Are you sick and tired of having to drop everything to let your dog outside every five minutes?  There can be several reasons for a dog urinating frequently.

Canine Urinary Tract Infections

Canine cystitis is the most common cause of frequent urination in dogs, especially in females.  Your dog’s bladder becomes inflamed from the infection, which causes her to need to empty her bladder often. 

The problem is that the urethra in female dogs is much shorter and broader than it is in male dogs, which makes it easier for bacteria to get in and make their way to your dog’s bladder.

Younger pups, about a year old, are also more susceptible to bladder infections in dogs, simply because their immune systems haven’t been challenged much yet.  Older dogs usually build up some immunity to this problem.

Bladder Stones In Dogs

Canine bladder stones form when high mineral levels in the urine crystallize and form stones.  These stones can range from pea gravel size down to the size of a grain of sand.  These stones irritate your dog’s bladder, which can lead to urinary problems in dogs.

Hormonal Imbalance In Older Female Dogs

If your dog is older, your vet may suspect a hormonal imbalance, which affects how your dog’s kidneys function.  Her kidneys aren’t able to concentrate urine properly, which would cause her to have to urinate more often.  This is a serious health issue, and your dog can become dehydrated if this isn’t treated.

Canine Diabetes

Diabetes is on the rise, and unfortunately, dogs are no exception.  A dog with diabetes will have high levels of sugar in her blood.  In an effort to get rid of the extra sugar, a dog will instinctively drink more water.  Of course, this leads to your dog urinating frequently.

Canine diabetes is a serious disease, so if you suspect your dog has it, don’t delay treatment.

Cushing’s Disease In Dogs

Since older dogs are more prone to this condition, owners often think their dog’s symptoms are just due to old age.  Along with hair loss and weight gain, you’ll notice your canine friend drinking more water, which leads to frequent urination in dogs.  This condition is treatable, so don’t give up hope if your dog develops it.

How Your Vet Diagnoses Urinary Problems In Dogs

You’ll be asked to bring a urine sample from your dog so your vet can run tests on it.  The easiest way to do this is to hold an old soup ladle under her as she urinates.  Don’t let the sample sit for more than a couple of hours, or the test results may not be accurate. 

Your vet will want to examine your dog and may want to take some x-rays too, in order to diagnose the reason for your dog urinating frequently.

Natural Remedies For Pets Can Prevent Urinary Problems In Dogs

Can homeopathic and herbal remedies for pets prevent and treat bladder problems in dogs?  The answer is yes.  You’ll need to find a remedy that’s safe and gentle enough to give to your dog every day.  It’s also essential that you purchase the remedy from a company known for producing only the highest quality natural products for pets. 

Do your dog a favor and learn more about how natural remedies for pets can prevent the stress and pain of canine bladder infections.  Your dog will be glad you did.

Darlene Norris
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/five-reasons-for-frequent-urination-in-dogs-711186.html

Has this ever happened to you?  You treat your dog for canine cystitis, but as soon as the medication is gone, the dog urinary tract infection is back.  Your dog is in pain, she’s piddling all over the house, and you’re frustrated.  Why is this happening?  You and your dog both need a solution to this problem.

What Causes Canine Cystitis?

Most urinary tract infections in dogs are caused by bacteria that are normally found in your dog’s digestive tract.  Female canines are more prone to developing a dog urinary tract infection because their urethras are short and broad, which makes it easier for bacteria to travel to the bladder.

With canine bladder stones, the question is, which came first, the stone or the infection?  Bladder stones in dogs irritate the bladder walls, which can cause a dog urinary tract infection.  But certain bladder infections in dogs cause bladder stones to develop, especially struvite stones in dogs.  The best bet is to try to avoid the problem in the first place.

Is There Any Way To Prevent Urinary Tract Infections In Dogs?

• You can help your canine friend in a number of ways:
• She should have plenty of clean fresh water available.  A 60-pound dog can drink up to three quarts of water a day, which may be more than you would expect.
• After drinking all that water, you dog needs to go outside to empty her bladder every few hours.  Don’t make her hold her urine for too long.
• Boost your buddy’s immune system by feeding her a low-ph, high-quality natural diet with no artificial coloring or preservatives.
• Take her for long walks.  Exercise is essential to keep her body in top shape.
• Bathe her regularly to keep the bacteria away from her urethra.

