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Bloody Urine
The appearance of blood in the
urine of the dog 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 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 the 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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