Condition11 connections · 4 sources
Urinary Tract Infection
A urinary tract infection is a bacterial colonization of the bladder (or rarely the kidneys). It is common in dogs but relatively uncommon in cats under 10 years of age.
Key Facts
- Uncommon in cats under 10 years; common in senior cats and dogs
- Uncommon in neutered male dogs
- Not contagious
- Signs: frequent urination, straining, bloody urine, urinating in unusual places, incontinence
- Diagnosis requires urine culture (urinalysis alone is not definitive)
- Cystocentesis is the gold standard urine collection method
- Simple/sporadic: <3 UTIs in 12 months; short antibiotic course (3-5 days per current guidelines)
- Recurrent: >3 in 12 months; requires imaging to find complicating factors
- Complicating factors: bladder-stones, pyelonephritis, bladder tumors, prostatitis, vaginal stricture
- Diabetic pets prone to UTIs due to glucose in urine
- Species: dogs and cats
Connections (11)
Related Conditions
Bladder StonesCondition
Bacteria cause struvite stones in dogs; stones harbor bacteria
Diabetes MellitusCondition
Glucose in urine promotes bacterial growth
DiskospondylitisCondition
UTIs can seed spinal infection via bloodstream
Ectopic UreterCondition
64% of ectopic ureter patients have concurrent infection
Feline Idiopathic CystitisCondition
Often confused with UTI but is not an infection
Feline Lower Urinary Tract DiseaseCondition
Most common cause in cats >10 years
PyelonephritisCondition
Bladder infection can ascend to kidneys
Transitional Cell CarcinomaCondition
TCC symptoms mimic chronic UTI; suspect if infection doesn't resolve