I know humans can drink cranberry for bladder infections... can dogs?

My 3 month old husky has been diagnosed with a bladder infection. The
vet presribed antibiotics, and I was wondering if I can supplement that
with cranberry or not.

I know things like grapes and raisins are dangerous for dogs, so I
wanted to check first.

Anything I can do to speed this process up so I don't have to take her
outside every 2 minutes will be a bonus!

Thanks;
LP

http://www.caninediabetes.org/uti.html

Has some info on cranberry and UTIs.
--
TDC Inca Jeeper
A girl and her Jeep... it's a beautiful thing...

"Les Parsons" wrote in message
...
I know humans can drink cranberry for bladder infections... can dogs?

My 3 month old husky has been diagnosed with a bladder infection. The
vet presribed antibiotics, and I was wondering if I can supplement that
with cranberry or not.

I know things like grapes and raisins are dangerous for dogs, so I
wanted to check first.

Anything I can do to speed this process up so I don't have to take her
outside every 2 minutes will be a bonus!

Thanks;
LP

Hilde used to get UTIs about every 2 years. My vet had me give her
cranberry capsules. A component of the extract cranberry coats the
bladder and the urinary tract to make it less habitable for the
bacteria. For a 85 lb. dog, 2 250 mg. 2x a day was our dose. The
juice itself will not do it for dogs.

-Hildes_Dad



Les Parsons wrote:
I know humans can drink cranberry for bladder infections... can dogs?

My 3 month old husky has been diagnosed with a bladder infection. The

vet presribed antibiotics, and I was wondering if I can supplement
that
with cranberry or not.

I know things like grapes and raisins are dangerous for dogs, so I
wanted to check first.

Anything I can do to speed this process up so I don't have to take
her
outside every 2 minutes will be a bonus!

Thanks;
LP

Les,
Dogs are not small humans. We often make the mistake of assuming
that what works in humans will also work in dogs or cats etc. The
activity of cranberry in human females is to inhibit the attachment of
bacteria to the bladder wall. There is _NO_ data anywhere which
suggests the same effect in dogs. Further the concept of adding
cranberrry juice or vitamin C to acidify the urine is completely bogus.
You couldn't get a dog to ingest enough of either to move the urine pH
even half a point.

On 8 Feb 2005 05:22:47 -0800, "Steve Crane" wrote:

Further the concept of adding
cranberrry juice or vitamin C to acidify the urine is completely bogus.
You couldn't get a dog to ingest enough of either to move the urine pH
even half a point.

Here's some info for CATS with urinary problems:

Cranberry.
Cranberry acidifies the urine, which helps control bacteria, and it
contains a substance that acts as a barrier to keep bacteria from
attaching to the bladder wall. All this is great for bacterial
infections, but the problem is getting your cat to drink something
that tastes of cranberry.

Cranberry capsules are an answer for easy-to-pill critters, but most
herbal capsules are large, so they’re not practical for cats. You can,
of course, break open the capsules and hide the contents in your cat’s
food, but I have not had much luck with this method. However, there
are exceptions to every rule, so don’t let this deter you from trying
cranberry on your cat. Remember, too, that most of the store-bought
cranberry juices are sweetened and not appropriate for use; the
sweetener will only make the urinary problem worse.

— from Dr. Kidd's Guide to Herbal Cat Care by Dr. Randy Kidd, D.V.M.,
Ph.D


My cats get a supplement that includes cranberry and glucosamine. I
open the capsules on their canned food, add warm water, and they wolf
it down. My dogs wil eat any pills I throw on their food, so
cranberry capsules would be an easy way to give them a lot of
cranberry at once.



--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com

On 8 Feb 2005 05:22:47 -0800, "Steve Crane" wrote:

Les,
Dogs are not small humans. We often make the mistake of assuming
that what works in humans will also work in dogs or cats etc. The
activity of cranberry in human females is to inhibit the attachment of
bacteria to the bladder wall. There is _NO_ data anywhere which
suggests the same effect in dogs. Further the concept of adding
cranberrry juice or vitamin C to acidify the urine is completely bogus.
You couldn't get a dog to ingest enough of either to move the urine pH
even half a point.

another interesting article:


http://home.ivillage.com/homekeeping...=adid=13800619

--
Janet B
www.bestfriendsdogobedience.com