UTI Free

5 urinalyses later (the first 2 were positive, the last 3 were negative) and Popeye is finally officially declared UTI free. Of course we'll still get him tested every few months since his incontinence and immunosuppressent drugs make him more susceptible, but we must be doing something right. And we have been doing a lot:

- expressing him more often throughout the day (6-7 times/day)
- adding lots of water to his raw diet. He rarely drinks from the water bowl so this way we make sure he gets plenty of H20.
- supplementing with d-mannose daily
- adding apple cider vinegar to his meal daily
- supplementing with Tract-Ease Herbal Formula
- supplementing with Cranberry Wellness Pet Supplement periodically

Yes, this is probably overkill but that's the way I tend to roll. I also check the pH level of his urine with pH strips almost every morning and night to make sure the levels are consistent. I would do it more often but it's not easy expressing a 2-legged dog while trying to hold something in his urine stream. Although I probably could just put the strip on my shoe as his pee often lands there.

pH levels normally change throughout the day, so they may read high during 1 test but normal during another test. For this reason, any single test is pointless; it's the general trend that matters.

For Popeye, his pH tends to be in the 8 (high-alkaline) range right before bed but 6-7 (normal) in the morning. If this changes on a regular basis, it might be time to get him rechecked at the vet. But hopefully that won't be for a long long time.