Blood from dogs penis...

[Kate123cl]

Hey guys I'll try and keep this short!
My little dog is my life! He's 10 (11 on Christmas Day), A male Bichon Frise and is castrated. Today I let him out for a week and he came back to lay on my bed and when he got up to move, I noticed a watery blood stain (about the size of a 5p coin). I took him out for a wee a bit later on and his urine was clear. The end of his penis looks normal and not swollen or anything but the fur around is a tiny bit red, I'm guessing from the blood. He just had another wee and there was the tiniest little bit of blood but this could've just been from the end of his penis? I wondered if anyone else's dogs had this before? I've been looking on google and suggests either UTI or some form of prostate problem obviously I'll be calling the vets in the morning just hoping someone's got some positive stories? He is absolutely fine in himself! Still eating, drinking and jumping around and he's never had any previous problems. I'm almost in tears writing this!

[Kate123cl]

Wee* whoops

[HoleyCoMoley]

I haven't got a dog, I just wanted to say that I hope he is okay and that its something that clears up quickly.

[Kate123cl]

Thank you @HoleyCoMoley x

[villainousbroodmare]

Kate, don't feed him any more tonight or in the morning before you've phoned the vets for an appointment. They may want to sedate him for x ray (to check for bladder stones) and/ or urine sample. Also, try to get a urine sample to take with you (so instead of letting him run into the garden for a pee first thing, take him on the lead and try to catch a urine sample in something like a super-clean ice cream tub or similar). Also, watch carefully when he pees and try to see whether he can pee freely or whether he seems to have difficulty.

[Kate123cl]

@villainousbroodmare Thank you for that! I'll definitely do the suggested. When I watched him wee today he definitely didn't struggle x

[villainousbroodmare]

Don't panic. 😊

[SlothMama]

I hope everything turns out to be okay

[MrsRubyMonday]

I always find its best to wait until they start weeing and then quickly get the tub in position. If you try to position the tub before they are actively going, they wonder what you are doing and stop to have a look or move away so you have to start the whole process again. Just a tip.

[Kate123cl]

Thanks for the tip, @MrsRubyMonday
I took him to the vets this morning and she seemed pretty certain that it's cystitis going by urine sample, rectal examination, elevated temperature and sore bladder. He's been prescribed anti inflammatory medicine and antibiotics. If there's still blood in a weeks time he will need an abdominal ultrasound to check for other possibilities. X

[villainousbroodmare]

Obviously I have not seen your dog, and I'm sure your vet is correct in her diagnosis, but bladder stones, specifically calcium oxalate stones, are extremely common in older male Bichon Frise and are often the underlying cause of cystitis. This type of stone shows up well on x rays but usually needs surgery to deal with. Just an idea. Let us know how he goes.

[Kate123cl]

@villainousbroodmare Thank you for your message. Are you a vet by any chance? The antibiotics seemed to be working but today I noticed he had a few more drops in his urine. He is completely fine in himself still... he still has this evening, tomorrow morning and tomorrow mornings antibiotics / anti inflammatory to take. X

[villainousbroodmare]

Yes I am.

[Kate123cl]

@villainousbroodmare Thank you. Is it likely the antibiotics just haven't taken full effect yet as he's not 100% finished the course? How simple are kidney stones to treat?

[Kate123cl]

Bladder stones* sorry

[villainousbroodmare]

The type of stones that your type of dog tends to develop cannot be dissolved by diet. They can sometimes be broken up by a technique called lithotripsy but are usually removed surgically. Some dogs have a bladder that is like a little bag of sandy stones. In Bichon Frise they tend to develop v quickly again and after treatment, dogs need to stick to a special diet to try and reduce recurrence. I think x ray would definitely be my next step anyway.

[Kate123cl]

Thank you so much for your help @villainousbroodmare I'll be calling the vets on Tuesday after he has finished his course of treatment. I don't suppose you're anywhere near Bristol?

[villainousbroodmare]

8,300 miles from Bristol! though my sister used to live there and loved it!

[Kate123cl]

@villainousbroodmare Darn!! yeah it's great, not easy to find decent vets though! Lol

[Kate123cl]

@villainousbroodmare I've sent you a private message, hope you don't mind x