Blood in Dog Urine

When you see blood in dog urine, it usually indicates a urinary-tract infection or bladder infection. In most cases, this is not a medical emergency. A dog requires immediate veterinary attention if the urine is very dark. This could mean that there is significant bleeding in the dog's urinary tract. Regardless of the cause, it requires veterinarian attention.

Learn from these reader questions from dog parents that found blood in dog urine and suggestions from our Vet. Ask your own question by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

Blood in Dog Urine and Urinary Tract Infections

by Sandy Campbell
(Salem, Oregon, USA)

Reader Question: Blood in Dog Urine and Urinary Tract Infections

My 9 3/4 year-old female mini Beagle has been having Blood in her urine since having it tested in October 2011. At the time, she showed symptoms of being restless and was a little incontinent with slight spots of blood from the urine on her bed. After spaying, she became incontinent and has been on Proin 25 mg 1/2 tab once a day and DES 1 mg capsule once a week.

The Vet has treated her with antibiotics as the first culture showed a salmonella bacteria present; however, after thirty days and a recheck of her urine every month with a culture, there is still some blood in the urine. The remainder of the tests have just come up with a bacteria. This last time, the Vet gave her two antibiotics, amoxicillin and bayatril as he said that sometimes the bacteria is difficult to treat. We are waiting for the results of yet another culture.

I have changed her diet to Hill's CD Prescription Formula and then Canine Caviar, and thawed frozen green beans and have eliminated all freeze dried treats i.e. Duck breast strips. Duck Jerky. She has a voracious appetite wanting to eat all the time and will eat just about anything even recycling her own feces and others for which I have tried just about everything to cure this habit. She shared my yard with my son's standard Beagle for 8 years. Now she is alone with me and I dutifully pick up any and all eliminations; however, sometimes a stray cat will leave it's deposits in my yard. I sprinkled black pepper on top of bark on the flower beds to eliminate and cover any soft dirt.

She can hold her urine for five plus hours when I am gone; however, if I am home, she goes outside to pee about every two hours. I am now waking up during the night to take her out for elimination as she was incontinent this last week during the night for which she is not aware. She also poops about three times in one session once a day in the morning and can also poop another couple of times towards the evening.

I also include Proactazyme, Probiotics, Raw Kidney Tissue Concentrate, Super Omega 3 EPA, and S.E.P. from Solid Gold. For several years, she had been on Potassium Bromide drug for seizures with 6 month's blood checks. She still had occasional seizures until I substituted 525 mg of Kelp twice a day and have not had one seizure since.

The Vet suggested that I consult with a specialist. This Tuesday, I have her scheduled to see a Specialists who might possibly schedule an ultrasound.

Any suggestions?

Vet Suggestion Blood In Dog Urine Treatment

Hi Sandy,

I agree with your veterinarian that having your dog evaluated by a specialist is the next logical step in her work-up. An undiagnosed, underlying disease is usually to blame when a dog has repeated urinary tract infections that do not respond as expected to treatment. Possibilities include anatomical abnormalities affecting the urinary tract, bladder tumors, bladder stones, or your dog’s chronic urinary incontinence.

With any luck, the veterinary specialist will be able to identify the root cause of your dog’s urinary issues and make a recommendation for how to address them. It is possible that an ultrasound alone may not be sufficient, however. Depending on what tests have been run in the past, when they have been run, and what the results were, the doctor may also need to evaluate blood work, a urinalysis, urine culture, and abdominal x-rays.

Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM

Concerns About About Blood In Urine

by MomDid55
(United States)

Reader Question: Concerned About Blood in Urine

We have a 4 year old Jack Russell Terrier. He has been having problems with urinating in the house even though he is house broken. Also, after exercising, he pees blood. Took him to the vet with a urine sample. Vet ran the urine test and said no bacteria, but put him on antibiotics and bladder support vitamins. Yesterday, took him for a run, as we usually do, and when we came back he peed blood again. What should I do?

Vet Suggestion for Blood in Urine

Hello,

I can’t determine the timing of your dog’s symptoms based on the wording of your question, which would make a big difference in my reccommendation. For example, if your dog has only been on his antibiotics for a day or two, all that may be required is to give him some more time to fully respond. On the other hand, if his problems appeared to resolve with treatment but came back within a few days of discontinuing the antibiotics, he may need a longer course.

Talk to the veterinarian who saw your dog initially and update him or her on the situation. Additional testing may be necessary to determine if any underlying conditions are responsible for and complicating the treatment of your dog’s urinary tract infection and which type of antibiotic might be most effective in treating it.

Diseases other than infections can also cause dogs to urinate in the house and have blood in their urine including prostate disease, bladder stones, and bladder tumors. A thorough health workup may be necessary to get to the bottom of your dog’s problem. This could involve some combination of the following tests:

• physical examination


• thorough history


• urinalysis


• urine culture


• blood work


• abdominal x-rays


• abdominal ultrasound

Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM

Vet Suggests Diagnostic Approach to Blood in Dog Urine

by Anonymous Reader Quesiton and Suggestion from our Vet

My 10 month old working cocker spaniel began urinating indoors in very strange places, and appeared incontinent. The vet took a urine sample, and found blood in the dog urine, but no crystals.

He was put on antibiotics, and a sample of urine was sent off for culture. No infection was found. The dog still has blood in his urine. He's had an ultrasound, which didn't show much, apart from the fact that his bladder is rather far back. The dog is entire, still, but the prostate looked normal on the ultrasound.

We also ran a full blood profile, and that was normal, which suggests that the kidneys are functioning correctly. The vet now suspects Idiopathic renal hemorrhage, although we are still waiting for a full analysis of his urine to see if that gives us any clues.

If it is canine Idiopathic renal hemorrhage, what does that mean for the dog's future? What other possibilities are there?

Vet Suggestion Regarding Diagnostic Approach to Blood in Dog Urine

Hi,

Canine idiopathic renal hemorrhage is a possibility, but I don’t usually think of it causing incontinence or inappropriate urination.

To definitively diagnose idiopathic renal hemorrhage (or hematuria as I call it) all other causes of blood in the urine need to be ruled out and ideally a cystoscopy performed. A tiny camera is inserted into the bladder and blood should be seen flowing out of one or both ureters – the tubes that lead from the kidneys to the bladder. If your dog has idiopathic renal hematuria but is not anemic then technically you don’t have to do anything more than monitor his condition.

Mild anemia sometimes responds to iron supplementation, but in other cases surgery to remove the affected kidney is necessary.

Has your dog been tested for a bleeding disorder? That’s another possibility when blood is found in dog urine but a cause is not readily evident. There are several ways to do so, sending blood samples to the lab or a buccal mucosal bleeding test where a small incision is made in the gum and the time until bleeding stops is measured and compared to normal.

If those tests are normal, I think scoping his urinary tract would be then next diagnostic option.

Good luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM