Why Is My Dog Peeing Blood? Causes and When To Call Your Vet

What Is Blood in Dog Urine?

It can be alarming when blood comes from places it shouldn’t. Hematuria is the medical term used to describe blood in urine.

When hematuria happens, blood cells spill into the urine because of an infection, inflammation (swelling), trauma, toxin, or cancer.

Urine is made by the kidneys, travels down the ureters, and is stored in the bladder before leaving the body through the prepuce (sheath over the end of the penis) or vulva.

Because urine travels through multiple places in the dog’s body, there are many possible underlying causes when a dog pees blood.

Causes of Blood in Dog Urine

Causes of a dog peeing blood can include:

• Urinary tract infections

• Urinary crystals

• Bladder stones

• Bladder cancer

• Kidney disease

• Prostate inflammation

• Cystitis (bladder wall inflammation)

• Vaginal or uterine bleeding

• Clotting disorders

• Toxins (like mouse poison)

• Trauma

Is Blood in Dog Urine an Emergency?

If your dog is peeing, is eating and drinking normally, and has normal energy, bloody urine can probably wait to be checked out with your regular veterinarian during business hours.

If there was a possible exposure to a toxin (like rat poison) or your dog is vomiting, lethargic, weak, or seems depressed, it’s important that they’re seen right away.

When To Call Your Vet

Call your vet if you see blood in your dog's urine, if they are drinking and peeing more often than usual, seem to struggle to urinate, or appear to be uncomfortable while urinating.

Your veterinarian will want a urine sample, so be sure to bring one if you can.

First morning urine is often the best sample, as it is the most concentrated after your pup has been holding it overnight.

This urine will help your vet to see how well your dog’s kidneys are working and if they are drinking too much.

To catch a urine sample, walk your dog on a short leash.

Once they begin to urinate, slide a small container beneath them to collect the urine, A soup ladle or small frying pan work well, and a shallow plastic container will also do the trick.

Transfer the urine to a leakproof container and store in the refrigerator until your vet is available.

Remember, if at any time it seems like your dog is trying to pee but can’t, it’s a medical emergency.

If there is bloody urine and lethargy, vomiting, depression, or decreased appetite, they should be seen right away. If your dog had any exposure to toxins or any trauma, take them to an emergency center as soon as possible.

How Veterinarians Diagnose Blood in Dog Urine

Blood in dog urine is diagnosed by urinalysis. While blood can be very obvious in urine, it can also be invisible to the naked eye.

To diagnose blood in your dog's urine, your vet will spin their urine down in a tube and look at it under the microscope. If they have blood in their urine, the vet will see red blood cells under the microscope.

If blood is found in your dog’s urine, your vet may also recommend imaging of the bladder and kidneys, blood work, and possibly a urine culture and sensitivity.

X-rays and ultrasound are often used to look for any stones or tumors in the urinary system.

Blood work can help to check kidney function and look for any issues with platelets or clotting disorders.

A urine culture can also rule out bacteria in the urine that could cause an infection.

Be sure to let your vet know:

• How long your dog has had abnormal urination

• If you’ve noticed any increase in their drinking and urine output

• What your dog's normal diet is and how their appetite has been

• If your dog had any exposure to toxins or trauma

Treatment of Blood in Dog Urine

Blood in dog urine is treated in different ways depending on the underlying cause.

If a urinary infection is to blame, your dog will likely be put on antibiotics. Oftentimes vets will prescribe these based on knowledge of the most common types of bacteria that cause UTIs.

Urine culture and sensitivity testing helps the vet to know what type of bacteria is involved and what antibiotics will have the best chance to cure the infection.

If your pup has crystals in their urine, your vet will recommend a prescription diet made to melt the crystals or reduce further formation. These crystals can clump together to form bladder stones, which may need surgery to remove.

If there is inflammation in other parts of the body (like the prostate), anti-inflammatory medications may be prescribed.

Bladder cancer is often treated medically with piroxicam, chemotherapy, or surgery.

Toxins and traumas are treated according to what your dog was exposed to and what body parts were injured.

Recovery and Management of Blood in Dog Urine

Dogs with a simple urinary tract infection often respond quickly to antibiotics and are much more comfortable, with the bloody urine clearing up, in a matter of days.

Crystals in the urine may take weeks to melt, and your pup should not go back to the previous food they had, as the crystals will likely form again without proper diet management.

The same goes for a dog who has had bladder stones removed.

Follow your vet's guidance on what food is best for your dog depending on the type of crystal/stone they were diagnosed with.

Diets like Hills® c/d, Hills® u/d, Royal Canin® S/O, and Purina® Ox/St are all commonly prescribed to dogs with urinary crystals or a history of bladder stones.

Bladder cancers are difficult to cure and are generally managed to slow down their progression.

Prevention of Blood in Dog Urine

Urinary tract infections are more common in dogs with recessed vulvas.

A recessed vulva is a condition in the female dog where their vulva is very tucked up in their body, trapping heat and moisture around the opening of their urinary tract.

These conditions are ripe for bacteria to grow and move up to the bladder.

Medicated wipes like Douxo S3™ Pyo Wipes may be helpful to reduce frequency of UTIs. The use of these wipes to clean around the folds of the vulva may also help senior dogs who are more prone (with their reduced immune system) to getting bladder infections.

Feeding a good, high-quality diet can also help with having a healthy, balanced urine pH and reduce your dog’s risk of forming crystals in urine or bladder stones.

Remember, all dogs are not the same, and what works for one dog may not work for another. Talk to your vet about your dog’s nutrition if they have chronic crystals or UTIs.

You can also consider a supplement to help with a healthy urinary tract if your dog has had hematuria in the past. Nutramax Crananidin® and VetriScience Bladder Strength® are good options.