Normally, a dog's urine is straw-yellow, without a sharp pathological odor. A change in the shade of liquid excrement indicates that there is some kind of disorder in the animal’s body. For example, dark mustard urine is due to dehydration, rich orange urine indicates problems with the liver or gall bladder, black urine indicates a possible cancer. What does red urine mean in a dog, simply put, if there is blood in it? Let's try to figure out what causes blood in dog urine.
Norm and stages
She may be:
- initial (initial) - when blood is released at the beginning of urination;
- complete (total) - the release of blood throughout the entire act of urination;
- final (terminal) - the release of blood in the last portion of urine.
It is necessary to pay attention to the exact moment it appears and its quantity - this will help in making a diagnosis.
Normally, urine is straw-yellow in color, without impurities, and transparent.
With hematuria, the urine is not necessarily red-scarlet. It takes on the following shade:
- red
- pink
- red-brown (resembling tomato juice)
- red-orange
- orange
Symptoms and diseases
There are a lot of diseases, the symptom of which may be the appearance of blood in the urine.
Inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system and bacterial infections
Leptospirosis is a very dangerous infectious disease. Already on the second day after infection, the dog’s urine and feces contain mucus and blood clots, diarrhea, as well as vomiting with blood. It threatens with very disastrous consequences, start treatment immediately.
Pyelonephritis - occurs due to microorganisms entering the kidneys, due to hypothermia, as well as against the background of other diseases of the urinary system. In this case, the urine is cloudy with blood, a false urge to urinate is observed, swelling occurs and the gait changes. If left untreated, it leads to chronic kidney failure and the formation of a purulent abscess.
Cystitis is inflammation of the bladder. Urine becomes cloudy, mixed with blood and has an unusual odor. It hurts the dog to urinate, she whines during the process, males stop raising their paws and do it “like a girl”
Urethritis usually develops as a complication after an infection. The urethra swells so much that the dog cannot urinate, resulting in stagnation of urine, which threatens intoxication. With this disease, the dog cannot urinate for a long time, experiences pain and discomfort, whines, and the urine is dark due to pus. In advanced stages, blood streaks are observed in the urine. Without treatment it leads to sepsis and various neoplasms. Possible death.
Prostatitis is inflammation of the prostate gland. Usually observed in males over 5 years of age. In this case, the dog does not eat, defecation is difficult, and blood clots come out at the end of urination. For prostatitis, it is necessary to begin treatment as quickly as possible before the disease becomes chronic.
Endometritis (pyometra) - mainly occurs in bitches after childbirth. In this case, blood appears regardless of the act of urination, that is, from the genitals there is periodic discharge of a purulent-bloody color with an unpleasant odor. Without treatment, the animal may die.
Vaginitis - most often occurs in young bitches who have not yet been in heat. The disease can be noticed because the dog constantly licks the loop, pus with blood impurities is released from it.
Parasitic diseases
Helminths that feed on blood cause blood to appear in your dog's urine and feces. She also suffers from constipation and diarrhea and is rapidly losing weight. Blood in urine can be noticed not only due to internal parasites, but also after a tick bite. The most dangerous disease in this case is piroplasmosis, but, as a rule, the color of urine changes already at the height of the disease.
Poisoning
The most dangerous thing is poisoning from rat poison. Red blood cells are destroyed. Blood clots come out in the urine, the dog vomits, and convulsions may occur. Immediate veterinary attention is required. If this is not possible, induce vomiting in the animal, you will also need an enema and the introduction of sorbents, you can use activated carbon, enterosgel, smecta.
Injury
A consequence of the injury may be a change in the color of the urine due to bleeding. In this situation, it is urgent to take an X-ray or ultrasound to exclude organ rupture. For bitches, a bad mating can be a trauma.
Neoplasms
Not a rare occurrence in older animals. Usually, with any tumors, blood clots come out at the end of urination. Benign tumors are more common, so with timely treatment the prognosis is positive.
