[kyle6286]

Hello,

Our two and a half year old shih tzu started showing blood in his urine last night. My wife and I noticed this last night because there’s snow on the ground, so we immediately realized it when the snow was a little red. It’s not a lot of blood. Instead, he urinates fine for the most part, and then when he goes to squirt out the last few drops, it’s blood. We looked online and the most common cause of this is a UTI. We brought him to a vet today to be safe and she ran a urine analysis. Initially, the test came back negative for a UTI, but she was sending it out-of-house to get results. Not sure if they analyze the urine differently at a lab. Since our little guy isn’t showing any signs of pain, she said she wouldn’t worry about it. We had the option to wait until Wednesday for the lab results to come back and then go from there, but we were nervous so we had the x-ray done today. The x-ray came back fine, with no stones or anything, but she said the urine analysis could come back with a minor UTI or small bladder crystals which can turn into stones. If either of those happen, we will treat him accordingly. Our biggest concern about this is cancer. As I mentioned earlier, he’s less than three years old, and we’re terrified that something could be wrong. We’re nervous wrecks today, and we’re willing to do anything to make sure he is ok. Has anyone had any experience with this before? We appreciate your help.

Kyle

[InkedMarie]

I’ve dealt with many a UTI in dogs. I can tell you if its something that continues, to make sure the dog gets enough liquid: canned or dehydrated food mixed with kibble (if he eats kibble) and/or warm water added

[Jackie B]

Prince Poodle had 2 UTI’s a couple years ago. Since I switched him to all wet/moist food (4 or 5 star rated only) and some homemade food (recipes from Feed Your Best Friend Better by Rick Woodford) and bought him a circulating pet fountain, the UTI’s have not returned. Definitely try that out. I just had him blood tested again (they tested him for diabetes after the 2nd UTI) and his blood tests has improved quite a bit.

There is one type of rare bladder stone that does not appear on x-rays. When I took Prince in for his 1st UTI, my vet told me he had only removed 2 such stones in his whole career. And he has them in a baggy and showed them to me. 😛 I’m assuming your vet is aware of that and is investigating it.

Solid Gold brand also makes a product called Berry Balance, for urinary health. Don’t use it at the same time as prescription dog food (I’d avoid most RX dog food if you can help it).

[kyle6286]

We’re currently feeding our two shih tzus Acana Grasslands topped with Merrick canned. We’ve been mixing water into their bowls for the last two weeks to help them get some extra water.

Also, having water around constantly isn’t an issue, since they’re both only 15 and 23 lbs. We make sure they both always have access to fresh, cold water.

I read online about cranberry extract and how it can be beneficial for a dog’s urinary system. We picked some up and we’ve been adding it to his food. He doesn’t seem to like it, so we have to figure out a way to mask it.

Thanks for the help

[InkedMarie]

I am ever so glad my dogs eat anything in their bowls. One of mine gets cranberry, in pill form. She just eats it in her food.

[soho]

Hi kyle6286,

It literally could be many things other than a UTI. The urinalysis should help to diagnose a UTI. A blood test is always a good idea to see the red blood cells, platelets, white blood cells, kidney and liver values, etc. When your Vet examined your Shih Tzu they should have checked his prostate and examined the genitals and belly for any signs of trauma such as bruising, purple or dark colored patches or spots, scratches, etc. Familial history is also important as blood in the urine can run in your dog’s family.

I hope it is nothing, you and your pooches will be in my thoughts.
James

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