About one out of every seven pets become infected with a urinary tract infection serious enough to require treatment, with about half of those infections becoming a chronic long-term condition known as a recurring urinary infections. It is also safe to say that seventy percent of all cases will be female and that most will involve pets who are advanced in age, have diabetes mellitus, are prone to stones in the urinary tract, have some sort of bladder condition, or are on long-term corticosteroid therapy.
As you can see there are many reasons that could make a pet susceptible to recurring urinary tract infections. It might also be helpful to know that infections of the urinary tract can be acquired through oral ingestion of bacterial laden food or water that is spread through the blood or by opportunistic bacteria gaining access through the urethra and working its way up the urinary tract to the bladder and worst case scenario to the kidneys.
*So the first rule of thumb for ridding your pet of this condition is to make sure they don't accidentally ingest any food or water that might contain bacteria. No pet owner would intentionally feed their pet food teaming with bacteria but I know with my pets sometimes they can find, and eat or drink, gross stuff including old food and unclean water.
*As we briefly touched on above these types of infections typically become recurring in older animals primarily due to a weakened immune system which is no longer capable of eliminating and repelling bacteria that happens to gain access to the urinary tract. For these pets special care should be taken to make sure that they don't come in contact with feces while urinating or eliminating. For pets using litter boxes the threat is even greater since they are prime breeding grounds for bacterial and should be kept very clean and checked regularly. Additionally, a daily exercise routine should be implemented to boost waning immune system function.
*Another area of concern in older pets with arthritis. Pets that require long-term corticosteroid medication to reduce bone and joint pain are at high risk for developing recurring urinary tract infections. If your pet falls into this category switching them to a natural arthritis remedy containing glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate might be something worth considering since both of these substances have been shown to help animals (especially cats) with recurrent urinary infections.
*As we have mentioned bacteria generally enters through the urethra and works its way up the urinary tract. In order to accomplish this feat it must be able to adhere to urinary lining and then to the bladder wall. Certain compounds called ellagitannins help prevent this from happening. Blackberries and raspberries are good sources with cranberries and blueberries having similar action. Since most pets aren't going to beat the door down to get to your blackberry stash adding low sugar fruit juice to their water regularly probably is the simplest and cleanest delivery method.
*And lastly adding a homeopathic urinary tract supplement specially formulated to relieve bladder discomfort, reduce urine leakage, boost immune function, and improve overall bladder and urinary tract health could be an idea worth considering. One advantage of these types of natural remedies is they can be safely used in conjunction with other therapies (antibiotics) commonly used to hold recurring urinary tract infections at bay.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_D_Hawkins
No comments:
Post a Comment