Weimaraners, especially females, can be prone to simple and recurrent urinary tract infections (UTI’s). In most cases, UTIs are easy to treat, but it can lead to a more serious infection, septic shock, organ failure, and even death!
But first, an anatomy lesson is due. The urinary tract includes your dog’s ureters, external genitalia, urethra, kidneys, and bladder. An upper UTI generally involves your Weim’s kidneys, while a lower UTI (the most common type of UTIs) likely refers to urethra, bladder, and ureters.
The bladder and urinary tract are designed to be sterile, so UTIs are the result of bacteria migrating up the urethra. (and potentially into the bladder, up the ureters, and into the kidneys, causing major problems!) Your dog’s urethra, which connects the bladder to the outside world is key to this discussion. Producing enough urine helps flush the urethra, as does acidic (low pH) urine.
This whole system can get gunked up — by bacteria, stones, or dysfunction at any level of the urinary tract. And that means a vet visit.
UTI Symptoms
- Frequent or difficult urination. Your Weim will squat (or lift his leg) frequently, often passing only a few drops or pee. He may appear to strain.
- Blood in urine. There is often obvious blood on grass after your dog goes potty, but not always.
- Painful urination. Weims have a different pain tolerance, but your Weim may groan or yelp when he begins to urinate.
- Any change in her normal urinary habits, like unexpected accidents.
- Stinky or cloudy pee!
- Dribbling, or poor urine stream. (This can also be due to prostate issues in the boys.)
- If your Weim has an upper UTI, you will typically see signs of general illness like lethargy.
- “Polyuria and polydypsia,” which means peeing a lot and drinking a lot in English.
- Fever.
- Walking “hunched up” and/or abdominal tenderness.
- Lack of appetite. This of course is always a sure sign that something is wrong!
Puppy Vaginitis is NOT a UTI!
Puppy vaginitis is different from a true UTI. In this case, your Weim puppy often has a yellow to white discharge, or stringy clear mucous most commonly after urination. She won’t have any other symptoms of a UTI.
Do NOT allow your vet to put your pup on antibiotics to treat vaginitis. This can set up a vicious cycle of true UTIs as her vaginal pH is unable to regulate itself due to the antibiotics.
Puppy vaginitis is caused by a recessed vulva is sometimes called a tipped vulva. This is just means her vulva is an “innie” that causes bacteria to collect in the skin folds causing infection.
Allowing your Weimaraner puppy to go through one heat cycle should solve the problem. Her vulva will swell during her heat cycle and will “pop” the vulva out.
This along with her maturing immune system should stop the recurring issues.
UTI Diagnosis
Diagnosis requires a simple urine specimen, and the vet will run a urinalysis. This of course means you need to collect a urine sample.
How to Collect Your Weim’s Urine Sample
You can use any type of bowl and put it under your Weim’s urine stream. Plasticware is great since you can just pop the lid on and go to the vet, although anything from a frisbee to an aluminum pie plate will do in a pinch. Make sure that whatever you use is clean!
Try to catch the mid-stream (not the beginning of the pee stream). Only 1-2 tablespoons of urine is required.
What Does a Urine Sample Show?
Initially your vet will be looking at color, clarity, pH, specific gravity, and whether there are things like ketones, protein, white blood cells, and other cellular byproducts (myoglobin, hemoglobin, casts, etc) in the urine. All of these things are hints as to what could be going on.
If your vet suspects a more serious issue based on those results, they will run a urinalysis with culture and sensitivity. This can usually be run off the same urine that they used before, but this one will tell your vet which bacterial species are growing in your Weim’s urinary tract.
Just because your dog has white blood cells (or, leukocytes) in her urine does not mean that she has a UTI, although she certainly could. Do not allow your vet to put your Weim on antibiotics simply because the urine has white cells in it. It is possible to have white cells without infection so make sure that a culture is run to see if she does indeed have an infection.
A basic metabolic panel (a blood test) might also be checked to rule out dehydration or kidney involvement. X-ray or ultrasound may also be required, depending on your dog’s clinical picture, to assess whether her kidneys are affected.
