Use Of Antibiotics For Treating Utis In Dogs And Cats
JD Foster
VMD, DACVIM
Dr. Foster is an internist and Director of the Extracorporeal Therapies Service at Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, D.C. He has lectured around the world on various renal and urinary diseases and authored numerous manuscripts and book chapters on these topics. He is the current president of the American Society of Veterinary Nephrology and Urology.
Urinary tract infections are common in small animal practice it has been reported that up to 27% of dogs will develop infection at some time in their lives.1
Most UTIs are successfully treated with commonly used drugs, dosages, and administration intervals. However, infections can be challenging to effectively treat when they involve the kidneys and prostate . In addition, it can be difficult to create an appropriate antibiotic prescription in patients with kidney disease due to reduced drug clearance.
Understanding drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics is essential when determining the most effective antibiotic therapy. In addition, successful antimicrobial therapy requires appropriate choice of antibiotic, including dose, frequency, and duration .
An Ounce Of Prevention
Unfortunately, most UTIs are not completely preventable, and are caused by differences in the structure or function of the urinary tract and immune system. But there are . For example, stay hydrated to increase urine production and flush out unwanted bacterial intruders. Good hygiene is also important, but scrubbing away at delicate genital tissues can damage them and create portals for bacteria. Clean your genital area gently with mild soap and water. Postmenopausal women may benefit from . Finally, eating cranberries and urinating after having sex havent been proven to have major benefits, but arent likely to hurt, either.
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Antibiotics To Treat Cystitis
Fact Checked
Cystitis is the infection of the bladder, and according to Medline Plus, the symptoms of the disease include painful and frequent urination, fever, nausea and vomiting. MedlinePlus also reports that cystitis usually occurs in sexually active women between 20 to 50 years of age and is commonly caused by bacteria such as E. coli 1. Antibiotics are the mainstay of treatment against cystitis, therefore the type of antibiotic and length of treatment depend on the overall condition of the patient and the amount of bacteria in the urine.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
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Alternatives To Amoxicillin 4 Home Remedies For Treating Uti
After knowing the side effects of using amoxicillin, you may opt for another method to treat UTI. Natural methods or home remedies for treating UTI can serve as alternatives for using amoxicillin.
Simple things such as avoiding damp clothes, lowering the intake of caffeine and alcohol and drinking plenty of water can help you combat the UTI pain at home.
You can treat your UTI with home remedies that are simpler and cost nothing, compared to medical treatments, prescription drugs or surgical interventions.
Lets take a look at four home remedies that can effectively treat UTI and serve as alternatives for amoxicillin.
Editorial Sources And Fact
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How Is A Urinary Tract Infection Diagnosed How Do Healthcare Providers Test For A Uti In Toddlers
After interviewing you about your childs history and performing a physical examination, the healthcare provider may order the following tests:
- Urine tests like the leukocyte esterase and a urine culture to test for the presence of bacteria or white blood cells.
- Blood tests looking for infection or kidney function.
- Ultrasound or CT of the kidneys and bladder.
- Voiding cystourethrogram , which evaluates the bladder and urethra to detect vesicoureteral reflux .
What Happens If I Have A Multidrug
Some strains of bacteria are now resistant to all of the most commonly used antibiotics. When UTIs recur or dont go away with treatment, urine samples are usually tested at a microbiology lab, and if resistant organisms are discovered they are often found to be ESBL E. coli or ESBL Klebsiella. If you have a UTI with either of these resistant bacteria, you will probably be treated in hospital by an infectious disease doctor and their team. They will often prescribe a specific antibiotic via an intravenous drip known to be active against ESBL- producing bacteria such as a carbapenem antibiotic. These are considered last resort antibiotics which are kept especially for those highly resistant bacterial infections.
If you have an antibiotic-resistant UTI, youre not alone. There are many different support groups online where people suffering with resistant UTIs can help one another.
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What Oral Antibiotics Are Used To Treat An Uncomplicated Uti In Women
The following oral antibiotics are commonly used to treat most uncomplicated UTI infections :
Your doctor will choose your antibiotic based on your history, type of UTI, local resistance patterns, and cost considerations. First-line options are usually selected from nitrofurantoin, fosfomycin and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. Amoxicillin/clavulanate and certain cephalosporins, for example cefpodoxime, cefdinir, or cefaclor may be appropriate options when first-line options cannot be used.
Length of treatment for cystitis can range from a single, one-time dose, to a course of medication over 5 to 7 days. Kidney infections may require injectable treatment, hospitalization, as well as a longer course of antibiotic, depending upon severity of the infection.
