Home Remedies for a Bichon’s Returning Urinary Infection
by Ginger
(Fayetteville NC)
What can I do at home to help, I have heard canberry juice, apple cider vinager.
I have another bichon who has had bladder stones, and is on a special diet Royal Canine Urainary SO, they both eat the same food.
I don't have alot of money, so I would like to try and help him at home to rid him of this problem, before I take him to the vet, that I really can not afford to do.
This is breaking my heart.
We understand money is tight, and we wish we could point you to a safe home fix. Unfortunately, there isn’t one. Cranberry products and apple cider vinegar haven’t been shown to treat bladder infections in dogs or reliably prevent them, and the constant licking, pain and accidents tell us he is uncomfortable now.
When signs come back soon after antibiotics, the infection may not have fully cleared, or something else may be keeping it going. Bichons are prone to bladder stones, and other causes include anatomy problems and, in an unneutered male, the prostate. Feeding the same urinary diet as your other dog is not a substitute for finding out what he has. A urinalysis with a urine culture shows which bacteria are present and which antibiotic will work, so you don’t spend money on treatments that miss.
If he strains and produces little or no urine, treat it as an emergency, because a blocked male can become critically ill quickly. To keep costs down, ask your vet about payment plans, or look for a low-cost clinic, humane society clinic or veterinary school near you.
Our page on recurrent bladder infections in dogs explains why infections come back and how vets track down the cause.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.
