If you notice your dog has trouble peeing or that their urine is bloody or pink-tinged, there's a high chance that they're experiencing a urinary tract condition such as cystitis or bladder stones. These symptoms should not be looked over, which is why you should take your dog to a veterinarian as soon as you notice something's wrong. Here are three common tests to prepare for.
1. Urine culture
Observing your pet urinating more than often is a must if you're a pet owner. This will help you detect any abnormalities and make sure that your dog will get treatment for their condition fast — and hence, heal quickly. If you've noticed something wrong with your dog's urine, one of the first tests many vets will perform is a urine culture. This test involves sending collected urine to a laboratory to determine if there are any bacteria present. The urine culture also helps figure out what antibiotics will have the highest efficiency in killing said bacteria.
2. Ultrasound
If you have noticed your dog expressing pain or discomfort alongside the abnormalities in their urine, your veterinarian will likely want to perform a pet ultrasound on them. Also known as ultrasonography, this examination gives your dog's vet a view at their internal body structures by recording echoes or reflections of ultrasonic waves. Since your dog is having trouble peeing, the veterinarian will want to perform an abdominal ultrasound to examine the bladder, kidneys, urinary tract, and surrounding area. The whole procedure will be non-invasive and painless, so you don't have to worry about your dog getting hurt. Unlike X-rays, ultrasound waves are not harmful and are considered safe for dogs and humans alike. Remember, it's recommended that you don't feed your dog after 8 PM of the night before an ultrasound and keep them from urinating within 3 hours before the examination.
3. Bladder palpation
If your dog's ultrasound leads to a suspicion of bladder stones or even if your veterinarian otherwise believes they might be present, they may recommend a bladder palpation procedure to you. This process is typically only used on dogs with pain in the abdominal area — especially the kidneys — or a prolonged history of straining to urinate or urine abnormalities. Bladder stones are often large enough to be felt by a vet, which is why bladder palpation is a common test used to confirm bladder stones in order to begin treatment.
Share23 September 2020
From a young age, children are taught about the importance of regular dental care and this advice is followed through adulthood. When it comes to your dog, dental care is just as important as it is for humans but the topic is not often widely discussed. Veterinarians are often alerted to dog dental care issues once they erupt, but proper care of a dog's teeth helps prevent issues from arising. When looking for dog dental care tips, it is important to find the information in one place, and that is what is available to you here. Use these helpful dental care tips to reduce the odds of your pet needing a trip to the vet to repair teeth issues.