Why Blood is Present in a Dog's Urine

So you come home to find a puddle of urine on the kitchen floor and immediately notice that there is a red color to it or that there are small blood clots in the urine puddle. So what should you do? This article describes what diagnostic tests are run and what possible diagnoses there are. When you notice that your dog's urine is slightly red or that there are blood clots in the urine, you should immediately schedule an appointment with your veterinarian to have lab testing on the urine performed. So what are the possible diagnoses for Hematuria (bloody urine)? When the veterinarian takes a sample of blood and runs a urinalysis, he/she is looking for signs of a urinary tract infection. This is more common in females than males. This is easily treated with antibiotics but can be a recurring condition. If there is no indication that there is a urinary tract infection, then the doctor will order more tests, such as radiographs of the bladder, ultrasound, etc. to rule out a bacterial cystitis, which is basically a bacterial infection of the bladder (Merck Veterinary Manual). The radiographs of the bladder will help show if there are any stones present. An ultrasound will show stones and debris better in real time and not in a snapshot radiograph.

If, on the urinalysis, crystals are seen on the sediment portion, your veterinarian will most likely treat your dog for crystalluria (crystals in the urine). There are specific diets that you can put your dog on to prevent the crystals from forming. Your veterinarian will most likely have you start giving this to treat and prevent crystal formation. Another thing that could be causing the hematuria is a bladder tumor. This is the last thing we want to hear, but must consider it as a possible diagnosis. Bladder tumors may cause irritation in the bladder and as a result, will cause hematuria. So if it is a tumor in the bladder, what options do you have? The veterinarian will discuss different options with you so that you know what you are dealing with.

The first option may be a cystoscopy (viewing the inside of the bladder with a camera) and getting a visual on what the tumor looks like. At the same time the veterinarian is looking inside the bladder, a biopsy of the mass may be warranted. This biopsy will be sent out to the laboratory and analyzed for benign or malignant cells. The second option is complete removal of the mass from the bladder. This would be a full anesthetic procedure in which the surgeon makes an incision in the abdomen and works his/her way down to the bladder. The bladder with then be flapped open and the mass will be removed. Depending on the lab results, appropriate margins will be made to ensure that the mass is removed. Again, these are options that your veterinarian will discuss with you.

References:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=htm/bc/130502.htm