Blood In Dog Urine

The appearance of blood in dog urine is a signifi­cant symptom. Not always an emergency symptom, it never­theless warrants veterinary consultation without unnecessary delay. Though it may be observed in dogs of any age, it oc­curs most often in older ones.

Bloody urine is due mainly to an inflammation of the blad­der or of the urethra, the tube that conducts the urine from the bladder to the outside. The inflammation may be due to in­jury, infection, or the accumulation of stones or gravel in the affected parts. Dogs withstand bladder and urethra inflam­mations quite well and seem to maintain their normalcy in every other respect for variable periods. Neglect of the symptom may result in stoppage of the urine flow, in which case portions of the retained urine may be absorbed into the blood and lead to uremia and death.

When animals with bloody urine urinate, they may show signs of straining and dribbling and when the urine flow is free, blood in dog urine may appear only intermittently. Because of the possible fatal termination in animals showing this symptom, early diagnosis and treatment are essential. A positive diag­nosis of stones may be made by X-ray. The nature and extent of any other cause of inflammation is usually established by urine analysis. Stones may be remedied by surgical removal. The operation for the removal of bladder or urethral stones is quite safe if the animal is in good condition and if the dis­ease process has not progressed too far. In debilitated ani­mals the outlook is less optimistic. Inflammations not due to stones are treated with appropriate medications, usually in the form of the conventional germ-killing agents.

The symptom of blood in dog urine may be caused by cer­tain parasites of the urinary system, but since they are rela­tively uncommon it has been deemed advisable merely to mention them and not to discuss them in detail.

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