Recommended Article #22October22
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This recommended article "The Dreaded Urinary Tract Infection: The Bladder Needs Love Too!" is curated and sourced from Adored Beast Apothecary. If you loved this article, please do feel free to share it around.
The Dreaded Urinary Tract Infection: The Bladder Needs Love Too!
Let's talk about bladder health, why it’s so important, and how you can avoid a UTI diagnosis.
Why is Bladder Health Important?
The importance of a healthy bladder is very often overlooked, until one fine day, a problem arises, and you finally see that you have been negligent with something you should have been a little more aware of and careful about. Yes, that dreaded cat or dog urinary tract infection (UTI)...
Many illness often have their origins stem from puppy urinary tract infections (UTIs), the original cause often being vaccine-induced, of which this initial illness is where most antibiotic use in puppies begin. Avoiding a UTI diagnosis is not difficult, but like everything else, it does require work.
This bladder is responsible for many functions, and is in fact the kidney's best friend. If you had ever studied biology, you would know that the kidneys remove urea, a waste product, from the blood. From there, the urea travels down and into the bladder, to be removed from the body through urine. The bladder also aids with controlling electrolyte levels in the body, highly important to cell life or death and vital hydration, and helps with blood pressure regulation.
Who knew this overlooked little organ was so important!
Many females may know all too well about the problem of bladder infection after having sexual activity. This happens because the urethra is located very close to the vagina. The urethra is, unfortunately, exposed to bacteria, such as Escherichia Coli (E.coli), as it opens or stretches during sexual activity, allowing for the bacteria to travel up the urinary tract since it resides in the bowel.
As hormones in the body decrease with age, the urethral sphincter also consequently becomes weaker, making it easier for bacteria to find its way into the bladder, which in turn causes an infection. This is the reason why many elderly folk are always on antibiotics for UTIs.
This has some similarity to dogs. Dogs who have been spayed or neutered would naturally have fewer sex hormones, which leads to a weaker sphincter, which like humans then, means bacteria is able to enter the bladder more easily
And then it happens: that painful cry heard when your furkid is going about its business, and after the vet has run a check, you hear those much dreaded words: "urinary tract infection".
Signs of a Cat or Dog UTI
Is a cry when urinating the only sign? Not at all. There are actually several things to look for.
Keep a look out for:
- Crying when urinating
- Dark or cloudy urine
- Drinking more water than usual
- Inability to pee properly, little to no urine
- Loss of bladder control or urine dribbling
- Peeing in the house
- Persistent licking of urinary openings
- Straining to urinate
- Visible blood in the urine
- Vomiting, lethargy, lack of appetite
Putting Pets at Risk?
Very often on getting this diagnosis, the knee jerk response would be to take the prescription given by Dr Animal's Best Friend. However, unbeknownst to many, this may not necessarily be the best approach.
Though it may seem like the best possible solution at a glance, bladder infection -> antibiotics = destroying a healthy microbiome and increasing unhealthy bacteria. This results in high alkaline urine, which in turns lead to urinary crystals and a huge decrease in the overall immune system.
This is a downhill spiral as it could potentially lead to more problems, more drugs = ear infections, hotspots = more drugs and vet prescribed food, leading to malnutrition, and gut trauma -> issues like arthritis, skin disease, autoimmune diseases and worse.
See the problem?
That initial UTI and antibiotic use could result in a vicious cycle of poor health.
Like our canine friends, our feline friends are also susceptible to and at risk to the same problem. Poor neutered male cats have almost the opposite issue. While they have a similar issue of reduced sex hormones, but because the urethra stops growing when neutered, the passage for urine is SO TINY!
Therefore, if, or should when rather, for those on a dry food diet, their urine becomes alkaline from the processed, dehydrated, disease-causing food, crystals form. These formed crystals then scrap the inside of the urethra (OUCH!), causing inflammation and swollenness, which then possibly results in spasms and blocks that prevent your furkid from being able to urinate. This then becomes a life-threatening emergency situation!
