A Dog Still Straining to Pee After Weeks of Antibiotics

Peeing often in small amounts after a long course of antibiotics usually means the infection wasn't fully cleared, came back, or that something else is causing the irritation. Common reasons include bacteria that resist the antibiotic used, bladder stones, a recessed vulva or skin fold that traps bacteria, and, less often, a growth in the bladder.

Ask your vet for a urine culture (if one wasn't done) to choose the right antibiotic, and X-rays or an ultrasound of the bladder to look for stones. Treating the cause is often what stops the cycle.

Herbs and supplements such as cranberry products have weak evidence and won't cure an active infection, though some vets use them alongside treatment. To protect her stomach, ask your vet about giving antibiotics with food and adding a probiotic made for dogs. Go the same day if she strains with little or no urine coming out, as a blocked bladder is an emergency.

See urinary infections in dogs.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.