Recurrent UTI's

[materhead]

Hello,
I'm Jennifer and new to the group. I have a 14yr old, 40 lb, female mix, diagnosed with Cushing's approx 2 years ago. She currently gets 0.1 mg Trilostane BID. We are having a problem with recurrent UTI's, which I know are common in cush dogs, but wondering if anyone has had any success with urinary supplements to decrease frequency. She gets cultures run and appropriate antibiotics given. Thanks!

[labblab]

Hello and welcome to your and your girl! I'm sorry she is being troubled by these UTIs, and I'm hoping we can gain a bit more context re: her Cushing's treatment. Can you tell us more about her original diagnosis two years ago -- what symptoms led to the testing, and how was Cushing's identified? Have her other symptoms remained under control during this time? How about any other health issues?

One thing I'm especially wondering about is her trilostane dose. A daily total of .2 mg. is a minuscule dose, and I'm not even sure how you'd obtain a dose that small. Are you giving a liquid form of the drug, by any chance? If so, I'd guess you are giving .1 ml. twice daily, and we'd need to know how many mg. of drug are in a full ml. of liquid in order to know the actual drug dose. So if you clarify that dosing for us, it will help a lot.

Thanks so much, in advance, for this additional info!
Marianne

[molly muffin]

Hello and welcome to the forum from me too :)

Marianne got you off to a good start. (we ask a lot of questions)

I'm curious about what her current ACTH results are, and if she has had UTI's occur at different post result levels.

Also what is her specific gravity (urine) if you happen to maybe know that.

Is it the same type of bacteria in each UTI or different? Some bacteria, such as e-coli, require a longer dosage of antibiotics (sometimes even over 30 days) to truly get rid of it or it comes back persistently.

[Harley PoMMom]

Is her urine being cultured to see exactly what bacteria is causing the UTI's so the appropriate antibiotic is prescribed?

[Emmierow]

I'm interested in this thread as I'm having the same frustrating problem with my boy. It seems he's off antibiotics for a day or two and then starts peeing blood-tinged urine again or struggling to pass more than a few drops at an eye-watering time. The difference is I've thus far chosen not to treat his Cushings with conventional medicine. He manages well, apart from these bloody urine infections; the vet has said that they want to do a sterile aspiration (using a needle to remove urine directly from his bladder) in order to culture it and see exactly what bacteria is causing the infections. They also want to do a CT scan/ultrasound to see if there's another underlying cause. I don't want to use Vetoryl with Toby- it doesn't feel like the right treatment for him. He is extremely sensitive to medication and he is absolutely terrified of the vets. It took him days to recover from his ACTH testing (because he gets so stressed being at the vet, especially without me) and the idea of having to do this regularly is too awful to contemplate. I also am a single, self-employed, struggling home-owner and with all the vet bills I can't even afford to eat three times a day. Additional bills will bankrupt me.
So if anyone has any ideas re these recurrent UTIs then I'd also love to know. I don't want my beloved boy to suffer.

[Wuchi]

Hi my natural path vet just prescribed "Tinkle Tonic" this one is by Animals' Apawthecary -- supposed to be good for UTIs and bladder infections. About $15 on Amazon for a 1oz bottle -- Mud Bay stores are also supposed to cary it. My dog cannot do antibiotics because of stomach issues so trying this. Just started so don't have any input on if it works or not but recommend checking the reviews online (has 4 to 5 stars) and, as always, checking with your vet since every dog is different.

Apple cider vinegar (unfiltered, organic if you can get it) is another helper for UTIs (and very affordable -- at most grocery stores in the U.S.) check out Google just type in "apple cider vinegar or ACV and UTI) -- can be mixed with yogurt or peanut butter for taste. Briggs is a popular brand of ACV.

On both they usually recommend the 1st week 2-3 times a day and then once a week for maintenance -- goal is to change the acidity so the UTIs don't come back.

FYI -- Here's a short article that mentions PH testing for the acidity of the dog (sounds like you can get the test strips at any drugstore).
http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/2_6/features/Apple-Cider-Vinegar-A-Holistic-Remedy-for-Dogs_5220-1.html