Urolithiasis disease
Perhaps one of the most common problems in dogs, it affects about 15% of dogs, regardless of breed. The danger is that UCD entails many other diseases of the urinary organs, as well as constant relapses. That is, there is a high probability that the stones will “return” some time after treatment
If you notice blood in the urine of a pregnant dog, this indicates that she is sick with one of the diseases listed above, not related to pregnancy.
Normally, during pregnancy, the bitch experiences discharge, but it should be clear, mucous or watery, and odorless.
It is important to consider that not all drugs are safe for an animal in this position, so you need to discuss all the nuances with your veterinarian.
Processes not related to the disease
Estrus is a natural process for a female. Normally, it lasts about a month and is divided into 2 stages. At the beginning, bloody discharge appears, and after a while the discharge becomes transparent and mucous - this is the second stage (this time is most favorable for mating). Specifically, in urine, blood can be observed in very small quantities, so that you can hardly see it with the naked eye, but it is detected during analysis. If its quantity increases, this is a symptom of latent endometritis, vaginitis, etc.
Sometimes blood in urine can be seen after sterilization . This is mainly due to seams coming apart. Also, sterilization sometimes causes urethritis.
Don’t forget about the completely harmless causes of changes in the color of urine. Urine may have a red tint if your dog has eaten , for example, beets or another product that has a coloring property. Some medications can also color the urine.
Symptoms of hematuria
If the reddish urine is due to pathological reasons, then the animal’s condition worsens. In addition to hematuria, the following symptoms appear:
- rapid breathing;
- vomit;
- lethargy and anxiety;
- strong thirst;
- convulsions;
- increased salivation;
- feeling of pain when palpating the abdomen;
- subcutaneous hematomas.
With painful urination, the volume of secretions is reduced. In male dogs, the prostate gland becomes enlarged. To diagnose internal organs, an external examination is not enough, so you cannot do without medical equipment.
Treatment
Just seeing traces of blood in the urine cannot begin to treat the animal. Hematuria is not a disease, but a symptom of many diseases.
Excretion of blood in the urine is always a serious pathology that requires the intervention of a veterinarian; you can’t just wait for it to go away on its own. This way the disease will only progress to a more serious stage and lead to disability or even death.
First of all, it is necessary to find out the cause, and not to treat it.
It is highly NOT recommended to use any medications before visiting a doctor. Such measures will only blur the clinical picture and prevent a quick diagnosis.
Your task is to provide the veterinarian with as complete anamnesis as possible, in other words, monitor your pet; for diagnosis you need to know:
- when did hematuria appear;
- at what stage of the act of urination blood comes out (at the beginning, at the end or in the middle);
- urine color;
- what position does the dog take during urination;
- what do you feed your dog, how much does he drink;
- how often the animal urinates, whether it controls this process.
The clinic should order a complete urine test, blood test, x-ray and ultrasound of the kidneys and bladder to identify the cause.
Information to help your veterinarian make a diagnosis
If your dog is urinating blood, you should contact a veterinarian as soon as possible and begin treatment.
At the initial appointment, it is especially important to inform:
- Nutritional history. What food do you give (including treats), and have you changed your feeding recently?
- Preventive measures: vaccinations, treatments against parasites, dates and names of drugs.
- How long ago did the symptoms appear and how did they change over time?
- Drinking regime. How well does the dog drink water? Has the thirst increased recently?
- Is your pet taking any medications?
- Have you had similar symptoms before? And if there were, then you need to provide detailed information about the treatment and diagnosis of the disease.
- Frequency of urination. Can he bear it until he goes for a walk?
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How to collect urine for testing
One of the owner’s tasks is to collect the pet’s urine for analysis. Here you will have to be patient with the animal. In the case of small dogs, everything is simpler - they can do their business in a regular cat litter box. But this trick won’t work with large dogs. You should take a sterile jar or a special container for collecting urine with you on your morning walk and collect a small amount each time you urinate.
Don't collect urine from the ground! And directly from under the dog.
It's okay if it doesn't work out for you. The clinic will be able to take urine for analysis using a urinary catheter, or by cystoscopy - directly by puncturing the bladder (this is completely safe).
Cystitis
A common disease among animals. To confirm the diagnosis, it is necessary to conduct a urine test and ultrasound of the reproductive system. The analysis pays attention to the following indicators:
- Presence of protein.
- Red blood cells.
- Leukocytes.
- Salt.
If the examination confirms a genitourinary infection, then a bacterial culture is performed. It will help determine the type of bacteria and antibacterial agents that can accurately destroy it.
Urine is collected by the dog's owner before going to the veterinarian. Purchase a jar intended for people. It is advisable to rinse the genitals. You can use the antiseptic Chlorhexidine.
The jar is placed a couple of seconds after the dog begins to urinate. Dogs are not always favorable towards such a procedure, so the owners are unable to carry out the fence themselves. Then the procedure is carried out at the veterinarian using a catheter.
If cystitis is confirmed, then in 90% of cases the veterinarian prescribes the antibiotic Cifrofloxacin or its analogue Cifran. These same drugs are also used in humans. The dose is calculated according to the formula - 10 mg per 1 kg of animal. Apply twice a day. The course of treatment is 2 weeks or more. 14 days after taking the medication, a repeat urine test is performed.
Cystitis may be a consequence of urolithiasis. In this case, the dog also pees blood. The sand and stones must come out on their own, but this is an extremely painful process. The pet is prescribed antispasmodics. Most often these are No-Shpa, Papaverine, Erva Woolly. But this is all at the discretion of the veterinarian. The stones may also be too large to pass through the urinary system on their own. Then you cannot do without medical intervention.
A gentle diet must be prescribed, which will prevent the formation of new stones. There are special foods for animals with genitourinary problems.
Prevention
To reduce the likelihood of your pet’s genitourinary system disease, you should follow several rules:
- monitor animal hygiene;
- proper feeding. Do not mix natural feeding with prepared foods. The food must be balanced. A low protein diet is recommended;
- sufficient amount of water;
- active lifestyle;
- Periodic visits to the veterinarian and testing.
Take a responsible approach to your pet's health.
Leptospirosis
A common infectious disease that requires immediate assistance. You can become infected by a tick bite or by consuming food or water. Symptoms are similar to babesiosis. You can’t wait for the disease to go away on its own – it won’t happen.
The pet needs a heavy dose of potent drugs, otherwise it will die. Therefore, there is no need to delay visiting the veterinary clinic when the first symptoms appear.
You can also contact our site's staff veterinarian, who will respond to them as soon as possible in the comment box below.
Briefly about the main thing
- If blood is detected in the urine, you must contact a veterinarian; the cause may be the presence of: a bacterial infection, a parasitic disease, poisoning, injury, or urolithiasis. As well as many other concomitant diseases, such as liver, endocrine system or blood clotting disorders.
- What did your dog eat? Her urine may have been colored by beets or another coloring product.
- Before going to the clinic, do not give your dog any medications, so as not to “blur the picture.” It is better to prepare a detailed history of how and when you noticed bleeding.
- There are a few simple rules that will keep your pet healthy. Don't neglect them.
What to do if blood appears in the urine after sterilization?
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This condition may signal von Willebrand disease in a dog. This is a hereditary disease that leads to blood clotting disorders and is accompanied by sudden bleeding.
After its diagnosis, the dog may be prescribed a blood transfusion or prescribed medications to increase the level of protein in the blood, which helps stop bleeding. At the same time, it is important to closely monitor the dog, minimize the risk of injury at home or on the street, and also avoid eating foods or medications that cause blood thinning.
In dogs that have not been spayed or neutered, inflammation of the prostate and uterus, respectively, is possible. In addition to the appearance of red urine, the dog’s general condition also worsens, which affects appetite and activity. In bitches, such discharge can also look like blood clots, since pus is released from the inflamed uterus along with urine.
