Natural Remedies for Dog UTI: Effective, Easy Treatments
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Posted by Crittaj (Columbus Ga) on 09/05/2016 ★★★★★
About 3 days ago my husband noticed blood in our 11 yr. old Italian Greyhound. It was easy to see in the grass after she urinated. She had been wanting to go outside about every hour or so and seem restless, just wouldn't settle down. Wanting to avoid an expensive vet visit, and also it was a holiday weekend, I looked online to look for a solution. I was very happy to read about Apple Cider Vinegar and the success fur baby owners have had with it. I immediately gave some to my dog in some plain yogurt and within a couple of hrs she seemed much more comfortable and didn't need to go outside nearly as often. By the next day I couldn't see blood in the grass when she urinated. There is still a little blood on tissue if I wipe her after going outside. Now, though, she smells the Apple Cider Vinegar and won't go near it or anything I put it in. Tried a syringe and she runs....any suggestions?
My little 7 lb. dog is being treated now for a bladder infection with antibiotics from the vet. Can I also give her ACV and greek vanilla yogurt treatment at the same time or should I wait til the antibiotics are finished (she is on day 6 of a 10 day schedule)? Also I am confused about administering water. If I mix ACV and yogurt ... do I also add water to the mix?
Replied by Jane (Penticton, British Columbia)
10/26/2016
Just to update .... I waited til she was finished with the antibiotics and saw signs that she still had an infection, so I mixed up about a tablespoon of vanilla yogurt with about a scant 1/2 tsp. ACV and literally coaxed her to try it and she ate it once she got a taste of it. Did this morning and evening for 3 days and she seems to be fine now. if I see any signs of infection starting up again, I will start using the yogurt and ACV again.
My mini pin mix puppy recently had diarrhea which has been cleared, now she's not drinking water but is urinating frequently. This morning she woke me up early but couldn't wait to get out of the door & peed. I didn't see blood however as soon as we were outside she went again then strained to go at least 4 more times within mins. She's not crying or seems to be in pain (yet) but I don't want her to get worse or dehydrated. She's a rescue that's been through multiple homes so I don't know her history. She's not eating food with grains. I've had her on blue buffalo but recently switched her to Orijen for puppies. Any advice on ACV doseage?
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
-----------------------------
How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation
If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.
There are many doses you can try, and 1 teaspoon to 2 cups of water might be a tolerable [taste wise] dose for your puppy. You can also try 2 tablespoons into half a can of tuna and see if she will take that as a treat. I also urge you to see your vet - as you say, your girl is a rescue and you do not know her history, so you want to rule out deeper issues such as bladder stones or crystals. If this were my pup I would do the ACV - and the vet, just in case.
Posted by Pitlover (Puyallup, Wa.) on 08/31/2016 ★★★★★
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.
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
-----------------------------
How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation
If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.
A friend in breed here :-) A UTI is often the result from feeding a kibble that is corn based or contains grains. Please read your dog food ingredient label and if it contains corn or grains then look at switching to a grain free brand as keeping her on this diet will only lead to more UTI's and very likely skin complications.
Replied by Maria Cecilia (West Covina, California)
12/30/2016 ★★★★★
My dog was going through the same exact situation. It started at midnight and by 2:30 am she could not even be in bed for ten seconds. While getting ready to take her to an emergency vet, I ran across this site and read your post. I am so thankful! I gave her one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar mixed with two teaspoons of a vanilla yogurt I had. It was incredible! 10 minutes later she went to bed. She asked to go outside only once more and it was just a normal peepee request. 🤗
I have an older animal that has been urinating all over the place... I Googled your site and it suggested ACV and plain yogurt... What a blessing! It's only been two days and I see a great Improvement!
Thank you for putting this information out there... Jan
Posted by Penelope (Ashland, Ky) on 10/19/2014 ★★★★★
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. :)
I got the most AWSOME news today from my vet! After 8 weeks of blood and protein in my yorkies urine and 4 rounds of antibiotics...we are now blood free and only a trace of protein! But guess what, it wasn't the antibiotics that he credits for the drastic improvement...it's the natural regime that I put her on...and he wants me to continue what I am doing and not give her any more antibiotics. He actually ask me about the treatment! Within 24 to 36 hours of mixing plain unflavored live cultured yogurt and a capful of unprocessed apple cider vinegar in with a 1/2 cup of her food, she was asking to go out less and when she did, her output was more...no dribbles! She has had no accidents in the house and she is acting like a 6 month old puppy instead of 5 years old! He looked at her Ph levels from where we started to where we are and at the moment, we are 7...nuetral....YAY! I will have her urine checked again in 2 weeks to see if the protein is completely gone, but I have no doubt that it will be...she is acting just too happy and healthy and I am one happy mom!
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
-----------------------------
How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation
If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.
Can you please tell me the dosage you used with the ACV and yogurt. I have a 15lb boston terrier who has a UTI and I've already spent $300 and they would like to do a culture for another $150. If I could help my dog naturally I would like to try and bring the cost down :/
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
-----------------------------
How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation
If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.
Did your vet wish to culture the urine to determine the best antibiotic? Or was there another reason to culture? If you try a home remedy and the UTI comes right back, you may need to continue with your vet to rule out complications such as crystals or stones.
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.
As for the yogurt and ACV - many mix the two 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. If you are looking for probiotics from the yogurt, 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.
