My dog has a UTI. Why is she bleeding after starting antibiotics?

Poor girl. Yes it can be normal for pets to still have blood in their urine unfortunately for up to 48 to 72 hours after taking antibiotics. However you should see improvement with the blood every day and your pet should still be active alert and relatively stable otherwise.

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!

I would recommend taking Crybaby back to the vet for re-evaluation. Some dogs can have recurrent UTIs, but often they are secondary to a bigger issue, such as bladder stones, cancer, or anatomical issues. Another round of antibiotics may help, but may just cover up the bigger issue, again.

These signs might be compatible with a urinary tract infection/inflammation. Stress related (idiopathic type of inflammation) infections and presence of crystals are the most common causes of it. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed again. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Poor Scout. I agree, give him a couple of days to see if the antibiotics help. If they don't, his urine is very blood, he appears ill, lethargic, or distressed, take him back into a vet immediately.

If the bleeding is from a UTI, it should start to clear up within 48 hours of starting the antibiotic. If its not stopped in that period of time, he should be rechecked by your vet. He may have bladder stones or even cancer in his urinary tract, he could have injured his penis, or he could be having an issue clotting his blood properly leading to the bleeding. Recheck if he's not improving by tomorrow, and take him in immediately if he seems to be getting worse in any way. Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Many times there is an underlying cause of recurrent UTI-like symptoms. Daisy likely needs additional diagnostics, like: Urine sediment exam: to look for crystals in the urine Abdominal x-rays: to look for bladder stones that cause inflammation and can create an environment for UTI Abdominal ultrasound: to look for possible tumors Urine culture: to look for resistant bacteria, this will also help your vet determine the best antibiotic to use. Other medications to consider are anti-inflammatories, prescription urinary diets, and bladder support supplements; you can discuss this with your veterinarian.