UTI Risk Factors
Female Weim pups on both ends of the age spectrum (the oldies and the babies) are at an increased risk for UTIs. Their urethra is shorter than that of their male friends, and some girls squat reeaaallly low when they pee.
Estrogen seems to have some sort of protective effect, and so overweight females that squat low and who were spayed before their first heat cycle are the most at risk.
Older Weims are at risk for UTIs due to weakened urinary sphincters and because their bodies don’t fight bacterial invasion as effectively as young dogs can. You’re more likely to see systemic signs in an older dog. Housebreaking “accidents” or new onset urinating while asleep or dribbling when she gets up are more classic signs in an older dog.
There are also many conditions that can concurrently cause UTIs: Cushing’s disease, diabetes, obesity, or hypothyroidism. Kidney or prostate infections, stones, or tumors can also cause problems. Neurological issues, certain medications, and congenital anomalies of the genitals can all be other causes.
Treatment
If your Weim is diagnosed with a UTI, she will be prescribed an antibiotic. This might be one of many types, depending on what species of bacteria is growing. It is your job to make sure that she takes ALL of her prescription! If you skip doses or don’t give her the whole prescription you will likely see her get another UTI!
If you do not see any improvement in her symptoms after 2-3 days, go back to the vet. Your dog’s life depends on it!
Recurrent UTIs and Hyperuricosuria
Recurrent UTIs are a cause for concern, as are UTIs that do not respond to antibiotics. Some Weims can be more prone to UTIs due to diet and genetics.
Weims do get bladder and kidney stones caused by an inherited disorder called Hyperuricosuria (elevated levels of uric acid in the urine).
A DNA test can tell you if your pup (or his parents!) are at risk for Hyperuricosuria. One copy of the gene means your dog is a carrier, two means he is affected. If your pup is affected by any of the other types of stones, diet is key to avoiding that particular type. Your vet can help you out in that case, but it would involve a low purine diet and keeping your Weim well hydrated.
Preventive Measures
Some things to try:
- Increase your Weim’s water consumption by adding some water to their food, switching to raw, or adding canned food.
- Antibacterial wipes, especially for females. Wipe their girl-parts well after they urinate.
- Cranberry extracts or other urinary-tract supplements. These can help acidify the urine or add a biofilm to the urethra to protect from bacterial invasion.
- Probiotics: kefir, yogurt, or supplements specifically formulated for canine urinary tract health.
- Bladder antiseptics such as cranberry, pine bark, sandalwood, or celery for herbal extracts, or pyridium by prescription.
All dogs with recurrent UTI should have a urinalysis done every 3-4 months until resolved.
A Note About the Boys
You guys aren’t out of the woods! Male Weims can also be prone to UTIs, especially when they get older. An enlarged prostate (which typically happens at age 7+ old) or other functional abnormality can inhibit urine from draining, meaning that they are at a higher risk. When urine sits in the bladder it sets up a great place for bacteria to grow — warm, dark, and moist. Males more often acquire upper UTIs..
What’s Normal, What’s Not
The most important thing to know is that ANY time your Weim has a change in urinary habits (new housebreaking accidents, leaking while sleeping or when getting up, suddenly peeing in her crate or peeing more often in her crate), you need a vet visit. Usually a simple course of antibiotics and some cautionary measures to prevent recurring problems should fix your Weim right up!
The requisite fine print: This is an informational article and should not be used to replace the diagnosis and treatment recommended by your veterinarian.
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I’ve used small urine specimen containers with good success.
After I’ve screwed the lid on, I rinse the outside of the container, wipe it dry and place it in a plastic ziploc sandwich bag. If I’m not taking it to the vet straight away, I pop it into the refrigerator.
Great tip, thanks!
I steal specimen containers from my “real” doctors office whenever I have to give a sample, they are perfect for fecal and urine samples for the dog. I usually use a soup ladle to collect the urine from my female as she likes to get real close to the ground.
Why would any dog have to pee in a crate?
A UTI will make them want to go frequently so crate accidents can be an indicator that something is wrong.
I agree with you