Uncommon frequent urination problem in my dog...?

Hi all,..My dog, an 8 yr. old female lab mix, just took up the habit three days ago to begin urinating around my apartment. This happens so infrequently that I can't even begin to think as to when it's happened last. Now, my first thought is that she has a bladder or kidney infection that is making her have to go more urgently and therefore she isn't letting me know she has to go like she normally does. Nothing has changed in her environment in the recent past weeks and she's acting completely normal. However, I had her at the vet about two weeks ago for her yearly check up and they found that she had a minor skin infection and so they gave her a round of antibiotics. If she did have a bladder or kidney infection, wouldn't the antibiotics kick that infection too or is there a whole other round of antibiotics that I should be calling my vet about? Anyone with any info on antibiotics out there would be a huge help..being that the holidays are here, I can't contact them for 3 days!

Uncommon frequent urination problem in my dog...?
A broad spectrum antibiotic should cover a urine infection.There are other reasons she could be urinating alot,kidney stones ,diabetes,etc.What antibiotic was she on for her skin
Reply:Antibiotics for her skin would help a bladder infection but may not be the right kind or given long enough to cure it. Have the vet check her urine for signs of infection.
Reply:she could still have a bladder infection. did you mention this to the vet when you took her in? it could be a number of things an 8 year old dog isn't old but isn't young either and can have some of the problems of an older dog. i would take her to the vet and ask them what it could be. sometimes if its a urinary tract infection they can fix it with antibiotics or sometimes its even as easy as changing her diet to a senior dog food that can help her urinary tract health. but unfortunately your not going to know for sure until you take her in. i wish i could be of more help good luck to you and your dog.
Reply:The antibiotics for a bladder infection would be different. However, some antibiotics cause a dog to pee more frequently, so the skin antibiotics could be doing this. I would call the vet just in case. If she has a UTI it is probably very uncomfortable for her, not to mention your floors.
Reply:Depends on what the skin antibiotics covered and what (if any) infection she has in her bladder / urinary tract. Not all antibiotics affect all bacteria, which is why it's important to get the bacteria identified so the correct antibiotic can be used.





The other thought is that she may have age-related incontinence, which isn't uncommon in older female dogs, but fortunately is usually easily regulated with medication (Proin / PPA).





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Reply:My guess would be a urinary infection. My dog is being treated for one right now as well. But...as an older dog, it could also very well be a problem with the kidneys. I would take the dog to the vet as soon as the Holidays are past %26amp; they are open again. It's probably not urgent enough to warrant an emergency visit, but I would go on there first day back in the office. Best of luck!
Reply:A urinary tract infection would be my first suspect.





While antibiotics for the skin infection *might* have also taken care of a bladder infection they won't necessarily. Different bacteria respond better to certain antibiotics. If she does have a bacterial urinary infection the bacteria causing it might be resistant or just not responsive to the antibiotics you were using for the skin. Also, that visit was two weeks ago. If it was a minor skin infection I'm guessing that your round of antibiotics was only for 7 or 10 days. That means that the antibiotics haven't been in her system for at least a full 24 hours before the urination problems started. It's possible that she didn't have a bacterial bladder infection while she was on the antibiotics but picked it up after she finished them.





Another thing to keep in mind is that not all bladder infections are bacterial (at least not primarily). Bladder stones or crystals in the urine form because of an imbalance in the pH or too much of a certain mineral. While most UTI's involving stones and crystals also involve bacteria the bacteria are more of a secondary infection than the cause of the problem.





You should try to call your vet as soon as possible and see if you can get her (or at the very least a sample of her urine) in to get checked out. While a bladder infection is the most likely culprit there are other things that can cause housetrained dogs to have urinary accidents. It could also be age-related urinary incontinence, kidney insufficiency/disease, or even a symptom of diabetes or other metabolic disease.
Reply:The antibiotic your vet prescribed for a skin infection wouldn't necessarily clear up a urinary tract infection. UTIs are caused by either bacteria or e-coli in the bladder and require a 10-14 day course of antibiotics. Have her vet checked. Good luck.