Blood In Dog Urine Disappears

by Lee Butner
(Pasadena, CA)

My dog is approximately 10 to 11 years old. He has several "lumps" on his body, but the vet has continuously diagnosed these as "fatty" and not to worry about. The last three to five days he has lagged quite a bit on his walks and shown fatigue.

Yesterday, I noticed that his urine was orange or rust colored and seemed to have blood in it. I took a good look at his next "pee" stop (on the same walk, just a few yards later) and was alarmed to see that it looked like almost pure blood, without urine in it at all.

I rushed him home and straight to the vet. She looked at him with an Ultrasound, took some urine and blood samples and sent us home with Baytril. She noticed "sparkly" things on the Ultrasound which she said are probably crystals and a spot which may be a kidney stone, or, potentially, a tumor. She wanted to wait for results of the lab test before coming to a conclusion. He took one Baytril last night. I will give him the other this evening. My question....today I walked him and his urine looks fine!!! I saw nothing that looked like blood at all! I'm quite positive I did not "imagine" the blood I saw yesterday. Does this make sense?

Other than having more fatigue than usual on his walks, he seems quite fine. He is eating well, drinking normally and otherwise seems normal.

Any thoughts?


Vet Suggestion For Diagnosing Blood in Dog Urine


Hello Lee,

The scenario you describe is actually quite common. When a bacterial infection is to blame for the presence of blood in a dog’s urine and the dog starts taking an appropriate antibiotic, the results can appear to be nothing short of miraculous. This does not mean you should stop giving the antibiotic, however! Wait for the results that are still pending and talk to your veterinarian to determine how long antibiotic therapy should continue. Stopping too soon can cause the infection to come back and perhaps be resistant to antibiotics that otherwise would have been effective.

A bacterial infection isn’t the only possibility. Some other types of urinary disorders can result in intermittent bleeding. Keep a close eye on your dog’s urine and overall demeanor and make sure your veterinarian knows exactly what is going on so he or she can make the best recommendations for treatment, including when it is no longer necessary.


Best of luck,

Jennifer Coates, DVM