Dog peeing blood: Which tests are best, UA, bloodwork, or ultrasound?

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!

Your vet is correct there was microscopic blood in her urine which is abnormal in a free catch sample. There are many reasons for blood in the urine including but not limited to bladder stones (also subclinical infection, a mass, etc.). It will always be up to you though what you think is best for your pet. Your vet is just performing good medicine and making recommendations based on results to make sure your pet is healthy and disease free. It sounds like you have a very thorough and proactive vet for Marci which is great! Unfortunately there is no way to know why the blood is there without more tests but if you would like to monitor her and her urine i am sure your vet will be happy to recommend a recheck schedule. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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!

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!

Frequent licking and blood in the urine are signs of an infection. However if it flared after the start of the antibiotics then I would pursue further testing. Did they do anytime sample tonxhexk for cells and crystals and see what bacteria what present? From there you need an X-ray or an ultrasound to make sure there are no bladder stones as this can require surgery or the problem will keep occurring without.

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.