My older unneutered dog has a swollen, bleeding anus. Is it prostate?

I see that your dog is not neutered - I'm not sure how old he is, but in middle-aged or older unneutered males it is common to see blood dripping from the penis as a symptom of an [enlarged prostate](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/prostate-enlargement/). That is normally the first thing that I would check out in a dog with this problem. Other possible causes include an injury or tumor on the penis or the penile sheath, a bladder or prostate infection, bladder stones, kidney disease, or even a systemic bleeding disorder. I would recommend taking him to a vet for an exam - they will probably want to collect a urine sample for testing, check his prostate during a rectal exam, and examine his penis closely outside the sheath to look for any problems. From there, x-rays and ultrasound can be used to look at the prostate, if needed. If the problem is due to prostatic enlargement, this can normally be improved with [neutering](https://www.petcoach.co/article/benefits-of-neutering-castrating-male-dogs-puppies/) and does not typically cause any long-term problems.

It could be caused by either a urinary infection or prostate disease, you need to take him to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked and treated, if he is not neutered it's more likely to be a prostate condition, this will require neutering as part of the treatment.

This is very likely to be a prostate disease (cancer or infection), if it is an infection or benign tumor then having him neutered is likely to fix the problem, if it is cancer it might not be treatable (in some cases surgical remove of the tumor can be attempted).

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!

Hello Kirsti. Since Cu Chulainn (the mighty hound!) is not neutered, the swelling is likely his prostate. If this swelling occurs more often, if he urinates blood, or if the swelling does not recede again, you should have that examined by your veterinarian, as he may have a prostate problem.

Hello, so sorry to hear about Owen. The interactions with your neighbor causing his current clinical signs would be a speculation unless there was obvious trauma to Owen leading to his bleeding. If he has been diagnosed with a UTI as a cause for his bleeding this would be unlikely to have been caused by his abuse. His large prostate is likely associated with his unaltered status. Further diagnostics to consider if his UTI is not responding include a urine culture and abdominal x-rays to check for stones. Once you have confirmed there are no stones within his bladder (this may include also having to check with an ultrasound), then pending his urine culture results, your veterinarian may recommend a different antibiotic for his UTI. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Tyson. The vet should perform a rectal examination to check the size of his prostate as this could certainly be the cause. I would also consider abdominal xrays to check and see if there are any abdominal abnormalities or urinary tract abnormalities that can be detected on the xrays. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! The sooner Tyson is seen the better! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.