The poor cat is then sedated or anesthetized to have a catheter inserted to release the urine. This often scars the urethra, making the already small urethra even smaller, which then creates a lifetime of pain and suffering for the kitty. Thankfully, these days, many veterinarians try to opt for giving pain medication and antispasmodics to release the spasm first to see if they unblock, though many still go for the invasive procedure as a first course of action.
It gets worse.
In many situations, the male cats are put on less than ideal vet prescribed food for crystals that definitely do not support health and longevity. In way too many situations, these poor cats go on to need urethrostomy, a surgical procedure that creates a permeant opening cut at the perineum.
Several female kitties may also have the issue of crystals, though they are lesser likely to suffer a blockage problem because of the different body physiology. Not to say they do not suffer as they are still in chronic distress, which could come across like behavior issues of inappropriate urination, aggression, hiding, over-grooming and so on.
One way to nip the problem in the bud before it worsens into a snowball of problems, would be to use Easy Peesy Protocol. This helps to support the body in the dissolution of urinary crystals, and further supports good bladder health, and the creation of an environment that would discourage crystal formation.
How to Prevent and Relieve a Cat or Dog UTI Naturally
In order to keep your furkid's bladder health in the pink, the number one key is a raw, species-appropriate diet. At the very, very least, especially for cats, a high quality, no grain diet, and most definitely NOT dry food.
There are also several things that could be added to your furkid’s diet to protect that vulnerable urinary tract and prevent (or relieve) that painful cat or dog UTI.
- Cranberries
- Dog studies have shown that oral administration prevents UTI development
- Prevents E.coli adherence to Madin-Darby Canine Kidney cells
- Anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties
- D-Mannose
- A simple sugar closely related to glucose that occurs naturally in berries and some plants
- Does not affect blood sugar
- Binds to bad bacteria to carry it out of bladder in the urine
- N-acetyl glucosamine
- Targets inflammation response in the smooth muscle of bladder wall and lining
- Helps keep the lining of the urinary tract healthy and strong
- Marshmallow root
- Rich in mucilage
- Helps to coat the mucous membranes
- Protects delicate tissues
- Uva ursi
- Contains natural compounds called arbutin
- known astringent
- known to help decrease inflammation
- Nettle leaf
- Tonic herb
- Used as anti-inflammatory, astringent
- Diuretic
- Supports the kidneys
- Multi-strain probiotic blend
- 1 billion CFUs
- Provides beneficial bacteria to establish a colony and keep bad bacteria at bay
Every system in the body is equally important as they are all interconnected; so do not forget the bladder! It needs support and love too!
You can purchase Easy Peesy Protocol from JJ E-Homez Holistic Pet today!
Julie Anne Lee, DCH, RcsHOM, is a qualified veterinary practitioner and graduate of the Vancouver Academy of Homeopathy, having studied with some of the world’s leading homeopaths, and is an Associate Member of the British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons, BAHVS. Aside from being the founder and owner of the Adored Beast Apothecary, where she formulates holistic pet care products and is currently working on a canine cancer research project, she has also been the owner and practitioner of some of the busiest and long-standing holistic veterinary hospitals and clinics in North America, while regularly teaching on veterinary courses.
Julie Anne is also a pioneer in studying the dog’s microbiome and developing protocols for optimising gut health, which plays into the health of all our furry friends and us. In furthering a truly holistic approach to pet care, Julie Anne continues to work with vets and practitioners from all over the world.
Growing up helping in her mother’s animal rescue shelter was what contributed greatly to Julie Anne’s life purpose - protecting and caring deeply for animals and their health, while educating the public and fellow veterinarians to empower them to make the best choices for the ethical treatment and naturally holistic approaches to their pets’ healthcare.
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This blog first appeared on the Adored Beast Apothecary website, where this article "The Dreaded Urinary Tract Infection: The Bladder needs Love too!" was curated and sourced from.
Original source: https://blog.adoredbeast.com/the-dreaded-dog-uti-how-to-support-your-dogs-bladder-health/
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