My dog struggles to pee. Is it bladder stones or prostate issues?

Poor Bob! This is likely benign prostatic hyperplasia. Unfortunately, the best treatment is to neuter him. You can ask your vet to prescribe him some anti-inflammatories to see if this helps but sometimes it doesn't work. For dogs used for breeding, there is also a product called finasteride to help treat this but I am not very familiar with this drug so I would talk to your vet in more detail about whether it would be safe for Bob. I will attach an article below. Also, sometimes drugs will work temporarily but eventually the problem comes back. I would also make sure the vet checked his urine to ensure he doesn't have an infection in his urine. Finally, if your vet thinks his prostate is painful, he may have a prostatitis which will require antibiotics. I hope this helps! http://www.merckvetmanual.com/reproductive-system/prostatic-diseases/benign-prostatic-hyperplasia-in-small-animals

Unfortunately prostate problems are very common in intact male dogs, and there is a chance he could have prostate cancer. Without seeing Cooper in person, I can't say for sure what his chances are that it's cancer, but it certainly would be a differential for me in in a senior, intact dog. Dogs are also very stoic about pain and illness, and a lot of times they are quite ill before showing any outward signs. That means they can be acting fine one day, and then be quite ill the next day. Keep in mind as well that just because you don't see visible blood in his urine, it doesn't mean blood isn't present in microscopic amounts. The next steps would be a urine analysis, abdominal x-rays and/or ultrasound to visualize the prostate, and a prostate biopsy. These tests will help confirm if Cooper has cancer, and I would speak to your vet about doing them. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Beau! With out an ultrasound of the prostate and likely a biopsy we may never know for sure. But if Beau's prostate is still enlarged and is also mineralized then it is very suspicious for cancer. Sadly prostate cancer happens equally amongst neutered and intact dogs. I recommend considering a abdominal ultrasound. I hope this helps and I wish Beau the best!

Intact dogs with prostate infections are usually treated with antibiotics. Ideally a culture of the urine will help guide the antibiotic choice but sometimes a culture isn’t available. If this becomes a repeating problem then neutering may be recommended. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The urinary tract symptoms you describe could be due to a urinary tract infection, urinary stones, a tumor, among other possibilities. I recommend that you have Bory evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further diagnostics would include abdominal imaging and lab work. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a good night!

Where the arrows are pointing it looks like it may be small stones. I would recommend a urinalysis checking for a urinary tract infection and potentially a urine culture. The urine culture will tell you exactly what bacteria is in the urine and what antibiotic to treat it. I would also recommend a X-ray to see if there are larger stones in the bladder. I hope Tucker feels better soon and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.