Hi Thelma,

Thanks for your question.

When blood appears in the urine, its called hematuria. The reasons this can occur is that there may be a urinary tract infection, bladder stone, bladder polyp, bladder growth that may be cancerous, or a disease of the prostate such as inflammation (prostatitis), cancer, or infection.

The first thing I would do is perform a urinalysis with a ‘culture and sensitivity’. This is a very sensitive test to determine if there is an infection present, which is the most common reason for hematuria. This test will also identify any crystals, or small pieces of a bladder stone, may be present in the urine. If these tests do not reveal the cause, I would then recommend that you image the bladder and prostate with radiographs or ultrasound to evaluate the other possibilities.

It’s great to know that he is doing well otherwise. It’s possible for a serious disease to be present and not be causing other symptoms. Unfortunately I have seen cancers of the bladder and prostate present with hematuria alone and no other symptoms. Given your dog’s age, anything is possible and it is my hope that it is not something serious, but the sooner you know, the better the prognosis will be and the more prepared you’ll be to make the right decisions going forward. Please consult with your veterinarian as soon as possible.

I hope this helps!

Dr. Clayton Greenway