Lots of blood in urine

Blood in urine, drinking a lot and vomiting

Very sick dog.

Species: Dog
Breed: husky mix
Age: 1-2 years

Last night I noticed my dog had diarrhea and bad gas, but I thought she was just a bit stressed because I had been away for a couple of weeks. This mornning, in the snow I saw that she had had blood in her urine last night too. Today she suddenly got very shakey and stood still for a long time looking very uncomfortable and strange. She wouldn't sit or lie down, and when she did, it took a long time for her to roll onto her side. I haven't noticed any more blood, but her urine is very yellow, and she has had many bowls of water, and went for the toilet water whenever she emptied her bowl. I gave her a kibble to see what she'd do and she buried it in her bed. She tried to throw up a couple of times but nothing came up, just burps afterward. She's been sleeping pretty much all day.

Dr. Marie replied:

I'm sorry to hear that Tootoo is not feeling well. There are a lot of things that can cause diarrhea. Often, as you mentioned, stress can cause diarrhea. But stress shouldn't cause the other symptoms that you wrote about.

Blood in a dog's urine is never something normal. Also, the fact that she is very thirsty has me really concerned. An extreme thirst in a dog can be a sign of a very serious kidney problem. Some dogs can get a kidney problem by eating something toxic. For example, antifreeze is extremely toxic to kidneys. Or, certain plants can be toxic. We have been hearing a lot of stories of dogs getting serious kidney disease after eating chicken jerky treats.

Sometimes the cause for kidney disease is not easy to find. A condition called leptospirosis can cause serious kidney problems. Or, an infection in the kidneys could be the culprit.

Another possible reason for thirst, lethargy and blood in the urine would be if Tootoo has something bleeding internally. If she has any exposure to rat poison this could be what is happening. Or, if she has been roaming free and had some type of accident such as being hit by a vehicle she could have internal bleeding. This is less likely than kidney disease though.

A serious liver problem is possible as well. This could explain the yellow urine. There are a number of things that a dog could eat that could be toxic to the liver.

Another possible reason for her symptoms is a serious infection in her uterus called a pyometra. (This would only be possible if she is not spayed). Pyometra is not that common in dogs as young as she is.

In any case, what you are describing sounds very serious. Is there any way you can get her to see an emergency vet today? If this is a serious kidney problem then the longer we wait the more danger she is in. The vet will examine her and will likely do tests on her urine and her blood to determine what is going on.

Welcome! There are lots of different kinks

by PhysicsandSpirits