What Causes Recurring Urinary Tract Infections In Dogs?

If the infection keeps coming back, it’s possible that your dog never got rid of it in the first place.  Your vet should do a urinalysis and a dog urine culture to identify which bacteria is causing the infection.  A sensitivity test is also necessary to decide which is the best antibiotic to use. 

Be sure to give your dog all of the antibiotic, no matter how much of a hassle it is.  Then have another urine culture done to be sure all the bacteria are gone.

Can Natural Remedies For Pets Prevent Cystitis In Dogs?

Yes, they can.  But it’s important to use a remedy that has been especially formulated for pets.  You’ll want a remedy that contains uva ursi, barberry, and the homeopathic remedies Cantharis and Staphysagria.  These treatments have stood the test of time in humans, and they’re very effective for dogs, too.

These remedies are safe to use right along with the antibiotic treatment.  They don’t interfere with the drugs in any way, and regular use  supports bladder health in your dog long after the antibiotic is gone. 

Deal only with a company that has been in business for a long time, and that has a great reputation for providing safe, effective high-quality products for pets.  Check for testimonials from other pet owners who have used the product you’re thinking of purchasing.

Now you can end the frustration of recurring bladder infections in dogs by using what you’ve learned here to keep your dog happy and healthy.

Darlene Norris
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/how-to-prevent-urinary-tract-infections-in-dogs-718843.html

So, you bring home your beautiful dog (or puppy) from the shop, pound or kennels and now it needs training. Where on Earth do you begin? Of course, there are plenty of books out there written about dog training and dog obedience. What we have done in this article is distilled all those tips into seven basic tips how to train your dog. They are:

Be Your Dogs Leader. Be consistent. Dogs are pack animals by instinct. In the wild they live and hunt in packs. Indeed, in some parts of the world, feral dogs are a nuisance and guess what? When they go feral, go wild, they revert back to their pack instinct. So you need to be your dogs pack leader. To say, show who is boss would be an over simplification as most experts believe it is all about consistency, be consistent when enforcing rules and regulations. Expect your dog to push the boundaries and that is when you need to establish yourself as who is in charge. Earn your dogs respect by being firm but fair. Do not use violence to establish your rules, instead use positive reinforcement techniques.

Maintain Eye Contact. When you are training your dog it is important to maintain eye contact. Dogs look to the eyes for cues in leadership. This is also a useful tactic when out walking, if you look into the dogs eyes when giving instruction, he or she will see you more as the leader.

Teach Your Dog To Heel. This is one of the first things you need to establish. You can either use the short or long leash method but either way, it is important to reward positive behaviour i.e. when your dog follows your command to heel. Once this command is mastered you will find that you and your dog have a much closer bond, so that is why this is one of the cornerstones of successful dog training.

House Train Your Puppy or Dog. Trust me, you do not want soggy carpets. Dogs quite naturally will keep their living area clean Yes, quite literally, they do not want to poop in their own backyard (or on your carpet). It just needs a bit of consistent (there is that word again) dog training. Reward positive behaviour, scold accidents quickly and do not forget to take your dog for regular walks and toilet breaks, preferably not just in your backyard and of course, always remember to take a plastic bag with you to pick up the mess.

Check Out The Latest Training Aids. The dog training world is now full of very good training aids. Trust me, you do not need to do dog training all by yourself. What with clickers, electronic and chemical training aids, leashes and leads of different varieties, halters, electronic collars, muzzles and treat carriers you are sure to find the dog training aid that is perfect for your needs.

Take Your Dog To The Vet. Simply put, you need to make sure that your dog is healthy and that there are no physical impediments stopping your dog from becoming successfully trained. For example, if your dog has cystitis it will be very difficult for you to stop your dog urinating in unexpected places. What is better than soggy carpets? A preventative trip to the vets of course.

Be Patient. Do Not Use Physical Force. Unless you or someone else is in immediate danger you should not use physical force on your dog. It has been proven that the old stick methods of training simply do not work. Positive reinforcement works much better but of course, you may have to learn the most important attribute of all, your patience.

