Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello,
I have been doing some internet reading in regards to canine uti's.
Last year, at this time, my dog, a large, 95 pound, 7 year old pound puppy, had a stubborn uti which required two trips to the vet, with two prescriptions of antibiotics. She has always had trouble with yeast(ear infections, pawlicking, etc). The vet also has given me many times in the past, drops for her ears- HB101. He tested her urine- found no crystals, or no signs of stone formation- that he could tell without xrays. But uti- yes.
After the second round of antibiotics, I decided to try preventative measures.
I have been using a boric acid/alcohol/gentian violet solution in her ears, with great success.
I switched her to a lamb/rice food to limit wheat. Cut out treats. Put her on a once a day cranberry capsule, canine plus multi-supplement, and have taken her outside more frequently. Her skin and coat look and feel great, although occasionally have odor. Her paw licking has decreased greatly, although still on occasion.
Up until two days ago, she has not had a single problem- almost one year. Now she is showing signs of a uti. Being that it is cold outside, I'm wondering if the decline of exercise has contributed.
I read that uva ursi is recommended for uti's. I have an herbal diuretic which I have personally used, which is a blend of uva ursi, buchu , juniper, parsley and barberry- Solgar is the brand. Should I try this with her? I really do not want to go the antibiotic route- especially with her yeast problem, but not sure what else to do. I read that uva ursi needs an alkaline environment to work- yet alot of sites claim to give them Vit C and cranberry as well. Wouldn't these cancel each others' effects? I have switched her to totally distilled water, and canned food for more moisture. I give her plain yogurt as well. Any suggestions would sure be helpful!
Thanks so much.

Increase the cranbery capsule to one 3 times a day as a preventative. Try the uva ursi combo to eliminate this round of UTI. You might want to ask your vet to have a thyroid panel run on your dog, as this particular combination of symptoms often points to hypothyroidism.

Thank you for such a quick reply! Do I use the cranberry capsules with the uva ursi combo at the same time? I have read elsewhere you should do one or the other. But then I have also seen in our health food store- combinations of these herbs. After reading many of your threads, I certainly trust what you have to say, so please guide me. The uva ursi recommendation for humans is 1-3 caps daily, preferably at meals. How many, and times daily do you suggest for her? And lastly, how long do recommend this? Thanks so much for all you are- you are a great help!

You can use the uva ursi along with the cranberry concentrate. Give 1 capsule of the uva ursi twice a day.

Thank you for the useful advice. Also, I had spoke to her vet last year about hypothyroidism. He dismissed it due to the fact that her skin and coat are sleek and not dry, also no hair loss. But she does have alot of the symptoms, and at your suggestion, I do believe she needs to have tests run as well. In the area I live, there are not any vets, other than traditional ones, to say, step outside the box. Definitely no "natural" ways of doing things. I try to avoid prescriptive medicines as much as possible, but if she is diagnosed with hypothyroidism, I guess she will have to take them for life. I did read last night about some alternatives, but I guess we will have to wait until tests are done. Thanks again for your time and intelligence.