Owners are often alarmed when they notice the presence of blood in their dog's urine. As scary as it can be, fortunately, more often than not, the traces of blood are not attributed to something significantly serious. However, it is always recommended to have a dog presenting hematuria seen promptly by a vet to rule out the most serious conditions.
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Urinary Tract Infections
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Affected dogs will exhibit the following symptoms: bloody urine, painful and frequent urination, straining, fever, and licking genitals for relief. Treatment mainly consists of a course of antibiotics.
Bladder Stones
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The most common bladder stones found in dogs are struvite stones and calcium oxalate stones. Affected dogs will develop bloody urine and painful urination. Treatment consists of dietary changes, medications. If the condition is severe, surgery may be recommended to remove stones.
Prostate or Uterine Infections
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Intact male dogs affected by prostate infection will exhibit the following symptoms: bloody urine, testicular swelling, painful frequent urination and fever. Intact female dogs with uterine infections instead, will develop bloody, mucous and foul smelling vaginal discharge.
Tick Born Diseases
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Ticks are vectors of various diseases such as Lyme disease, Erlichiosis, Babeiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Blood in the urine may be a symptom of a tick-borne disease.
Poisons
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One of the most common toxins to cause blood in the urine is rodent poison. Warfarin, in particular, is used to kill rodents by causing them to bleed to death, therefore, any time a dog has bloody urine, exposure to rodent poison should be suspected.
Other Causes
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Other causes of bloody urine are trauma and benign or malignant tumors.
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