If you're a dog parent, you might find your dog peeing blood at some point. But, while blood in dog urine is a scary sight, it's often treatable and could simply be down to a urinary tract infection or a benign prostate problem.

Heamaturia is the clinical term used to describe when blood appears in a dog's urine. This is often due to inflammation or infection in the urinary tract, which could include the upper or lower urinary tract. If you do notice blood in your dog’s urine, then it should be evaluated by your veterinarian, who can identify the cause and provide recommendations to help your dog.

Here are common causes of blood in dog urine, the treatments your veterinarian may recommend, and how you may be able to prevent it.

Upper urinary tract causes

As in humans, a dog's upper urinary tract contains the two kidneys. As we said, blood in the urine could be originating from the upper or lower parts of the system, so it could be originating all the way up in the kidneys. Some causes of bleeding in the upper urinary tract include:

• Idiopathic renal heamaturia. An idiopathic condition is one with an unknown cause, so this is blood in the urine that results from the kidney for an unknown reason. This is generally considered a potentially hereditary benign condition.

• Kidney infection. If your dog is peeing blood, one or both of your dog's kidneys could be infected.

• Kidney stones. While uncommon, kidney stones can affect one or both kidneys, resulting in the presence of blood in the urine.

• Kidney cancer. Also uncommon, kidney cancer can affect dogs and cause blood in dog urine. The cancer can remain in the kidney or spread to other parts of the body.

• Renal telangiectasia. Some dogs, including Welsh corgis, have a genetic predisposition to this spontaneous widening of blood vessels in the kidney, which can lead to blood in their urine.

Lower urinary tract causes

The lower urinary tract includes the bladder and the urethra - the tube that connects the bladder to the outside world and allows urine to exit the body. Causes for bleeding here include the following:

• Bladder infection. A lower urinary tract infection (UTI) is by far the most common cause for a dog peeing blood. It can be caused by the anatomy of the urethra, vulva or prepuce, and hormone-related incontinence in spayed females.

   

• Bladder stones. These can form for a variety of reasons, including genetics, nutrition and chronic infection.

• Bladder cancer. Bladder cancer in dogs often looks similar to a UTI. It can cause accidents in the house, difficulty urinating, and blood in the urine.

   

• Prostate problems. Benign prostate enlargement and prostate infection are the most common prostate problems in male dogs who haven't been neutered.

Causes for blood in dog urine that can affect both the upper and lower urinary tracts include renal and bladder trauma (e.g. from being hit by a car or attacked by another dog) and coagulopathy (a scientific word that means blood clotting problems).