Allen Jesson
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/7-tips-to-train-your-dog-sanity-prevails-64644.html

Septic Arthritis (in other terms as Bacterial Arthritis or Infectious Arthritis) is an infection in the fluid and tissues of joint cavity most commonly caused by bacteria. It is considered a dangerous form of acute arthritis in dogs because just like other bacterial infections, the bacterial can get into dog’s bloodstream and carry an infecting organism into other parts of the body. Bacteria can cause infectious joint disease by tick-borne diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and by fungal infection. On Septic Arthritis, the primary bacterial sources, based on clinical search and studies, were associated with abscesses, bite wounds, enteritis, dermatitis, cystitis and/or endometritis after birth.

Septic arthritis normally only affects a single joint and the condition results in swelling, fever, heat, and pain in the joint. With septic arthritis, the dog is likely to stop eating and become depressed. Risk factors for septic arthritis are joint problems, rheumatoid arthritis, high infection risk, and a weak immune system. Septic arthritis is commonly spread hematogenously with predisposing factors being intravenous drug usage, in-dwelling catheters present as well as underlying immuno-compromised states. Bacteria are carried by the bloodstream from an infectious focus or are introduced by a skin lesion that penetrates the joint. Septic Arthritis most commonly occurred after surgeries of the stifle joints of dogs. The joint cavity is usually a sterile space, with synovial fluid and cellular matter including a few white blood cells. Some diagnosis was based on clinical signs, joint fluid analysis, radiography, microbiology and/or response to treatment. Chronic lameness was the most common problem at presentation. Analysis of joint fluid invariably revealed large number of nucleated cells, which consisted primarily of neutrophils. Bacterial septic arthritis may often be mild and manifest as chronic lameness. Analysis of joint fluid will detect an inflammatory arthropathy but the presence of toxic neutrophils should not be relied on as an indicator of sepsis. Culture of infected joint fluid is likely to be successful if antimicrobials are not given prior to collection and if the sample is inoculated into enrichment broth. Treatment should involve antimicrobial drugs, open-joint lavage and removal of joint prostheses if the infection is associated with previous surgery.

Septic arthritis might be difficult to diagnose due to nonspecific clinical signs and radiological findings in early stage of the disease. An early diagnosis is important for achieving favorable prognosis. Diagnosis of septic arthritis was confirmed by physical and orthopaedic examinations, evaluation of radiographs and synovial fluid analysis including leukocyte and neutrophil counts, cytological examination and bacterial culture. Bacteria is one of the most common causes of infective arthritis in dogs. However, bacterial arthritis in dogs can resemble many other arthropathies and attempts to achieve a definitive diagnosis by culture of the offending organism are not always successful.

The treatment of Septic Arthritis involves determining the type of microorganism involved and its antibiotic sensitivity. Antibiotics are usually administered for a minimum of a month and analgesics (pain relief medications) are necessary to combat pain and inflammation. Other major treatment involves antimicrobial drugs, while there many other cases the dog received antimicrobial drugs and with combination of surgical procedures such as joint lavage and sometimes removable of non-absorbent suture material, arthrodesis and amputation. The surgical treatment for septic arthritis (infectious arthritis) includes removal of joint fluid. To examine white blood cells and bacteria blood tests are performed.

Wishbone
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/septic-bacterial-arthritis-in-joints-of-dogs-752481.html

Over the last few weeks I have been researching the virtues of Manuka honey and I think that this could help your dog. Investigate this on the Internet, could you also give us more clues by telling us the breed of your dog.

Edit. Just another thought. Was the onset of her problem after she had been vaccinated. Look up vaccinosis on the Internet. (sorry my spell check cannot cope with this) Vaccinosis is the serious side effects of vaccinations.

Half an hour later he was peeing constantly, anywhere BUT his indoor pee-mat! He is peeing in very small amounts but VERY frequently. He refuses to pee on the mat and seems to be urinating every 30 seconds. He is going to the vet on Wednesday for a routine check-up, so I will mention it then, but was wondering if anyone had any ideas why he is doing this?

Thanks!

Sounds like he could have an urinary infection. Hope he’s better soon.