Do Not Give Your Dog AZO®
While people have administered this OTC analgesic to their animals without incident, we do not recommend it.
Clearly Azo is not intended for canine use — nor is it safe for treating bladder problems!
Case in point:
A Chihuahua experienced muscle hyperesthesia after being given phenazopyridine according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI).
Take your chances providing this urinary pain reliever and your dog could suffer side effects. Don’t do it!
AZO tablets, and similar drugs, are not remedies for bladder infections.
Your dog may get short-term relief because that is what analgesics do.
Any benefit would be temporary and, more importantly, there are numerous potential downsides including:
Warning: Your dog could require blood work to rule out liver damage or anemia.
Phenazopyridine formulations, AZO included, are all wrong for dogs due to a possibility of Rhabdomyolysis which is yet another muscle-related complication.
Further, Azo may be carcinogenic though this has only been proven in lab rats — not dogs.
Nevertheless, please heed the concerns including rare situations where red blood cells could be affected by Phenazopyridine (AKA Pyridium).
Why not use a natural, safe remedy rather than giving your dog an over-the-counter or prescription medication?
Cranberry also cannot fix nagging symptoms associated with urinary tract infections and other bladder urgency issues — meaning Azo’s other products are also ill-advised.
On the other hand, chamomile tea may help your dog a bit.
Above all else remember that your vet deals with urinary tract infections all the time. Give them a call!
You may need to obtain some sort of prescription medication for your pet’s infection.
Often times an antibiotic is the solution for stubborn bladder problems.
Azo, even a relatively safe version, is not the right approach for helping your dog.
Currently, Azo Cranberry isn’t made with Xylitol (it’s been years since manufacturers used Xylitol in anything that was possibly going to be used for dogs and cats. They’ve gone to sorbitol for the most part but MAKE NO ASSUMPTIONS and look. Xylitol can be toxic to dogs.
Azo Cranberry, on the other hand, can be soothing, and it makes it harder for bacteria and inflammation to occupy the bladder and urethra.
Folks sometimes call the office looking for something they can do for their dog til it can get seen, or over the weekend, or just IN CONJUNCTION with a standard treatment.
And they ask about AZO, AZO Standard. Which is FINE to ask about except it turns out, the compound in AZO STANDARD is toxic to dogs.
Causes of Urinary Tract Infections (UTI) in Dogs
Approximately 27% of dogs will develop a urinary tract infection (UTI) at some point in their life, with a large percentage of those being caused by a bacterial infection. However there are a number of other reasons why your dog may be suffering from the uncomfortable symptoms of a UTI including:
Household Items That Can Help Treat Your Pet
If youve ever had a bladder or urinary tract infection, you know how painful it is. A dog urinary tract infection (UTI) is unbearable for your pup too. Unfortunately, these nasty bacterial infections are common in humans, cats, and dogs—about one in three dogs will develop a UTI. Heres everything you need to know about a dog UTI and the quick-fix treatment to get your pup feeling better fast.
