blood in urine

Question
I have a 8 year old female yellow lab...when i got home today she had urinated in the kitchen (which is not like her) also there was a little circle of pure blood about the size of a dollar coin. I took her outside and she didnt urinate much but from what i could see she was urinating blood. She is my mom's dog and i am taking care of her for a few months...i have called her and they are trying to get ahold of our vet...but do you have any idea of what this could be?

Answer
Hi Tiffanie,

Few things are more alarming than seeing blood in your pet's urine.

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). Dogs with urinary tract infections will usually urinate much more often than usual, and may also have a fever.

Sometimes a dog with a urinary tract infection will dribble urine while sleeping, or have an "accident" in the home. The dog might also seem unable to urinate, and squat for a long time, while "nothing comes out". Female dogs are more prone to urinary tract infections.

The dog needs to be examined by your veterinarian, and other serious concerns should be ruled out. Urinary tract infections are easily treated with medication.

Best of luck,
Patti