You say you are "only" his caregiver. Oh, my dear child, you are so much more than just a caregiver. Please dont sell yourself short. you are his friend, his lover, his advocate, his nursemaid, cook, housekeeper, and so so so much more!

as a caregiver you have power! wield it! If you think the SM is too much to take so often, do your research and approach his MD with your conclusions. ask if you can go every 3 months or 3 times a year, instead of assaulting him with this stuff so frequently. It has major side effects! Bone loss, and so forth. your concerns are very valid, and I hope you honor that inner voice that is saying "hey! are we doing the right thing?" Maybe you are, and just need the MD to explain it better. Maybe you are not, and explaining it to the MD will help him understand your position better.

Either way, I wish you the best of luck UTIs are miserable. Just ask my kitty. Just ask me! eeek! a cath really does help, but the risk is so much higher if you have one. Hang in there.