Cystitis is an inflammation of the bladder mucosa and submucosa. Female dogs develop cystitis more often than male dogs. What symptoms will a dog suffer from cystitis and how to treat it?

West Highland White Terrier

Clinical symptoms of cystitis in dogs:

1. The characteristic symptom is painful frequent urination. The sick dog urinates frequently or makes urination postures, but only discharges a small amount of urine each time or continuously discharges it in dripping form (urine dripping), and shows pain and uneasiness.

2. In severe cases, due to swelling of the bladder neck mucosa or spasmodic contraction of the bladder sphincter, it can cause anuria and make the sick dog feel uneasy and moan in pain.

3. The symptoms of chronic cystitis in dogs are similar to acute cystitis, but the degree is milder and the course of the disease is longer.

Diagnosis of cystitis in dogs

If there is tenderness and accumulation of urine on palpation of the bladder, urinalysis and urine culture can be done by puncture. During urinary tract infection, urinalysis shows an increase in hemoglobin and protein, an increase in the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and bacteria, and an alkaline pH (especially when infected by urease-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus or Proteus), and fungi may also be found. If clinical symptoms still exist after long-term use of antibiotics, urinary stones or tumors may be present, and X-ray analysis should be performed.

Prevention and treatment measures for dog cystitis:

The treatment principles for canine cystitis are: antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and symptomatic treatment. The specific points are as follows:

1. Improve feeding and management, give them proper rest, and feed them non-irritating, nutritious and easily digestible feed. High protein feeds should be appropriately limited.

2. Rinse the bladder with disinfectant or astringent medicine. First use a urinary catheter to drain the accumulated urine in the bladder, rinse it repeatedly with lukewarm saline, and then flush it with medicinal solution. 0.05% potassium permanganate solution and 0.1% Reifonol solution can be used for disinfection. 1%-3% boric acid solution, 1%-2% alum solution, etc. can be used for convergence.

3. For severe cystitis, after flushing the bladder, instill 800,000 to 1.2 million units of penicillin (dissolved in 50 to 100 ml of distilled water) into the bladder, and apply penicillin, streptomycin or other antibiotics systemically.

4. Urinary tract disinfectant can be used appropriately.

5. Pay attention to preventing microbial invasion and infection. Disinfection and sterility must be achieved when performing urinary catheterization. Diseases of other urinary organs should be treated promptly to prevent their spread.