Blood In Dog Urine: What To Do And How To Act Safely.
Laura Evans |
November 26, 2023
39,521
Seeing blood in your dog’s urine can be alarming, and it’s easy to start thinking the worst, especially if your dog seems sick or uncomfortable as well. The good news is that blood in dog urine is often treatable. Keep reading to understand why your dog has this problem, when to be concerned, and what you can do about it.
If your dog is peeing blood for the first time, you should contact your vet or a 24/7 Pet Helpline within 24 hours.
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Why Is My Dog Peeing Blood?
Hematuria (The technical term for blood in urine) is the presence of red blood cells in your dog’s urine. It can be caused by several reasons, including:
Upper Urinary Tract Causes:
As in humans, a dog’s upper urinary tract contains two kidneys. Blood in urine originating in this part of the urinary tract tends to affect the kidneys. Some causes of bleeding in the upper urinary tract include:
- Idiopathic renal hematuria: This is blood in the urine that results from the kidney for an unknown reason. It could be due to medicine, an infection, or an issue with the immune system. This is generally considered a benign condition with a hereditary element.
- Kidney infection: If your dog is peeing blood, one or both of your dog’s kidneys could possibly be infected.
- Kidney stones: While uncommon, kidney stones can affect one or both kidneys resulting in the presence of blood in the urine.
- Kidney cancer: While uncommon, kidney cancer can affect dogs and cause blood in dog urine. The Cancer can remain in the kidney or spread to other parts of the body.
- Renal telangiectasia: Some dogs, including Welsh corgis, have a genetic predisposition to this spontaneous widening of blood vessels in the kidney, which can lead to blood in their urine.
Lower Urinary Tract Causes:
The lower urinary tract includes the bladder and the urethra (the tube that connects the bladder) and allows urine to exit the body. Some causes of bleeding in the lower urinary tract include:
- Bladder infection: A lower urinary tract infection (UTI) is by far the most common cause for a dog peeing blood. It can be caused by skin allergies; the anatomy of the urethra, vulva, or prepuce; and hormone-related incontinence in spayed females.
- Bladder stones: These can form for a variety of reasons, including genetics, nutrition, and chronic infection.
- Bladder cancer: Bladder cancer in dogs often looks similar to a UTI; it can cause accidents in the house, difficulty urinating and blood in the urine.
- Prostate problems: Benign prostate enlargement and prostate infection are the most common prostate problems in male dogs who haven’t been neutered.
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What to Do When Your Dog Is Peeing Blood?
The first thing you should do if you find blood in your dog’s urine is to call your veterinarian, or out of hours, a 24/7 Pet Helpline. As a general rule, any dog peeing blood for the first time should be seen by a vet within 24 hours.
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In order to help your vet with a diagnosis and treatment, it’s important to note any signs or symptoms and to attempt to collect a urine sample in a container. If you can’t get the sample to your vet immediately, you can place it in the refrigerator until you can take it to your vet.
Depending on the reason for the blood in your dog’s urine, medications, surgery, or simply time may be necessary to make it stop. The vet may prescribe antibiotics if the issue is related to bacteria. In cases of benign prostate enlargement and prostate neoplasia, they are likely to recommend neutering. They are also likely to suggest surgery if they find the blood is caused by bladder stones or a variety of other issues. Most veterinarians prescribe anti-inflammatory or pain medicine to ease your dog’s discomfort, and may also recommend a change in diet if your dog has urine crystals or bladder stones.
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Conclusion
If you notice blood in your dog’s urine, it’s extremely important to take them to a vet or at least to talk to a 24/7 pet helpline as soon as possible. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Some causes of this condition are more severe than others, which is why a veterinarian needs to be consulted right away so they can get to the root of why this is happening to your pet and form a treatment plan to help them.
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