My 6 year old female chocolate lab seems to be urinating frequently, and when she does, she stays hunched down in that position for a while while little dribbles come out. I've not seen any blood and there's no discharge. Just wondering if any one has had similar problems, and/or if there are any "natural" ways to treat.

The first thing I would do is take a sample to the vet to determine if there is a UTI.

You should take the first urine of the morning and catch in mid stream for best sample.

If there is a UTI - you can treat it with cranberry caps. I give 2100 mg. 2x/day for a week or 2 and then retest to be sure the UTI is cleared up. I have had success with this method.

You can also give probiotics with the crancaps.

I also test my dogs urnine with PH strips to catch a UTI early and if hi (5.5 - 7 is normal) automatically give the crancaps and retest PH in a week or 2.

However, discuss this with your vet. If she has a severe UTI you may have to use an antibiotic. And i would also give the probiotics 2-3 hours after the antibiotic dose and continue probiotics after done with antibiotics.

You should also retest after antibiotics to be sure UTI is gone.

Bring your dog and her bladder :-) into your vet's office. Let them take a sterile sample of the urine with a needle inserted into the bladder (most dogs do not even feel it).
Don't mess around with this, it's painful, makes her feel like crap, and you absolutely need to get a culture and sensitivity on the infected urine. Bladder infections can ascend into the kidney as with humans and you don't want that.
Her hunching over and lingering in a squatting position is because it causes cramping and it hurts.
I used to have bladder infections when I was younger and it's no picnic.

I should have also said, the reason you need to do a culture and sensitivity of the urine is so you can identify what kind of bacteria it is and what antibiotic it is sensitive to.
Some bacteria are so potent they need agressive antibiotic therapy asap.
Cran caps are helpful in some situations, but I would not recommend doing cranberry without knowing what kind of bacteria it is or without antibiotics, as you are risking delaying curative treatment.

"Cran caps are helpful in some situations, but I would not recommend doing cranberry without knowing what kind of bacteria it is or without antibiotics, as you are risking delaying curative treatment".


Thats why I suggested she discuss it with the vet in case it is a severe infection.

Personally I don't think a cystocentisis and culture and sensitivity is necessary until the vet does a basic Urinalysis. The vet should determine the need for the cysto and c/s. IMO

Also, if there is a UIT the urinalysis will determine it and meds natural or prescribed can be started. A culture and sensitivity takes 3-5 days to get results from the lab and in the mean time the dog could be suffering.