Do you think your dog might have a urinary tract infection? If you believe this is the case, you're going to need to bring your pup to the veterinarian's office for an examination. It's important to have the dog checked out by the veterinarian to find out exactly what is going on and what you can do to help your dog overcome the problem.

Know the Symptoms

When a dog has a urinary tract infection, the animal tends to experience several symptoms that are similar to the symptoms humans often experience when they have urinary tract infections. Your dog might be urinating a lot more than usual and accidentally dropping pee throughout the home despite being trained.

If it's unlike your dog to have accidents, there is a good chance something is going on that is causing these accidents to occur. Some dogs begin crying and whining when urinating because the infection can cause them to experience a lot of pain and discomfort. If you've noticed some of these symptoms, call the veterinarian and bring your dog into the office for a checkup.

Test the Urine

When you call the veterinarian to discuss the symptoms your dog is experiencing, he or she may request a urine sample. Once you get to the office, the veterinarian would be able to test the urine sample to find out if the urinary tract infection is present or not. When white blood cells are easily found in the urine, it's a clear sign of an infection, but there could be other things going on with your dog. For example, if it's not the urinary tract infection, there is a possibility your dog has a bladder infection, kidney infection, or even bladder stones. The veterinarian may provide a diagnosis after fully examining the urine.

Treat the Problem

If your dog gets diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, the veterinarian will likely prescribe an antibiotic for your pet. The antibiotic helps to clear up the infection so that it is no longer painful for your dog to urinate. In addition to giving your pet the antibiotics as directed, you can give your pet 100% cranberry juice to increase the acidity levels of the urine. Once you start treatment, the infection should start clearing up.

If you think your dog has a urinary tract infection, bring your pet to an animal hospital. These infections are often quite painful for animals, so it's best to get the proper diagnosis and then follow through with a treatment plan that is going to help improve your pet's condition.