Bladder infections are always a risk for pets. Estimates have the general average for pet bladder infection somewhere between 10 and 20 percent. This number doesn't include those pets who failed to get treatment or were able to fight off the infection on their own.
On the other hand this does include the pets in their prime with super strong immune systems. So if we were to exclude those animals in their prime, and focus on those who have a weakened immune system, or are simply getting up there in age, the number probably would be closer to one out of every two.
For my pets at least, the key to guaranteeing a safe recovery has always revolved around recognizing the condition in its infancy.
The truth of the matter is that once infection becomes obvious the only real solution is a round of antibiotics and possibly some type of herbal or homeopathic remedy to boost immune function and restore urinary tract balance.
Delving into the obvious symptoms
A lot has been written about identifying the full blown symptoms of a pet urinary or bladder infection. These signs would include pain during urination, pungent smelling urine, blood in the urine, and unexplained urinary accidents in the house. These are obvious signs that something is terribly wrong, and the chances are pretty good that the invading bacteria responsible for bladder or urinary tract infection has overpowered the immune system and now is free to roam and destroy.
But if you can learn to recognize certain subtle changes in behavior before the infection reaches this point you may just be able to avoid that dreaded trip to the vet, along with the cost that threatens to have you hyperventilating all the way home.
Recognizing the very early warning signs of pet bacterial infection
I have had three pets (1 dog and 2 cats) over the years which became susceptible to bladder infections as they entered their senior dog and cat years. All three showed similar signs as bacteria had gained entrance to the urinary tract through the urethra and was making itself at home in the bladder. As far as I know none of these three had a urinary tract defect that made them particular vulnerable. Chances are it was simply a weakening of the immune system, which came with age, which was opening the door for bacterial infection.
If there is one thing all domesticated pets like to do that is to go outside and my pets are no different. In fact, a healthy pet will often bug you relentlessly until you finally give in. But in all three cases, as the bacterial infection started to set in, they became less and less excited about going out. And when they did muster up the energy to go out they wanted to come back in after only a few minutes.
The second thing that I noticed was that they weren't quite able to empty their bladders, causing their backsides to be damp with urine; not soaked just damp.
The third thing was a change in social behavior. For example they always stayed close when our family was watching television. All of the sudden they were MIA.
The fourth thing was a substantial increase in the amount of water consumed. In fact, some days the water bowl would be empty in the mornings. Surprisingly, excess water consumption is part of an animal's natural defense mechanism against bacterial infection.
If you will look for these four behavioral changes there will be a good chance you will be able to recognize that something is wrong, and use these early detection clues to make some early changes. A couple of examples would be adding cranberry juice to your pets water or implementing a herbal or homeopathic remedy for urinary tract health.
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