It is fairly well understood that the addition of a couple of glasses of cranberry juice per day can help to prevent a human from developing urinary tract infections (UTIs). Cranberry juice is very high in vitamin C, which helps to acidify the bladder, and make it an uninhabitable place for bacteria.
UTIs are caused when bacteria, typically E. coli, gets into the urethra (the tube that connect the bladder to the outside of the body), and in the bladder. In dogs, bacteria in the bladder can lead to the formation of crystals or bladder stones that can restrict urine flow and cause extreme internal inflammation and discomfort. Symptoms of a K-9 UTIs are similar to those of humans, and include: frequent and urgent urination (pet may ask to go out once per hour), potential leaking of urine, urine accidents in a normally house trained dog, discomfort in urinating, possibly a fever, and just generally do not feel well. If your dog has these symptoms, take him to a veterinarian right away, as untreated UTIs can turn into kidney infections and other very serious complications.
The message of this article is that dogs can and will drink cranberry juice as well as a human to help prevent UTIs from occurring. There are also concentrated cranberry pills that have all of the benefits of cranberry juice, but in a convenient pill formation. These pills can be purchased at any local pharmacy, and are marketed as” for urinary health”. Cranberry supplements provide the same effects in dogs as they do for people; acidified bladder that is uninhabitable for bacteria. It is fine to give your dog cranberry along with the antibiotic, if he has an infection. A cranberry supplement may even make him feel better sooner, but he must have an antibiotic if he has an infection.
Cranberry supplements are particularly good, as prevention, for dogs that have a history of UTIs, and can help save you frequent trips to the veterinarian.
