Dog has a UTI..again

MrOletta

So my little yorkie has an apparent urinary tract infection for the second time. The first time was about 4 months ago. I took him to the vet immediately back then and he was on his full cycle of antibiotics and it cleared. The same symptoms appeared this afternoon again..lengthy time to urinate with very little liquid being expelled, as well as traces of blood in his urine.

I called a local emergency vet clinic a couple of hours ago and will be taking him in tomorrow first thing in the morning with a urine sample for urinalysis.

I guess my issue is what can I do to prevent it? The problem is I work an 8-6 job which means he has to hold it for that entire duration. If needed, I can drive back and forth four times a day (during my lunch break), however I was hoping to avoid that.

What do people do with their dogs in general? I'm sure there are millions of people who work a typical 8-5 job + commute and their pets are fine. Is there anything in particular I can do? Teach him to use the restroom in the bathtub perhaps?

Any help/advice would be appreciated.

Obligatory picture:

jkylefulton

It's much harder for a little dog to hold it that long. Have you tried a cedar chip litter box setup? Or maybe doggy day care? Ten hours is just too long for a little (<15 lbs) dog.

Forbe!

If you live in a city there are usually people that will walk your dog, or 'doggy day care' as jkylefulton said.

mts

you can try giving him something to increase the pH of their urine like drinking cranberry juice etc.

you could also look into a change in diets. our neighbors have their cats on a diet to help prevent UTI since their one cat is prone to them

ihmmy

any students in your area you'd trust? Hire one to go take your dog for a short walk, or even just to let him out and smell some fresh air on a lunch break or after school. You can probably do that for like, $20/month or less.

Vmikesmitty

What kind of food are you feeding the little guy?

Also, you can little box train him if need be, although if you can get home about mid day and just let him out that would be best. Maybe eat lunch at home if it save you a bit of money on gas for the additional trip.

CoJoeTheLawyer

I had a similar problem, and my solution was to hire a dog walker to come to the house M-F for 20 minutes a day to take my dog out for a walk to relieve herself. It cost $20 a week (with a 1-month advanced deposit) but it worth it for the peace of mind. Check the Yellow pages and your local vet for names and prices. A cheaper alternative is to find a trustworthy high school/college student/neighbor willing to take out your dog for less.

But everyone is right that your dog can't hold it that long.

supabeast

You can buy pads for the dog to pee on and just leave them on the floor; they’re basically big diapers scented with ammonia (the smelly part of dog pee). Most dogs figure it out pretty quickly.

Rubick

My dog uses pee pads when I'm at work. Some dogs have problems identifying what they are for, my pup went for it automatically (at least when it comes to peeing).