My dog has blood in urine. Is an X-ray for kidney stones necessary?

Blood in the urine is never normal, even if it only occurs intermittently. Likewise, it’s unusual for Tilly to experience so much inconsistency in her urination habits. Some young female dogs can have recessed or hooded vulvas, which can make them more prone to developing urinary tract infections. However, since Tilly’s urine has twice not shown evidence of infection, it sounds as though it’s time to look in a different direction. I would start by asking your vet if they can take x-rays of her abdomen to check for evidence of bladder stones. The crystals associated with bladder stones often show up on a urinalysis (I’m assuming that’s what was done with her urine samples), but not always. If the X-rays are clear, your next step may be an ultrasound of her bladder with a veterinary radiologist to check for any other abnormalities. Bladder tumors can also cause similar signs, although that would be highly unlikely given how young Tilly is. I hope this helps and that you can find some answers soon!

Blood in the urine can be from a urinary tract infection for which Clavamox is usually an appropriate antibiotic. Blood in the urine however can also be due to crystals that are forming and irritating the bladder/urethral lining. If you haven’t already submitted a urine sample for a urinalysis (to determine specific gravity /whether the kidneys are concentrating the urine properly, whether there is glucose in the urine which is usually a symptom of diabetes, whether there is bacteria/white blood cells in the urine and whether there are crystals and what kind, I would recommend submitting a urine sample to your vet’s office for a urinalysis and then starting the antibiotics prescribed. If Summer has stones, she likely has crystals as well and may benefit from being on a prescription crystal dissolving diet such as Royal Canin Urinary S/O or Hills C/D for life depending on the type of crystals seen. Best of luck!

An ultrasound of the whole urinary tract can be helpful for patients with unexplained blood in the urine. This would be of the kidneys and bladder as blood can come from anywhere along the urinary system. X-rays of the abdomen, after a pet has been fasted for at least 12 hours, can also be helpful. This can be important in some cases as not all problems can be identified with an ultrasound, such as stones in the tubes that lead from the kidney to the urinary bladder (ureter). Additionally a urine culture may be helpful to make sure that there is no underlying infection that is causing the blood. And, it is important to know how the sample was obtained. If it was freely collected from the patient or in the litter box then it is more concerning. If the sample is obtained as a sterile sample directly from the urinary bladder with a needle, then sometimes the blood in the urine is from the sampling (best sample for culture though). I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry that Cointhee has stones. Urinary stones are concerning because at any point one of the stones can cause a complete blockage of the urethra (tube you pee out of), and can block any flow of urine and this can lead to life-threatening kidney disease and death because the potassium cannot be peed out. Therefore, firstly, it is very important to make sure that Cointhee is able to pee out urine at all times, and isn't trying to pee with nothing coming out. If this is occurring please get him to a vet right away. Blood in the urine can be caused by the stones/crystals causing irritation, and can also be caused by infection that sometimes goes along with the stones. Repeated trauma to the urethra can cause strictures, and long term complications. I would discuss with your vet about taking some x-rays to see how many stones are present, and discuss if surgery is an option to remove the stones. I would also discuss about checking to see if an infection is present. Usual treatment for bladder stones includes antiboitics if infection is present, special food to try to dissolve the small crystals and tiny stones, and surgery to remove the big stones. Best of luck with Cointhee, I hope he is peeing normally again soon!

Poor Shelby. I personally would recommend a urinalysis and blood work to start, and an ultrasound if needed . You want to be able to differentiate where the blood is coming from. It could be coming from the kidneys or the urinary bladder. But so much information can be gathered from the urinalysis, such as any abnormal cells, bacteria, or crystals. Also you have to keep in mind that two types of urinary stones (Cystine and Urate) are not visible on an x-ray. I hope you get to the bottom of Shelby's condition soon!

Hello, sorry to hear about Buddy. There are multiple causes of this and may include bladder stones that are not evident on x-rays, a resistant urinary tract infection, an enlarged prostrate, a prostate abscess, and less likely a bladder tumor. To further diagnose why he continues to have intermittent blood in his urine, he may need to have more diagnostics such as an abdominal ultrasound and a urine culture. You may speak with your veterinarian about these next further diagnostics. Hope this helps ad best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It becomes concerning when an older dog develops blood urine that is non-responsive to antibiotics. Having blood in the urine with out bacteria can mean a bladder stone or a bladder tumor. Tests I would consider next would be a urine culture, one belly X-ray to look for a bladder stone and full blood work. If the culture is negative and the X-ray doesn't show a stone then I would worry about a bladder tumor. An ultrasound of her bladder would help diagnose if she has a bladder tumor. Another option before doing more testing is to try a more powerful antibiotic for 3 weeks. But if the blood is still present with out the presence of bacteria then I would go forward. I hope this helps!