The urinary tract system consists of the kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra. In males, it also include the prostate.
Dog urinary problems are rather common. Many of such problems cause a disruption in the normal pattern of voiding.
How can you tell if your dog may be suffering from a urinary problem?
There are some classic signs and symptoms that indicate problems in the urinary system. Let’s take a look.
Symptoms of Dog Urinary Problems
Common signs and symptoms that a dog may be having a problem in the urinary system include:
Urinary Incontinence
Canine urinary incontinence is a common symptom of dog urinary problems. An incontinent dog does not have the voluntary control over over the act of voiding, and as a result urinates in inappropriate places or wets his bed. In some cases, urine dribbles out intermittently or consistently.
Frequent Excessive Urination
Another typical sign of dog urinary problems is frequent urination. Dogs with kidney problems usually pass a lot of water more frequently than normal.
Dogs with bladder infections urinate frequently but each time only a little bit of water is passed.
Painful Urination
Dogs with urinary problems usually experience pain while urinating. Signs of pain include straining during urination, whining or crying out, and licking at the penis or vulva. Sometimes, a dog cannot pass any water even after a long period of squatting or lifting of the leg.
Blood in Urine
Blood in urine is also a sign of urinary problems in dogs. If you see blood in your dog’s urine, try to find out whether the blood appears in the first portion of the urine, at the end of voiding, or uniformly in the urine.
As you can see below, different kinds of bloody urine indicate different urinary problems in dogs.
| Blood in Urine | Possible Problem Locations |
| Blood appears in first portion of urine, clears with voiding | penis, prostate, vagina, urethra, uterus |
| Blood appears at the end of voiding | bladder, prostate |
| Blood appears uniformly | kidneys, ureters, bladder |
Common Dog Urinary Problems
Now that we’ve looked at some common symptoms of dog urinary problems, let’s look at some urinary problems that can occur in dogs:
Bladder Infections
Dog bladder infection (cystitis) is a bacterial infection of the lining of the dog’s bladder. Bacteria sometimes travel up the urethra into the dog’s bladder, causing an infection.
In many cases, an urinary tract infection precedes a bladder infection in dogs.
Female dogs are more prone to urinary tract infections and bladder infections because their urethra is shorter, making it easier for bacteria to travel upwards.
Bladder Stones
Bladder stones in dogs are common, but kidney stones are not. In most cases, the stones are in the bladder, but sometimes some of the stones may pass into the urethra.
If a stone is large enough, it can cause a blockage which is extremely serious and requires immediate veterinary attention.
Kidney Failure
Canine kidney failure is the inability of the dog’s kidneys to remove toxins from the blood, causing toxin build-up in the body.
Kidney failure in dogs can be acute (one that appears suddenly) or chronic (one that comes on gradually over a period of time).
Other Kidney Diseases
Other kidney problems that can occur in dogs include inflammatory of the kidney (nephritis), kidney tissue degeneration (nephrosis), kidney infections, and some congenital kidney disease (such as renal dysplasia, and cysts on kidney).
Prostate Problems
In male dogs, urinary problems can also be brought on by problems in the prostate (such as prostate enlargement, prostatitis, and prostate cancer).
In Summary
As you can see, there are quite a few problems related to the urinary tract in dogs, all of which can lead to serious consequences if left untreated.
If your dog is showing the above signs and symptoms of urinary problems, be sure to take him to the vet for a thorough medical check-up.