Sometimes a UTI can be self-limiting in women, meaning that the body can fight the infection without antibiotics however, most uncomplicated UTI cases can be treated quickly with a short course of oral antibiotics. Never use an antibiotic that has been prescribed for someone else.
In men with symptoms that do not suggest a complicated UTI, treatment can be the same as women. In men with complicated UTIs and/or symptoms of prostatitis are not present, men can be treated for 7 days with a fluoroquinolone . Tailor therapy once urine cultures are available.
What About Cranberry Juice For Uti
Its a long-held belief that consuming cranberry juice may help prevent and treat urinary tract infections. While its true that cranberries contain an active ingredient that can prevent adherence of bacteria to the urinary tract, there is still no evidence that cranberry products can treat a UTI.
One of the reasons: Products like cranberry juice or cranberry capsules are not explicitly formulated with the same amount of PACs that have shown potential in lab studies. Moreover, a 2019 report in the Journal of Urology noted that the availability of such products to the public is a severe limitation to the use of cranberries for UTI prophylaxis outside the research setting.
In all, theres actually very little high-quality research on the topic of prevention. For instance, a 2016 study in The Journal of the American Medical Association, found that among female nursing home residents, daily consumption of cranberry capsules resulted in no significant prevention of UTIs.
While consuming cranberry juice or supplements is not considered a first-line treatment of urinary tract infections, in most cases, it cant hurt. After all, drinking plenty of liquids does dilute your urine and help spur more frequent urination, which flushes bacteria from the urinary tract. The exception: Those who are taking blood-thinning medication, such as warfarin, should not consume cranberry juice. And those with diabetes should be mindful of the high-sugar content of fruit juices.
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How Common Are Utis
According to the National Kidney Foundation, 20% of women will experience a UTI at some point in their life. Of those, one in five will have a second UTI, and 30% of that narrowed group will have a third. Additionally, 80% of women who have three UTIs will have repeat infections after that.
Men also experience UTIs, but far less frequently. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to be sexually active to get a UTI, although it does increase your likelihood as intercourse can facilitate the spread of bacteria.
Who Gets Utis Which Children And Toddlers Are At Risk
UTIs are most common in immunosuppressed children and children who have been on antibiotics for a long period of time for other issues. If your child recently went through an organ transplantation, they are also more vulnerable to a urinary tract infection. Children can also be born with abnormalities of their urinary tract that make them more likely to get an infection.
Adults are also vulnerable to urinary tract infections.
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Why Should I Take The Full Dose
Antibiotics work well against UTIs. You might start to feel better after being on the medicine for just a few days.
But even so, keep taking your medicine. If you stop your antibiotics too soon, you wonât kill all the bacteria in your urinary tract.
These germs can become resistant to antibiotics. That means the meds will no longer kill these bugs in the future. So if you get another UTI, the medication you take might not treat it. Take the full course of your medicine to make sure all the bacteria are dead.
When To See A Doctor
If you have signs of a UTI, talk to your doctor or healthcare provider.
While not all UTIs require antibiotics, most of them do.
Leaving a UTI untreated can result in serious complications such as a kidney infection.
If a healthcare provider prescribes amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium for a UTI and you experience any serious side effects, contact them.
But if you think youre having an allergic reaction, head to the emergency room or call 911.
Also contact your doctor if your UTI doesnt appear to clear after finishing the full course of antibiotics or if symptoms worsen.
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What Is My Risk For Uti
Anyone can get UTI. However, people with SCI have a higher risk than normal.
- People with SCI who use an indwelling Foley or suprapubic catheter may be at higher risk for UTI than those who use a clean intermittent catheterization technique or have an external sheath or condom catheter.
- Talk to your health professional about lowering your risk for UTI if you average more than one UTI per year. Your health professional may suggest another method of bladder management that works better for you.
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What Is A Uti
A UTI is a bacterial infection in some part of your urinary system. Your urinary system includes all the organs involved in making and releasing urine :
- Kidneys these filter your blood to remove waste and extra water to make urine .
- Ureter two thin tubes of muscle, one on each side of your bladder, through which urine flows from your kidneys to your bladder.
- Bladder where you store urine until you need to pee.
- Urethra when you pee, urine passes along your urethra, a central tube that carries urine out of your body.
Female urinary tract. Image credit: Urology Care Foundation
When the infection is just in the bladder and urethra , this is called a lower UTI. If it travels up to affect one or both kidneys as well then it is called an upper UTI. This can be more serious than a lower UTI, as the kidneys can become damaged by the infection.
