Ways to prevent UTIs (Urinary Tract Infection) in older dogs?

My sister has an 11 year old German Shepherd mix. She has become prone to urinary tract infections in the last year. She has had two so far this year. The veterinarian said that they do get more common as a dog ages.

I was wondering if anyone else has dealt with this issue with their dog. Did you find anything that helped to prevent recurrences? Are their any supplements or special foods that might help?

It is no fun when a dog gets a UTI! My previous dog had two in her final year. She was miserable until the antibiotics started working.

Thanks for any suggestions!

One of the best ways to prevent Urinary Tract Infection in dogs is to keep them well hydrated. Give your dog plenty of clean water every day, make sure they can have unlimited free access to drink (clean) water any time they want.

You also need to make sure they urinate plenty of times too. Do not let them hold it when they must go. Urine in their bladder can promote bacteria growth. Take your dogs out for a walk often, to promote them to urinate. The bacteria that may cause the infection would be flushed out with the urine.

I have also heard that let the dog drink a little orange juice might help too. Orange juice is slight acidic, and it can make the dog's urine acidic. Bacteria do not like acidic environment.

Give your dog a good balanced diet is also important. Remove uneaten food to avoid bacteria growth. You may also choose those dog food with really small tiny amount of garlic supplement in them. Garlic can boost the immune system in mammal. However, over-dosage of garlic can cause problem for dogs such as the breakdown of red blood cells.

Take your dog to a veterinary often for regular checkups. Many problems can go unnoticed and they would only get worse if not treated on time. Urinary Tract Infection is included of course.

If your dog already has Urinary Tract Infection, there are plenty of antibiotics for this problem. Cephalosporins, Simplicef, Baytril, Ciprofloxacin, Orbax, etc. can all cure UTI.
Different bacteria strain might have different level of resistance to a certain antibiotics. You might be required to try more than just one of them to have any positive effect.

I'm not sure if this helps but I think having too much sodium in their diet affects the probability of getting UTI. After all, that's what happens with humans.

As Ram had mentioned, it is important to have water readily available and it must be clean as dirty/unchanged water can be a breeding ground for of bacteria. This also stands true for left over food.

Cleaning their food and water bowl is important.

Lastly, orange juice or any citrus drink is good is because it makes the dogs urine more acidic. It also helps in reducing the pain associated with UTIs. Some dogs don't like drinking acidic juices.