Blood in Dogs Urine
(hematuria)
Also known as "hematuria", the
presence of red blood cells in urine can have many causes, it is more a
symptom than a cause of disease.
It can be broken up into gross
hematuria, where the blood can be seen in the urine or microscopic, where as
the name would suggest, the presence of red blood cells can only be seen on
microscopic examination of the urine.
What are the causes of
hematuria in dogs?
There are many causes of
hematuria in dogs, the most common cause is a urinary tract infection. Other
causes include;
-
Kidney stones
-
Kidney tumour
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Glomerulonephritis
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Trauma
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Bladder stones
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Bladder tumour
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Bladder infection
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Idiopathic (no known cause)
How is the cause of hematuria diagnosed?
Your veterinarian will perform a complete
physical examination of your dog and obtain a medical history from you. He
will ask questions about symptoms you may have observed (such as
inappropriate urination etc). Tests he may wish to perform include;
-
Urinalysis.The presence of white blood cells may indicate urinary
tract infection. Protein in the urine may indicate kidney disease.
-
Complete blood count.
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Biochemical profile to check kidney function.
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Abdominal ultrasound.
-
Intravenous pyelogram (IVP). This is a contrast x-ray examination of
the kidneys, uretras & bladder. A contrast material is injected into
the patient & collects in the kidneys & urinary tract. This allows
the veterinarian to asses the kidneys & urinary tract.
How is hematuria treated?
Treatment depends on the cause of
hematuria. If it's a urinary tract infection, antibiotics will be
prescribed.
Please note:
The medical
articles on this site have not been written by a
veterinarian & should not be considered a replacement for a
veterinarian visit. The articles are provided for
informative purposes only.
Always seek
immediate veterinary advice for any problems (health or
behavioral) in your pets.
While great
care has been made in the creation of these articles, we
cannot guarantee the accuracy or omissions on these pages.
If in any doubt whatsoever, seek professional medical
advice. aaa |
