Why is my dog trying to pee but can't, has a bruise, and acts weird?

She may indeed have a UTI, but also a slipped disc in her spine could make urination painful, or bladder stones. Since not being able to urinate can be a life threatening condition and cause kidney damage, it is very important that you take Leeloo to your veterinarian ASAP, ie this is an emergency. Please call your vet now.

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!

For a urinalysis, we usually draw urine directly from the bladder by inserting a needle through the abdomen. It's difficult to see exactly where this bruising is, but it appears to be where the needle would have been inserted and is likely the reason for the bruising. The needle can cause some damage and leaking of local blood vessels, which will give this bruise appearance. If Wolfgang is otherwise acting normal, then I would not be concerned about this. If Wolfgang seems to be acting sick, or the bruising appears to be getting larger, then I would be more concerned and recommend a visit to the emergency vet. I hope that helps and Wolfgang gets better soon.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Chutki. She needs to see her veterinarian right away. She may have a severe urinary tract infection, bladder stones or even a bleeding disorder. If a bleeding disorder is present, the dog will typically have bruising on the belly or on the gums. Regardless, she will require treatment. I hope this information helps. Good luck!

I'm so sorry to hear that. Bloody urine can have a number of different causes. It can be due to a problem in the urinary tract-- such as a severe urinary tract infection, bladder stones, or a bladder tumor. Those things may also cause her to urinate frequently in small amounts and/or strain to urinate (but not necessarily). It could also be a problem higher up in her urinary tract--in her ureters (tube from kidney to bladder) or in her kidneys-- again an infection, stone or tumor. The other potential cause of seeing blood in the urine is if she isn't able to form a blood clot properly. If her blood platelets or clotting factors are low or are not working correctly, bleeding can occur within the bladder (or anywhere in the body--bruising under the skin, bleeding around the gums, blood in the stool, bloody nose, blood in the eyes). We can also sometimes see the urine look bloody when its actually a different thing causing the pigment (color). For instance, if she's destroying her red blood cells and the pigment (color) from the red blood cells which is the hemoglobin is ending up in her urine. Also myoglobin (which occurs with massive muscle damage) can result in dark reddish brown urine. Some types of toxic ingestions can also result in reddish brown urine. The seizure on Sunday makes me more concerned that something very serious is going on with her. If she's unable to clot her blood properly she could have a bleed in her brain. Or the seizures may be completely unrelated to the urine. I wish I could offer you a suggestion to treat her at home, but it sounds like you need to have her seen by a veterinarian as soon as you can.

This is troubling since without an injury bruising is uncommon in dogs. Please check her urine to make sure visually there is no blood in it, and check her gums to make sure they are pink. If there are tiny bruises in the gums then that could be a sign of general internal bleeding. The most common cause of this a toxicity from rat poison. It also can be due to other reasons. If you see anything abnormal please bring her in right away for blood tests including clotting time. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Coral.

Your dog may have been kicked or had a traffic accident. Such extensive bruising is either caused by trauma or a coagulation problem (e.g. caused by rodenticide or disease). This is severe enough to warrant a visit at a pet ER for an exam. If this is caused by trauma there may be more internal injury and it would also be painful. If it is caused by a coaguation problem your dog will need medication to counteract this so he does not bleed to death. Please take him to a vet or Pet ER now.