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
ACV and yogurt work for my dog as well!!! I am so appreciative and finding this information!!! After I gave Scrappy his second dose of yogurt in ACV he is now urinating normally!!
My Terrier Pit Bull Brownie hadn't urinated for 2 days following bouts of thick textured and foul smelling urine. I had been giving her cranberry capsules for 2 weeks and did not see any improvement. She was absolutely miserable. I happened to stumble on this site and followed the advice of giving her the 1tbsp apple cider vinegar coupled with 1 tbsp plain yogurt. I took her for her evening walk 1 hr after the dosage and she still did not urinate. Later that evening, this remedy worked like a charm, although at an inopportune moment and on my polished wood floor. The urine was not thick or smelly. I was so thrilled she had finally peed that no punishment ensued for that infraction. Best remedy ever!!
Posted by Mary (St. Cloud, Minnesota) on 07/27/2009 ★★★★★
As a retired vet assistant and pet owner, I know both sides of the picture when a pet is ill. For urinary problems that recurr, retesting, antibiotics, etc. can become financially limiting especially in areas of the country where veterinary costs are extremely high. I have had great success using ACV, yogurt and cranberry/blueberry extracts to control bladder infections in one of my small dogs who has a recurring problem. My dogs eat a raw diet or no grain dry dog food and no one else has any issues. However, with the first few times of my corgi having a bladder infection, I chose to see my vet to rule out diabetes, bladder or kidney stones, cancer, etc. When it was clear that is was probably a genetic pre-disposition and our unusually hard well water, using the ACV, yogurt and cranberry therapy has been completely successful. Also adding some cottage cheese (1/4 cup every other day) to her diet is very helpful and she loves it! I think it is extremely important to use your head when it comes to caring for your pets. If you think your vet is unusually expensive, look for someone else. However, vets with years of successful experience are worth every penny it may cost. Discuss finances with your vet. A good vet is willing to work with you to find the best treatment options for your pet and your pocketbook. Also, chose a vet that is open to alternative therapies and treatments including accupuncture and chiropractic as these vets seem to continue to learn and do not allow ego to block different care of your pets. It's very unfortunate that veterinary costs have skyrocketed in the past several years. Routine tests and vaccinations now cost as much as treatment of an illness used to cost. Alternative remedies can be much more successful and MUCH easier on the pocket book. Just do your research before treating your pet for anything!
Posted by Tammyv (By The Sea, Or) on 10/30/2012 ★★★★★
I have read many post out there about reoccuring UTI's. Our little male Pom was having a bout of the same and for the past 2 years we have kept them at bay by adding 1/4 t. Of Buchu Leaf powder to his food 2x a day. He hasn't had one since. And a friend came to visit and asked if I had any "cranberry juice" I immediately "knew" what she needed and gave her some Buchu powder too - 2t. and she was fine the UTI never set in! Goggle it as it has been used for years for UTI's in both animals and people. I do not know the long term effects if any, but know it works for now.
Posted by Wilma (Vancouver, Canada) on 02/21/2017 ★★★★★
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.
Posted by Shannon (Portland, Maine) on 12/01/2009 ★★★★★
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.
Cranberry extract (just a drop or two - it's potent stuff!) clears up urinary tract infections in humans and dogs (probably in cats also, but I've never tried).
Humans: dilute two drops in 8 oz. of water and drink. Use twice a day until gone (usually within 36 hours). Or just drink diluted regular cranberry juice, sugar-free.
Dogs: dilute one or two drops (depending on size of dogs) in water and squirt down throat with a medicine syringe. Use twice a day until gone (usually within 36 hours).
Posted by Tammie (Titusville, FL/USA) on 10/21/2008 ★★★★★
I was told by my vet that I could use cranberry pills (1, once a day) as a way to prevent UTI's from re-occuring. I have tried this and it seems to work, but I would like to know what you think about this natural remedy and in what doses you might suggest. I'm thinking that after the dog is treated with vinegar to get rid of a UTI, then preventative measures are ok with the cranberry. However, if using vinegar as a preventative works too (and it's cheaper), what would be the recommended dosage for that?
I am SO glad I found this site! My lab mix (age 13) gets UTI's often (like right now!), and vinegar we can do! :) Do you recommend the vinegar remedy for UTI's to be done for a full 2 weeks or what?
Posted by Monica (Reseda, California) on 03/01/2012 ★★★★★
I tried apple cider vinegar on my 2 1/2 year old male cat, Benzi and it worked for a while but it was a strugle to get him to swallow it and, the moment I stopped giving it to him the infection would come back in a couple days. I found this cranberry capsules that treat UTI's in humans and have been diluting 2 capsules in 1 oz of distilled water and have been giving it to him twice a day for 2 weeks now and no sign of UTI's! Not to mention he doesn't mind the taste of it at all. I highly recommend them. I had taken him to the vet back in January and spent 700.00 dollars on a flush and antibiotics and diet food. A few days later he was sick again, so for those that say take him to the vet right away, unless you can afford 1000.00 dollars every vet visit, try alternative natural remedies, They Work!
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.
I recently found out that Cream of Tartar (tartaric acid and potassium bitartrate) is the chemical in grapes and raisins that is so toxic to the majority of dogs. Although, some dogs may tolerate the chemical, most cannot, and its ingestion, even in small amounts, will cause heart and kidney failure. Watch out for baked goods using “leavening agents”, as well. It's an umbrella term for Baking Powder, which is primarily Cream of Tartar.
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