Urgent — same day vet contact
Same day
Blood in a dog's urine
Visible blood in urine needs vet review the same day — UTIs, stones, prostate disease, and tumours all present this way.
Recognise the signs
- Pink, red, or brown urine
- Frequent attempts to urinate
- Straining, dribbling small amounts
- Accidents in the house
- Licking at genitals
First aid steps
- Phone the vet — same day.
- Photograph any visible discoloured urine.
- Try to collect a clean catch sample if possible.
- Rule out heat (entire females) — confused with urinary blood by some owners.
Do NOT
- Do not give cranberry juice or supplements without vet advice.
- Do not delay if the dog is straining and producing little urine — see dog-blocked-bladder.
When to phone the vet immediately
- Straining with no urine — emergency obstruction
- Pale gums alongside (suspect rodenticide or significant blood loss)
- Lethargy, vomiting, distended belly
Common causes
- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Bladder stones
- Prostate disease (entire males)
- Tumour
- Trauma
- Rodenticide poisoning (warfarin-type)
- Pyometra in unspayed females
What the vet will need to know
- Frequency and volume of urination
- Colour and any clots
- Other signs (pain, vomiting, bleeding elsewhere)
- Spay/neuter status
- Possible rodenticide access
Aftercare
- Treatment depends on cause — antibiotics for UTI, surgery for stones, hormonal/surgical for prostate, vitamin K1 for rodenticide.
Prevention
- Adequate water intake.
- Annual urine checks in stone-prone dogs.
- Neuter entire males with prostate disease.
Breed-specific notes
- Stone-prone: Dalmatian, Miniature Schnauzer, Bichon Frise.
Frequently asked questions
Is a UTI in dogs the same as in humans?
Similar in mechanism but treated with vet-prescribed antibiotics based on a culture, not human medications.
Could it just be a season?
Possibly in entire females — but visible bleeding outside a season window is abnormal. Vet review confirms.
Will my dog need surgery?
Depends on cause. UTIs respond to antibiotics; stones often need surgery; tumours need full investigation.