The specific treatment of pyelonephritis depends on the underlying cause. Surgical removal of the penis with creation of a new opening into the urethra (perineal urethrostomy).ĭogs with pyelonephritis are usually treated as outpatients unless they have bacteria circulating in their blood causing septicemia, or they have clinical signs of kidney failure.Administration of medications containing steroids.

Cushing's disease (hyperadrenocorticism), or overactive adrenal glands, causing increased levels of steroids in the body and decreasing the body's resistance to infection.Diabetes mellitus, causing glucose (sugar) in the urine, making the urine very attractive to bacteria.There are several medical and procedural conditions that increase the likelihood of urinary tract infection including: Renal dysplasia describes abnormal development of the kidneys from birth.Vesicoureteral reflux describes backflow of urine from the bladder back into the ureters.Ectopic ureters describe a condition in which the ureters do not attach to the bladder properly or may attach to reproductive organs instead of the bladder.There are several developmental conditions that increase the risk for pyelonephritis. Less commonly, bacteria that can live and grow in a low/no oxygen environment, as well as fungal organisms may cause pyelonephritis.Īre there risk factors for pyelonephritis? Other bacteria that may be found include Proteus, Streptococcus, Klebsiella, Enterobacter, and Pseudomonas, which frequently infect the lower urinary tract and may move up into the upper urinary tract. The bacteria most commonly implicated are Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus. Pyelonephritis is usually caused by a bacterial infection that moves up the urinary tract from the bladder to the kidneys. Also, one or both kidneys may be abnormal in size. inappropriate urination (particularly noticeable in dogs that have previously been well house trained)Īdditional signs of upper urinary tract infection include fever and pain when the kidneys are palpated (examined by touch) during the physical examination.frequent urination of small volumes of urine.

increased drinking and increased urination.

The signs of lower urinary tract infection include: Many dogs have no clinical signs when they have pyelonephritis, although they may have signs of lower urinary tract disease. Urinary tract infections, in general, affect more females than males. There seems to be no specific age predisposition for pyelonephritis in dogs. Urinary tract infections are fairly common in dogs though they generally involve the bladder and urethra (the tube that transports the urine from the bladder to the outside of the body) and are described as lower urinary tract infections (see handouts “Cystitis in Dogs” and “Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in Dogs” for information on infections affecting the lower urinary tract). Pyelonephritis, is an upper urinary tract infection involving the kidneys and ureters (the tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder).

Dog pica kidney disease