Dog Hematuria

The presence of blood in the urine is called hematuria. The causes of hematuria range from a simple bladder infection to Dog Cancer.

Causes

Causes are numerous and include :

• Bacterial infections of the genital tract, vaginitis, prostatitis and infection in the urinary tract

• Cancer of the genital or urinary tracts

• Abnormalities that have been present from birth

• Parasitic invasion of the urinary tract

• Rat poison or other clotting disorders

• Normal heat cycles

• Trauma

• Dog Kidney Stones

• Medication induced

• That which originates from the kidney with no known cause and other forms of Dog Kidney Disease

Signs and Symptoms

If your dog shows any of these symptoms, you must consult with your veterinarian. Your veterinarian is the only one that can definitively identify the cause of the hematuria.

• Your dog has to strain to urinate

• Your dog exhibits evidence of pain on urination

• Dog Increased Urination

• Any sign of abdominal pain

Diagnosis

• Urinalysis will be done along with a culture and sensitivity. This will tell your veterinarian what, if any, bacteria is causing the bleeding and will also indicate the best medication to use to fight the infection.

• Female dogs may have a microscopic smear performed

• Blood tests including a blood count and biochemistry tests

• Clotting tests will indicate the presence of any anti-clotting issues, such as rat poison

• X-rays with or without contrast and an abdominal ultrasound will show any masses that are present in the affected area

Treatment Options

Treatment for hematuria will depend on the diagnosis. Your veterinarian will advise you as to the best course of treatment for your dog.

• Bacterial infections will require the use of antibiotics

• For kidney stones you vet will undoubtedly prescribe a profound dietary change

• In the event of Dog Dehydration, intravenous fluids will be administered

• If your dog has consumed rat poison, your veterinarian will administer vitamin K. Vitamin K will increase your dog’s ability to clot blood.

Treatment at home

If you see blood in the urine, consult your vet. Bloody urine is never normal and should be reported and treated as quickly as possible.

Be aware of behavioral changes in your dog. If there is any straining when urinating or pain, consult your vet. Frequent urination of small amounts will indicate that your dog cannot completely empty its bladder. If you can obtain a urine specimen at home, do so and take it to your veterinarian for examination.

The medications that are prescribed for your vet will usually bring on improvement quickly if there are any unexpected negative changes in your dogs behavior, they should be brought to your veterinarians attention.

Remove any toxins that may be in your dog’s environment. Rat poison is especially dangerous for clotting problems. Consider what you would do to “child-proof” your home and do the same for your dog. Many talented dogs can open cabinets or drawers that may contain potentially hazardous materials.

Your garage is another area that needs to be dog-proofed if your dog has access to the area. Antifreeze is lethal if consumed. While there is not much that can be done for bacterial infections, protecting against the consumption of poison is the responsibility of the dog owner.

Suggested Products

Nu-Pet Vitamin & Antioxidant Wafers
Cancer Support Kit – Dogs
Tripsy for Dog Kidney Disease

Additional Dog Cancer Pages

Dog Cancer | Dog Skin Cancer | Dog Bladder Cancer | Dog Pancreatic Cancer | Dog Bone Cancer | Dog Cancer Prevention | Dog Cancer Diagnosis | Dog Lymphoma Cancer | Dog Gastric Cancer | Dog Mast Cell Tumors