Urinary tract infections in dogs and cats may be complicated or uncomplicated.

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are one of the most common reasons pets visit the veterinarian. Both dogs and cats may suffer from urinary tract or bladder infections. And both male and female pets may be diagnosed with a UTI.

Symptoms of urinary tract infections (UTI) in dogs and cats

Symptoms associated with urinary tract or bladder infections include:

• straining to urinate
• painful urination, sometimes with simultaneous vocalization
• bloody urine
• frequent attempts to urinate, often producing very small amounts of urine quite frequently

Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in dogs and cats

Uncomplicated urinary tract infections usually respond to antibiotics and resolve with proper antibiotic therapy. Antibiotic therapy is often instituted for 7-14 days.

Complicated urinary tract infections in dogs and cats

Urinary tract infections may be uncomplicated. However, urinary tract infections can also be complicated and more likely to occur due to other health issues. This is particularly true in cats and male dogs.

Other health factors which are known to make urinary tract infections more likely to occur include:

• diabetes
• hyperadrenocorticism, or Cushing's disease (dogs)
• hyperthyroidism (cats)
• hypothyroidism (dogs)
• bladder stones
• kidney failure
• pyelonephritis (kidney infection)
• prostatitis (male dogs)

In complicated urinary tract infections, antibiotics may need to be continued for much longer, with a 6-8 week course of antibiotics not being uncommon in these cases. Where possible, treating the concurrent illness will also help resolve the urinary tract infection, but these types of UTIs can be difficult to manage and may be recurrent.