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Why Antibiotics Might Not Work
Sometimes antibiotic treatment doesnt do the trick. This may occur when the bacteria causing the UTI become antibiotic resistant, meaning they outsmart and outlive the antibiotic.
See, bacteria have this amazing ability to mutate to evade being killed. And after being attacked multiple times by the same antibiotics we use on lots of people, the bacteria can learn to resist them. Some research estimates that as many as one in three uncomplicated UTIs are resistant to at least one common antibiotic. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2.8 million people in the U.S. get an antibiotic-resistant infection every year.
This sounds bad, and thats fair: Its not great news. But this doesnt spell doomsday either.
If your UTI isnt responding to treatment with one antibiotic, your doctor may prescribe another type of antibiotic. Most bacteria arent resistant to all the antibiotics out there, so chances are your urologist or primary care doctor has encountered this situation before and knows how to help.
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Why Do Women Get Utis More Often Than Men
Women are more susceptible to getting a UTI thanks to their anatomy. Their urethras are both closer to the rectum and shorter in length than mens urethras are theyre also near the vagina. In other words, womens bodies naturally present a convenient access point for the myriad bacteria that commonly cause UTIs.
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Risk Factors In Both Women And Men
Certain risk factors apply to both women and men. These include:
- Having a catheter in place. Bacteria can enter the catheter and start an infection. Most at risk are older adults who are in hospitals or who live in long-term care facilities.
- Kidney stones and other obstructions in the urinary tract. These may block the flow of urine, raising the risk of bacterial infection.
- Diabetes. People with diabetes are at greater risk for UTIs because their immune systems are weakened. Also, long-term high blood sugar can damage the kidneysâ filtering system .
- Structural problems of the urinary tract. These may be present at birth or develop later in life.
Are Some Women More At Risk For Utis
Yes. You may be at greater risk for a UTI if you:1,5
- Are sexually active. Sexual activity can move germs that cause UTIs from other areas, such as the vagina, to the urethra.
- Use a diaphragm for birth control or use spermicides with a diaphragm or with condoms. Spermicides can kill good bacteria that protect you from UTIs.
- Are pregnant. Pregnancy hormones can change the bacteria in the urinary tract, making UTIs more likely. Also, many pregnant women have trouble completely emptying the bladder, because the uterus with the developing baby sits on top of the bladder during pregnancy. Leftover urine with bacteria in it can cause a UTI.
- Have gone through menopause. After menopause, loss of the hormone estrogen causes vaginal tissue to become thin and dry. This can make it easier for harmful bacteria to grow and cause a UTI.
- Have diabetes, which can lower your immune system and cause nerve damage that makes it hard to completely empty your bladder
- Have any condition, like a kidney stone, that may block the flow of urine between your kidneys and bladder
- Have or recently had a catheter in place. A catheter is a thin tube put through the urethra into the bladder. Catheters drain urine when you cannot pass urine on your own, such as during surgery.
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Other Antibiotics And Treatments For Urinary Tract Infections
Other antibiotics may be as effective as first-line antibiotics but have more side effects or risks of complications. They are not commonly used. They include:
- Fluoroquinolones
- Ciprofloxacin
- Levofloxacin
Antibiotics called beta-lactams may be used when other first-line antibiotics are unavailable or cannot be used for any other reason. They include:
- Amoxicillin-clavulanate
- Cefdinir
- Cefaclor
These are not usually first-line choices because they are broad-spectrum antibiotics that have a higher risk of causing antibiotic resistance.
Another drug that is frequently prescribed for a UTI is phenazopyridine, available under several brand names such as Pyridium. This medication is not an antibiotic and does not cure a UTI. It is used to relieve symptoms of pain, burning, urgency and pressure.
Other Tips That Can Help In Managing Uti In Males
- Drink at least 7-8 glasses of water every day. This helps in passing the toxins along with the urine.
- Drink cranberry juice without adding any extra sugar. Fresh cranberry juice removes the bacteria from the lining of the tract. These harmful bacteria get out of the body through urine.
- Have probiotic products such as yogurt. Probiotics promote the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut which kill the infection-causing bacteria.
- Increase your consumption of vitamin C. Especially, citrus fruits are a rich source of vitamin C. Apart from citrus fruits, oranges, kiwi, and red peppers contain high amounts of vitamin C .
- Maintain proper hygiene of your genital area and follow good bathroom habits.
- Make sure that you do not hold the urge to pass urine for long as it increases the chances of UTI.
- You can also take the help of natural supplements of garlic and cranberry.
These are some simple yet effective tips that will allow you to get rid of UTI faster. Dont forget to discuss them once with your doctor, so that you receive the right treatment.
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