blood in german shephards urine

Question
Hi,
I have a 5 yr old german shephard that is very healthy, utd on shots, etc.  Recently within the past 6 mo or so, he has been treated twice for blood in his urine, first round was given antibiotics & it cleared up for several mo. and then the bleeding returned-no pain, or diff. in urinating.  Second treatment, the vet did do some blood work which checked for some bacteria in water?? However it was negative, so another round of antibiotics-which yes, while on meds., urine cleared up.  Now I have noticed that the blood has returned- he tends to "dribble" at times, but seems to be in no pain?  I am wondering if I should take him to another vet for a second opinion- no x-rays have been done-either time..  I also am wondering other than an infection what are some other causes for blood in urine in dogs?  Thanks for your help. Tonya

Answer
Hi Tonya,

Urinary tract infections are the most common cause of blood in the urine. The infection may be in the kidneys, bladder, or urethra (the tube through which urine flows). It's also possible that your dog has bladder stones. In male dogs, a prostate gland infection will also cause blood in the urine. Any of these conditions can cause the dribbling you've been seeing.

I don't know if you need to take your dog to another vet. In each instance you've described, your dog responded to the treatment. Your vet had no way of knowing the symptoms would return. However there's a pattern emerging now, so additional diagnostic tests will be useful in seeing why your dog's bloody urine is a recurring problem.

You can read more about the possible causes of blood in a dog's urine here:

http://www.dog-health-guide.org/doghealthbloodinurine.html

Best of luck,

Patti