Canine Penis Dripping Blood

by Sharon
(East London)

Reader Question: Why Is My Canine's Penis Bleeding?

Please look at these pictures A vet here in East London has not explanation for my dogs behaviour. My dog is dripping blood from his penis, and the vet has done x-rays and blood test.

Maybe you can assist.

Kind regards,

Sharon

Veterinarian Suggests Advice To Readers Question

Hello,

I’m afraid I can’t diagnose your dog based on pictures alone, but if he were my patient and a physical exam didn’t reveal the cause, I would want to run a panel of blood work to check for any blood clotting disorders and for any underlying problems that might make sedation dangerous for him. If everything looked good on these tests, I would then sedate your dog, perform a thorough exam of his penis and prostate gland (something he probably wouldn’t let me do while he was awake), and unless that gave me the answer take x-rays of and possibly ultrasound his abdomen and prostate gland.

If your current veterinarian doesn’t have a plan of where to go from here, I recommend you ask him for a referral to a specialist who can help. Your dog’s hunched back and anxious expression makes me think that he is experiencing a significant amount of discomfort associated with his condition.

Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM

Bleeding from Dog Penis

by L.Trumbower
(New Jersey)

My 11 yr old Cocker Spaniel started bleeding from his penis, losing large amounts of blood.

Went to the vet right away and had him checked out. He was diagnosed with a bladder infection, and a slightly enlarged prostate.

They gave him Baytril injection, Dexamethasone injection, and sent me home with Baytril 68mg tablets to be started the following day.

My dog continued to bleed from his penis for about 5 more hours. He past away this morning.

So basically within 24hours my dog died.

My question is what could have caused this sudden bleeding and ultimately his death?

Comment from our Vet regarding bleeding from dog penis

I am so sorry to hear about your dog’s death. What a terrible situation.

I’m afraid that without a necropsy (the animal equivalent of an autopsy) you won’t know for sure what happened with your dog.

A simple bladder infection wouldn’t typically run its course like you describe, but I suppose if the infection was also in his kidneys or prostate gland it could have spread to his blood stream and caused sudden death.

Another possibility is a bleeding disorder.

Is there any chance your dog could have gotten into a mouse and rat poison? Some types do cause uncontrolled bleeding and death.

My thoughts are with you.

Regards,

Jennifer Coates, DVM

Dog Bleeding From Penis

by Jackie
(Hamilton, Ohio)

Reader Question: What Is Causing My Dog To Bleed From His Penis?

My dog has started urinating small and large amounts in the house and very frequently and it’s not like him to do so. He is now bleeding from his penis after urinating.

Veterinarian Answers Reader Question Regarding Bleeding Dog Penis

Hello,

Several conditions can cause dogs to have bloody discharge from the penis and changes in urinary habits including urinary tract infections, tumors, problems with the prostate gland, and bladder stones. I recommend that you bring your dog in to your veterinarian ASAP. I am sure your dog is quite uncomfortable, and the sooner you get a diagnosis and start appropriate treatment, the better his chances for a full recovery.

Regards,

Jennifer Coates, DVM

Cause of Unneutered Dog Bleeding From Penis

by Steve D.
(Bensalem, PA)

Reader Question: Help for a Dog Bleeding From the Penis

For about a month we have noticed blood smears occasionally on our tile floor. We checked out our dog to see if it was a cut on his paw. It appeared to be only occasional.

Today when my dog came into the kitchen I noticed several watery blood drops on the floor. As we have two dogs we we were not positive that this was coming from our male. Today I am sure as I wiped a towel on his hind quarters and on his penis and that it definitely is the penis.

He is a 90 pound unneutered male Bouvier de Flandres. He appears to be in good health, eats well, no problems with stool or urination. He had a blood test about two months ago for when he appeared very ill one morning with repeated vomiting. A visit to the Vets and a blood test revealed no obvious problems except that he may have ingested something that made him ill.

He was given a shot to calm his guts and he seemed better by nightfall. He improved over the next few days and was back to his old self. The only sign of any difference in his behaviour is a lessening in his energy level as we play ball with him everyday for about 15-20 minutes. No other signs of problems.

There is an obvious problem. The question is how far do we have to go at the outset to determine course of action. Testing is horribly expensive and we are concerned about having to get involved with invasive testing.

Any suggestions??

Thank you.

Steve

Veterinarian Suggestion for an Unneutered dog that is Bleeding from the Penis

Hi Steve,

A type of prostatic disease called benign prostatic hypertrophy or BPH is the most common cause of blood coming from the penis in unneutered dogs. Determining whether BPH is a likely diagnosis can often be done with a simple digital rectal exam.

Assuming your dog is cooperative (sedation will be necessary if he is not), your veterinarian can feel his prostate during this procedure, and if he or she finds that it is symmetrically enlarged but otherwise normal, BPH the most probable diagnosis. Other tests may be necessary if a digital rectal exam is not conclusive since other disorders (e.g., a urinary tract infection, bladder tumor, or blood clotting disorder) can also cause the symptoms you describe.

If your dog is diagnosed with BPH, neutering is almost always curative.

Best of luck,
Jennifer Coates, DVM

Bleeding Dog Penis

by Ann Marie
(England UK)

Our dog has a habit of humping his bed cushion. I have just found his cushion out of his basket on the floor, next to a small amount of blood from his penis, after another go on his cushion.
What might have caused this and should I take him to the Vet?


Vet Suggestion For Causes of a Dog Bleeding Penis


Hello Ann,

It’s possible that your dog injured himself while “humping” his pillow, perhaps on a zipper or other hard object. A small wound that is not visible because it is now covered by his sheath could explain the small amount of blood that you saw. If this is the case, the wound will likely heal on its own and cause no further problems. There are other possible explanations, however. Perhaps your dog has a urinary tract infection or pro-static disease that caused him to leak some bloody fluid from his penis.

These possibilities become more likely if your are also noticing changes in the pattern of his urination or defecation (e.g., increased straining, frequency, etc.).

Watch your dog closely, if he starts licking the area excessively or develops any other abnormal symptoms, take him to your veterinarian for a check up.



Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM