What to Do About Blood in Your Dog’s Urine
📝 Summary
Blood in dog urine (hematuria) commonly stems from a heat cycle, food poisoning, or urinary tract disease, with bleeding possible in either the upper or lower tract. Self-checks based on behavior, other symptoms, and urination patterns help distinguish the cause before a vet visit.
1 Causes of Blood in Dog Urine
Heat cycle: some intact females pass a little blood, mimicking hematuria; males may bleed from genital friction during mounting. Food poisoning: onion or chocolate ingestion can trigger toxic hematuria.
Urinary tract disease: inflammation, vascular disease, or blood disorders cause bleeding anywhere in the tract. Upper tract (kidneys) sources include benign idiopathic renal hematuria, kidney infection, renal cancer, or vascular malformations. Lower tract (bladder and urethra) sources include bladder infection, bladder stones, bladder cancer, and prostate problems.
2 How to Self-Check at Home
A dog in heat is easy to spot. It is eager to roam, males mount, females cling, and the bleeding usually stops after the cycle; watch for genital-injury infection in males. If your dog also vomits, has diarrhea, or walks unsteadily, with uniformly bright or dark red painless urine, suspect poisoning and seek emergency care.
If you notice abnormal volume or painful urination recently, it is likely urinary disease. Get a clinic ultrasound and urinalysis to confirm and treat the cause.
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