Bloody Canine Urine

by John
(New York, NY)

Reader Question: Why Is My Canine With Heartworms Urinating Blood?

My dog Max is a pug. He was diagnosed with heartworms and is now peeing blood. It looks like it is just pure blood. Is this common or not? My vet said it does happen in some cases but it really has me worried.

Vet Answer To Reader Question Regarding Dog's Bloody Urine

Hi,

I wouldn’t call urinating blood a “common” symptom of heartworm disease. If your dog were my patient, I would want to work up his bloody urine as a potentially separate problem. A physical exam, urinalysis, abdominal x-ray, and prostate exam would be a good place to start (possibly followed up by an abdominal ultrasound or tests for blood clotting disorders).

If everything else checked out as normal, then I’d be willing to consider heartworm disease as a potential cause.

Good luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM