Why is my dog not eating, lethargic, and has an enlarged prostate?

Hi, an enlarged prostate is very very very common in unneutered dogs, one study demonstrated that over 80% of entire male dogs over the age of 5 are affected and 100% over the age of 8 have some degree of benign hyperplasia.I don’t think biopsies are compulsory, I would personally opt to have it treated as benign hyperplasia either through castration or through medical management, i.e. an anti-androgen injection that determines a reduction in prostate size of 40 % within two weeks and lasts an average of 5-6 months. The vomiting and diarrhoea is probably not linked to the prostate, and I would first try to help Harvey with this problem and then think about his prostate that has probably been enlarged for a while. Hope this helps.

Straining to urinate in a male dog is a serious concern. The biggest causes for this are urinary stones or an enlarged prostate. These issues should be easily diagnosed with the tests you have mentioned. It sounds like your vet has a done a good work up. I would recommend a consult so we can discuss the test results and try to figure out what could be going on.

Based on those bloodwork findings here are some possibilities: kidney disease, infection, immune mediated hemolytic anemia, bone marrow disease, prostatic benign hyperplasia, prostatic cancer or a prostatic infection. I would follow up with an abdominal ultrasound to evaluate the prostate even further and possibly get samples from it to see if it is infection, cancer or benign tumor and then starting treatment for the anemia (if severe). If Tyger has been diagnosed with IMHA, steroid and antibiotic therapy should have already been initiated by your veterinarian. If you wish to discuss Tyger’s case in more detail feel free to request a consultation request. We will be able to review the entire bloodwork and exam findings (if you have the medical records), to perhaps narrow down some of the possible causes for his illness. Best wishes moving forward with Tyger’s care.

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!

It is not normal for a young dog like Cooper to not eat and be so skinny. If he has an enlarged prostate neutering him should help the prostate get smaller. Some male dogs spend all their energy trying to find females and will be thin from this. Again neutering is recommended. If your veterinarian feels his condition is due to a prostate infection or cancer doing an X-ray and blood panel are indicated. They may also recommend a biopsy. Please don't wait until he is too thin, with the proper diagnosis and treatment he should get better. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Cooper.

Bleeding from the penis can have various causes: Xander could be suffering from a UTI, an inflammation of the prostate, penis or prepuce or a tumor. Since he is not eating and lethargic it is likely something that causes him pain and he may have a fever. You can carefully push back his prepuce (foreskin) and then inspect his penis for injuries or growths, or to see where exactly he was bleeding from or is still bleeding from. If he is still bleeding you should take him to an emergency room this evening. If it stopped bleeding but he stays lethargic or will not eat his breakfast tomorrow morning or if you find injuries on the penis , then you should call your vet for an appointment.

This is probably a prostate disease (cancer or infection), this is common in unneautered older dogs, the vet will check the prostate, if it is enlarged he will need to have an ultrasound or CT done to find out if it is a cancer or an infection, he will need to be neutered ASAP.