What food do you give her? By UTI do you mean urninary tract infection?. With cats a diet high in grains and meat byproducts can/does cause UTI dogs can handle grains better but it still isn't good for them.

She's on a very high quality, grain free, human grade dog food. I've researched their food over and over and over again and tried several different kinds to find the right fit.

However, I am now waiting on a call from the emergency vet as she's now passing blood and not much else. Hope everything will be ok.

I may be repeating myself but here goes.

My dog had a history of UTI. Three severe episodes got me really worried. During the last bout, a vet I consult with suggested switching food in addition to cleaning her "lady part" in the evening before bed.

"Thank you dog god Sirius" (I always say this when discussing her UTI). She has been clean for 1.5 years now.

Diet does seem to have a huge impact. She is on Venison and Potato, as are my other two dogs.

You donÂt mention if your dog has an inverted vulva, it could be a cause of your problem (but not a specific reason). This is a very important issue because bacteria easily forms in this area. The dog cannot properly clean herself. Cleaning the area with non scented baby wipes just before bed is very important. When they are sleeping for long stretches at night, the bacteria moves faster.

Good luck!

SG

WOW, I hope your dogs okay.

Good news is vet says she'll probably be OK until our appointment on Monday - of course if she gets worse they will see her before then.

She doesn't have an inverted vulva, at least I don't think. The vets have never mentioned it, and it looks normal to me.

We switched foods twice in the last year, so I'm not sure if it would be diet related.

Cleaning is a good idea, I'll have to try that, thanks!!

When I first started dealing with UTI I didn't think it could be diet related. I have three vets that I consult with, in addition to my regular vet who sees my dogs. I also did tons of research etc. just to educate myself about what I was dealing with.

I was desperate because reconstructive surgery was suggested. This completely horrified me. Plus when surgery is mentioned, I do everything I can to stay away from it. This has served me well, and saved me tons of money.

If your dog is passing blood, I would consider getting medication A.S.A.P. UTI is a painful experience for humans and dogs. You don't want it to get to far out of control and cause other problems.

I would also quiz your vet about a possible inverted vulva. This is becoming more common in dogs that have been spayed to early. The vulva cannot pop out normally.

To get your dog used to cleaning, make it a game. I use treats. When I say it's "lady part time" she knows she is going to not only get treats, but get the cleaning done. Of course, my other two dogs know that they will also get treats.

Dog get's one treat when she sits. Then I make her lay down, then I clean her while keeping the other treat from her. After I clean her, she get's the treat. I always clean lots of stuff off of her.

One vet said not to clean more than once a day, lest the area get irritated.

Good luck!

SG

Our dog used to get them a lot. We tried various decent quality foods and nothing helped until our vet gave us an herbal urinary tract supplement. The day after she started taking it, she just slept all day long and after that was back to her old self. She would still get them, but not as often until I picked out a homeopathic remedy and with the combo, she has been much better and hasn't had one in quite a while, knock on wood. She would get very frantic when she had one. She'd get on the furniture, even the dining table, which was very out of character for her. I never had problems with UTIs in other dogs, so this was all new to me.

I was told that a spayed female gets looser skin around that area, trapping moisture and heat, prime conditions for an infection.

SG - I won't rule out food for sure. But I have a sneaking suspicion that it's related to her not emptying herself fully lately, but changing food again could also help prevent it, too.

Like I said, I talked to the emergency vet and she said it should be O.K to wait until tomorrow unless her behavior changes. She is still happy, eating, playing, running jumping, etc. And doesn't seem to really be phased. She also seems to be passing less blood now in her urine, so that's good.

I will definitely ask about the inverted vulva. She wasn't spayed too early, but it is still a possibility.

As for cleaning her, it won't be an issue. I use those unscented dog wipes to wipe her down when she starts to get a little stinky between bath time (I avoid her lady bits though) and she loves it.

Thanks for the advice, guys!