Urinating problems in a dog

Dogs frequently have problems in their urinary tracks. There are different things that can cause them, but the symptoms tend to be similar. The most frequent problem is a bacterial infection that causes swelling in the walls of the bladder (cystitis). This infection causes the dog to urinate with a lot of difficulty and it is very uncomfortable. Male dogs usually lift their legs to urinate but when they have this infection, they sometimes bend down to urinate. Cystitis can sometimes cause there to be blood in the dog's urine and on occasions the dog cannot hold in his pee in the house etc. Diabetic dogs are very susceptible to these infections because of the elevated amounts of glucose in their urine, which bacteria feed on. Sometimes mineral deposits in the bladder crystallize and turn into stones that can get to be quite big in size if not taken care of. There are also cases where stones form in the urethra, and in the case of male dogs it is especially dangerous because these stones can obstruct the exit of urine causing the kidneys to not work and it can kill the dog. This is not as big of a problem in female dogs because their urethra is bigger than the males. There are certain breeds that are more susceptible to this disease like Dalmatians, cocker spaniels, dachshunds, Shih Tzus, and Yorkshire terriers. The symptoms of an obstructed urinary track are very similar to those of cystitis. Sometimes if the formation has grown to be very large the veterinarian can detect them by just feeling the dog. However, the best way to confirm the diagnosis is by getting x rays and ultrasounds. The dog is usually put on a special diet, with the hope that that will do the trick, but if nothing else works, the dog must have a surgery to remove them.