[Caroline]

I am just wondering if anyone out there has had any problems with their basset hound and urinary tract infections. I have a beautiful female basset, Cassie who will be eight this November. For the past six months she has been getting uti's very frequently. We have had her to the vet and she is put on antibiotics for a couple weeks and then the infection clears up and within two-three weeks its back again. She has had x-rays to make sure she does not have kidneys stones, which she doesn't.

Anyone have any ideas, Is this common in basset hounds?

 

[Bassets3]

Caroline, my Shami has had chronic UTI's over the years. She actually went 1 1/2 years once without one and I thought we were home free. WRONG!! After she started up again it seemed like it was constant. Has the vet done a cysto where they take a clean urine sample?. It will tell them the best antibiotic to use. Shami had that many times along with x-rays, and ultra sound, and many other tests that I can't remember but am sure I have record in her folder which is bigger than Speedy and Laci's put together. Sometimes they have to find the right antibiotic that does the trick. Shami is now seven and she is on Science Diet CD prescription food for the crystals in her urine and a maintainance antibiotic (amoxicillan). We've cut her down to three days on and then three days off and she's still doing well. We actually went one whole year without a vet visit. Hooray!
After Cassie is done her round of antibiotics do they retest her to make sure the infection is gone?
It's very frustrating I know. Hopefully they'll be able to conquer it. I don't know if it's common in Bassets. My other girls never had any big problems. Just like people some are more prone to some things than others.
Good Luck.

 

[Caroline]

Thank You for the info! They have done a cysto and found the right antibiotic and right now she's on Clavamox. The vet thinks if she is on this for two weeks and then switch it to Baytril for three weeks and then back to Clavamox for another three weeks - they will be able to wipe out the infection. I was just getting really nervous because I was doing some research on the net and the worst cases imaginable is all I was reading!!! I could not stand to lose my baby!!! I did read that changing her food might help and Science Diets was recommended. I think I will start that soon. Thanks for letting me know about Shami - All our Best Caroline and Cassie.

 

[Belinda]

Molly is 9 and has had 2 uti's this year. She is currently on cephalexin for 6 weeks and is scheduled for a sonogram (?) when I get back from Nationals to make sure she doesn't have any tumors or other growths in her bladder. I believe her cystitis is due to age, lack of sufficient exercise and lack of water. I hardly ever see her drink, and of course the exercise issue is totally my fault. One of my vet books said to add salt to their food to increase water intake. My dogs eat a combo of Wellness kibble, ccoked chicken breast and fruits and vegetables. Actually, they eat better than I do. Take care, Belinda.

 

[Scully]

Hi Caroline,
I don't know if these UTI's are particularly common in bassets as a rule, but you can add my Scully (8-y-o) to the list of houndies that have had issues with them! She had her first one when she was about 5 or so, then another one maybe a year and a bit later, and then the whopper of an infection just this year. The last stubborn one was an E.coli infection in her bladder and it took about 5 months (maybe 6, I lost count) and quite a few courses of antibiotics to finally wipe it out (first Clavamox, then Chloramphenicol, and then Zeniquin). In the end, it was a 6-week course of Zeniquin that worked! The vet also did make sure to do a urine culture about 10 days after each course of antibiotics to determine whether or not the infection was actually gone...the last few times they did a clean sample (cysto). During that last long round of antibiotics, the vet also did a culture while Scully was actually on the antibiotic to make sure it was working.....no sense in being on it for so long if it wasn't doing the trick I guess. As well, they did x-rays to rule out stones, and a blood panel to rule out kidney disease. Now we just have to keep an eye out for symptoms, and have her urine tested every 6 months to make sure all is ok. In Scully's case, they thought that her infections may be due to some slight sphincter incontinence that is not severe enough to ever cause her to leak urine, but allows bacteria to get in.

I hope that you have success in wiping out Cassie's infection!! Some people swear by cranberry supplements as a preventative measure, although we haven't tried that.