A dog's urine releases waste from the body. The urogenital system of a dog, which includes urinary and reproductive systems, is often directly affected by many diseases. Discharge in the urine can mean a serious disease is present, but it can also be part of a regular cycle for females.
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Bladder Infections
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Bladder infections can cause discharge and blood in the urine. For a male dog, discharge may be blood or pus, and he will groom himself in this area more frequently. He may also have stones present blocking the passage of urine.
Females develop bladder infections more frequently. The female's urethra is shorter than a male's, allowing bacteria an easier route to the bladder.
Pyometra
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Pyometra typically develops in older, female dogs that have not been spayed. The vagina is filled with bacteria, which can sometimes ascend into a sterile uterus, eventually developing a uterus filled with pus and infection. Open pyometra can cause a smelly, vaginal discharge; closed pyometra (where the cervix is closed) will not produce the discharge. Other symptoms include appetite-loss, possible vomiting and excessive water intake.
Heat Cycles
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A female will produce a bloody discharge during her proestrus period of the heat cycle. The vulva will become swollen at this time. During the estrus period of her heat cycle, the discharge will turn from bloody and red to a yellowish, strawlike color. While the discharge is not present necessarily in the urine, because the urethra is closely connected to the reproductive system, it may appear as though the urine has discharge.
Warning
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Besides the discharge produced during an female's heat cycles, urinary discharge is serious and diagnosis by a veterinarian is important. Not only are these diseases painful, they are sometimes life-threatening. Collecting a urine sample--although a daunting task--can help diagnose the problem.
Prevention/Solution
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In the case of bladder infections, access to clean drinking water is a vital step in prevention, as well as treatment. Antibiotics are administered for approximately two weeks to fend off the infection. When stones form, surgery has a high success rate, although medicines have been shown to dissolve the stones.
Pyometra, on the other hand, proves very costly. Surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries is recommended, although there is a procedure that can leave the reproductive organs intact. If the surgery is performed after pyometra, it is often more dangerous than a typical spay because the toxins present in the uterus may spill into the body. Spaying completely prevents this deadly disease.
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