And when it’s your dog, the question underneath the question is usually: did I do something wrong? Am I a good dog parent?

So let me answer the question you DIDN’T ask first. No. You did nothing to cause your dog’s bladder infection. You’re a good dog mom. Thank you for bringing her in to Leo’s Pet Care so we could treat the problem.

That’s the whole answer, if that’s all you wanted. You don’t have to be an expert in everything dog. That’s what we’re here for.

But if you want the rest of it, I have to warn you — it gets gross. Maybe a lot gross. You might not actually want to know. If the paragraph above was enough, you’re free to go.

Still here? Okay. Let’s do some science.

How do I know if my dog has a bladder infection?

Before the gross part, the practical part — because this is usually what people are actually typing into Google at 11pm. The common signs of a dog bladder infection: peeing more often than usual, straining or squatting over and over with little coming out, blood in the urine, accidents in the house from a dog who’s normally clean, and licking at the back end. If you’re seeing those, that’s a reason to come in.

Why do female dogs get more bladder infections?

Female dogs get bladder infections because of a design quirk. They have a short urethra, and it sits right below the anus.

So first, a quick lesson about poop. Poop is mostly bacteria. There’s some undigestible food in there, some leftover waste from bile, but the bulk of it is bacteria.

Now picture poop coming out of your dog. That’s basically a solid ball of E. coli, and guess what it passes on the way down? The urethra.

Yes, she “wipes” afterward with her tongue. But do you really think that’s getting her clean? This is the same tongue that licks her feet after a walk outside. She doesn’t brush between wipes. Her mouth is full of bacteria too.

I told you not to read this.

It gets worse if she has diarrhea. Harder for her to clean up, and some of it can end up on the tail, which then swings right past the urethra.

So when she tries to clean the poop off, she’s actually smearing E. coli from the poop and Staph from her skin all over the area. It’s honestly no surprise some of it works its way into the urethra now and then.

That’s your bladder infection.

Why is my dog licking down there?

Now here’s something I left out for years, and it matters. Sometimes the licking isn’t about cleaning up at all. Sometimes she’s licking down there because she’s itchy — and a lot of the time, that itch is allergies. Allergic dogs lick. They lick their feet, their belly, their back end, whatever itches. And all that extra licking around the urethra moves even more bacteria into a spot you really don’t want it. So if your dog is licking herself a lot, that’s worth mentioning to me. We might be treating a bladder infection AND chasing down an allergy that’s making the whole thing more likely to come back.

And sometimes the licking is pointing at the vulva itself. Some female dogs have a conformation issue — extra skin folds around the vulva, or a vulva that sits tucked in — and that traps moisture and bacteria right at the doorstep. Some have inflammation or other changes down there that need a real look. The point is, if she keeps licking that area, don’t just write it off as her being a dog. Bring her in. Sometimes what looks like a simple bladder infection is sitting on top of something else, and treating only the infection means we’ll be seeing each other again in a couple months.

Do male dogs get bladder infections?

Oh — you have a MALE dog? They get UTI too, just way less often. The opening is nowhere near the anus, and the urethra runs all the way from the tip of the prepuce up to the bladder. Long trip. Hard for bacteria to make it that far.

One thing to take seriously with males, though: if your male dog is straining to pee and nothing is coming out, that’s not a wait-until-morning situation. A dog who truly can’t pee is an emergency. Get him seen right away.

Now you know.

When should I bring my dog in?

Short version: if your dog is straining to pee, peeing blood, having accidents, or licking herself raw, come see us.

ONE IMPORTANT THING: I said bladder infections are mostly E. coli or Staph. That’s a big oversimplification. There are tons of different bacteria living in poop and on skin, and each one responds best to a different antibiotic. That’s why your veterinarian has to pull a urine sample with a STERILE NEEDLE AND SYRINGE and send it to the lab to grow a culture and find out exactly which bug we’re dealing with.

Yes, it costs you money. It costs me money too — lab fees aren’t cheap. But it’s worth it. It’s the fastest way to the CORRECT answer and the right treatment, instead of me guessing at the bacteria and grabbing an antibiotic off the shelf and hoping.

So when your dog gets a bladder infection, come see us at Leo’s Pet Care here in Indianapolis. We’ll get her fixed up.

The post What Causes Bladder Infections in Dogs? appeared first on Leo's Pet Care.

Worms

Worms can cause hind end itchies. Not much more to say about it. If your dog is scratching her butt, bring a poop sample with you to your vet appointment. Easy to check, easy to treat.

Fleas

If you part your pet’s fur over her lower back and see what looks like black pepper, your pet has fleas.

Fleas are visible insects, about the size of a small ant. After they suck your pet’s blood, they poop out little black specks. Why do fleas like to live over your dog’s butt and between her back legs? I don’t know. They just do.

Here’s where it gets worse: some dogs are allergic to flea saliva. If your dog is one of them, a single flea bite causes dramatically more itching than it would in a normal dog. That’s why in a multi-pet household, all the animals can have fleas but only one is tearing herself apart.

Allergies

Two other kinds of allergies besides flea allergy cause itchy hind ends: food allergies and inhalant allergies.

Food allergies are actually uncommon in my patients, and when they do happen, it’s usually to the protein in the food (not the grain).

Inhalant allergies — doggy hay fever — are more common. If your dog has an itchy butt AND licks her feet, allergies move up the list. Treat the underlying allergy, and the skin problems go away.

Arthritis

This one surprises people, and it affects cats more than dogs.

Dogs with hip arthritis usually show only subtle signs — slow to rise, reluctant to exercise, doing things slow that they used to do fast. But cats with arthritis — and some dogs — often just overgroom their hind ends because the area hurts. It looks like a skin problem. It’s a pain problem.

If the other causes have been ruled out and your pet is middle to older-aged, ask your vet to x-ray the hips. There are good pain management options if that’s what’s going on.

Anal Glands

Now for the main event. I’m sorry, but it’s gotta be done.

Dogs and cats have scent glands on either side of the anus — the same type of glands skunks use to spray predators, just slightly (and only slightly) less foul. These glands produce brownish-yellowish fishy-smelling grossness that gets squeezed out every time your pet strains to poop. We think it’s a scent-marking mechanism, a way dogs and cats identify themselves to each other.

Each anal gland has a tiny duct that empties at the anal opening. When those ducts get obstructed, the gland can’t empty on its own, and your pet gets uncomfortable. That’s when you see the scoot — butt planted on the ground, dragged across your carpet, dignity fully intact.

When to worry and when not to

Here’s the counter-intuitive part: if you smell that fishy nastiness on your couch, your pet may NOT need to see the vet. If the anal glands emptied themselves on your furniture, that’s a problem solved. Your couch took one for the team.

The vet visit is for when they CAN’T empty. If your dog is scooting, licking, chewing, or suddenly whipping around to stare at her own butt, those glands are probably full and stuck.

What we do about it

Your veterinarian slips on a rubber glove, inserts a finger, and manually squeezes out the glands. It’s exactly as glamorous as it sounds. Some dogs need this done monthly. Some need it done never. Your groomer may do an external version as part of a routine groom, but that’s maintenance — not treatment for a dog with problem glands.

What happens if you ignore it

Impacted glands that stay full too long can become infected and abscess. An abscessed anal gland ruptures out the back end. It looks as bad as it sounds, it hurts, and it turns a $40 expression into general anesthesia, emergency surgery, and a much bigger vet bill.

The short version

Five causes of butt scooting. One vet visit sorts them out. Bring a poop sample.

The post Scooting in Dogs — Not Just Anal Glands appeared first on Leo's Pet Care.