that to you ;-)

You can buy these straight from a chemist but they are really expensive. Amazon or eBay are the cheapest