TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE HERBAL STRATEGIES FOR CHRONIC URINARY TRACT INFECTION IN DOGS

摘要

Chronic urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most challenging and frustrating conditions seen in small animal practice. Biomedically, chronic UTI is defined as recurrent or persistent bacterial infection of the urinary bladder in the absence ofneoplasia, urolithiasis and or structural and functional abnormalities of the bladder. It can also include sterile inflammation of the urinary tract with clinical signs of urinary tract infection and absence of a documented bacterial infection. The common clinical signs of urinary tract infection include: dysuria, stranguria, pollakiuria, hematuria, pyuria, crystalluria, foul smelling urine, urine dribbling and pain. Urinary tract infection is called lin zheng (dysuria syndrome) in Chinese medicine andmany patterns exist; the form described here is commonly referred to as Urinary Bladder Damp Heat. The primary pathogenic factor seen in chronic UTI is Damp Heat which affects the lower jiao and can be generated from multiple causes which include inappropriate diet, obesity, and underlying Zang-Fu organ deficiency or dysfunction which facilitate exogenous pathogen (bacterial) invasion of the bladder.