Chronic UTI (urinary tract infections) are a painful condition your dog or cat may experience. (You can get a better understanding of the urinary system by visiting my Cat Kidney Failure Treatment page.)
These infections occur when E. coli moves from the colon to the urinary bladder nearby.
What’s troubling about this bacteria is that we’re seeing it become more and more resistant to antibiotics.
News broke in May 2016 that, for the first time in the U.S., a new E. coli strain has surfaced, and this form of the bacteria does not respond to any antibiotic that we know of. While pets do not have the same strains to deal with, we are seeing it become more and more resistant in dogs and cats. Can this trend affect our pets? For now, we simply don’t know. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria is nothing new for dogs or cats. Just like humans, both cats and dogs can develop MRSA. If your pet is suffering from chronic urinary tract infections, the key is not more antibiotics. The key is improving your pet’s gut health.
Gut Health Is the Immune System
The human gut contains two-thirds of the body’s immune system tissue.
That’s enormous. If your pet doesn’t have a healthy gut, his immune system won’t be healthy either.
With a weak immune system, your furry friend simply doesn’t have the resources to fight the E. coli present in the urinary tract.
The infection turns chronic because your pet’s immune system simply cannot fight back.
What your pet needs is an immune system, armed with the right weapons to defeat that raging infection. To help your pet develop a healthier gut, you need to…
#1 Change Your Pet’s Diet.
The first key to helping your pet’s immune system heal is to change what your furry friend eats.
As a veterinarian practicing integrative medicine, I recommend cooking your dogs and cats whole foods.
Instead of buying store-bought foods, your better bet is to cook your pet’s meals yourself.
More often than not, your ordinary store-bought pet food will simply inflame your pet’s intestinal tract.
You can begin to implement this change in your pet’s life now by using The Original CrockPET Diet®. This diet will teach you how to you cook foods that help your pet heal his or her own body naturally.
#2 Give Your Pet Time to Transition.
Once you switch to more nutritious foods, it may take a while before your pet adjusts.
I recommend slowly altering eating habits by mixing your homemade food in with the store-bought food until your pet accepts the new meals.
Since cats can be especially picky, I’d recommend reading more on how to transition your cat to a more healthy diet.
#3 Nurture Your Pet’s Gut Health.
In addition to changing your pet’s diet, you also need to populate your cat or dog’s gut with lots of good bacteria.
These “good guys” will help bolster your pet’s immune system. One of the supplements I recommend is FidoSpore. This will help your pet’s intestine repopulate with healthy bacteria. For your dog or cat, taking a supplement like this is the equivalent of humans eating yogurt.
Nurturing this bacteria will help your pet fight off urinary tract infections caused by E. coli.
Don’t Give Up
Recognize that getting your pet out of the rut of chronic urinary tract infections may take time, patience, and some trial and error.
I understand that fighting persistent E. coli infections can seem daunting. However, you don’t have to be overwhelmed.
I’ve created a book for pet owners who need a helping hand in restoring or improving their pet’s gut health. It’s an eBook called Gut Instincts: Natural Digestive and GI Health Course.
