So sorry to hear about Ollie’s troubles. UTIs can be difficult to deal with sometimes. Unfortunately, antibiotic use can ironically make them more resistant and recur more frequently.  It is good you did a culture & sensitivity test because that is critical to ensuring you are giving the correct antibiotic, if you choose to go this route.

Homeopathy can be extremely helpful for these cases – you should consult with a qualified classical homeopath if you decide to try this. We have a referral list on our website here: http://sfraw.com/faq.htm#vets

For UTIs, we strongly recommend d-Mannose as a treatment option; it can be extremely effective, you can use it safely with other treatments, and it is safe for long-term use:
http://www.integrativehealthreview.com/eating-nutrition/d-mannose-the-simple-sugar-that-prevents-and-can-cure-urinary-tract-infections/

Do keep giving the probiotics for as long as possible as it will take some time to replenish the friendly flora in his body after the use of antibiotics.

Diet Suggestions:  Foods to Avoid

You may want to consider eliminating carbohydrates and sugars from his diet. Preference is a convenient high-quality pre-mix, not a balanced diet (must add plain muscle meat to it as directed on the label, not just chicken necks), but it does have carbohydrates. If you can switch to a food without any carbohydrates, we think that would be best for Ollie. We reccomend avoiding venison, seafood/fish & shellfish for pets with urinary tract imbalances. 

Reccomended Foods Provide nutritional balance by feeding a variety of different foods over time. In our experience, the most desirable protiens for this type of issue are rabbit, chicken gizzards, pork, egg, beef, and small amounts of chicken.

For example, you may choose to feed some of the following meat/bone/organ raw pet food grinds in rotation:
• GreenTripe or Xkaliber products
• Hare-Today rabbit, goat, mutton, pheasant, pork, etc.
• SFRAW duck grind ombined with 50% muscle meat/offal (such as Marin Sun Farms or Prather beef pet food)
• Various other pet food grinds such as EcoPawz turkey or chicken grinds

Alternatively, you can combine whole parts as meals over time within these guidelines:
65% muscle meat (beef, turkey, pork, duck, chicken, etc.)
25% chicken necks, feet or similar boney/low meat consumable RMBs
5% liver
5% variety of other offal such as: gizzards, heart, kidney, tripe, sweetbreads

To these products, we recommend adding our Healthy Powder & Seasonal Herbs, small amounts of raw fresh garlic, raw/organic/unfiltered ACV, a high quality EFA & Vit E.

Make a home-made broth & serve as much as your dog will enjoy – extra liquids are helpful in this case.

Frequent walks for potty & encouraging urination through praise and positive experiences will help a lot, too. Hope Ollie feels better soon & the UTI goes away for good!

FOLLOW-UP QUESTION “Thank you so much for your response! It is very helpful. I will start him on the D-Mannose and switch him to a raw diet that is lower in carbs. We have also increased his liquids and will take him out to potty more. Are you saying you would have not recommended antibiotics at all? – Jessica”

Hi Jessica,

Well, for my own animals, under these circumstances, antibiotics would not be something I would choose to employ. However, I am not against the use of antibiotics entirely. I would consider antibiotics as a last resort treatment in extreme, life-threatening situations, under specific circumstances, for certain animals. Because of the way I now manage disease and employ Natural Rearing style health care, I have not used any antibiotics since 1989.  Since this time, I have followed a different path for treatment and disease management; using classical homeopathy, herbs, nutritional therapy, and lifestyle changes as my first choice for treatment. These have all been completely successful for the animals under my care, so far.

However, I’m truly respectful of other people’s health and medical choices for themselves and their loved ones. So if conventional treatment, such as antibiotics, feels right to you for Ollie at this time, then I hope my suggestions for how to do so in a way that minimizes damages/risks associated with this route is helpful to you.

The two most important things when treating infections via antibiotic use are:
a) to do a culture and sensitivity analysis test to choose the correct antibiotic before ever giving a single dose of antibiotic for any infection
b) minimizing the damage/side-effects of antibiotic use as best you can by incorporating plenty of probiotcs/prebiotics in the form of living/cultured foods & supplements, as long as necessary

In addition, I’d recommend measuring your animal’s laboratory values (including renal & hepatic function tests) to ensure they remain healthy before, during, and after any period of treatment with chemical medications, so you can pay close attention to any potential side-effects and swiftly counterbalance these effects as needed using diet, supplements, and herbs.

You and Ollie have your own unique & special journey together; you will make decisions that make the most sense to you and feel right for Ollie as an individual. As Ollie’s caretaker and biggest advocate, you alone know what is truly best for him. I really respect this and honor the care you obviously put into supporting his best interest & wellness!