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May 22, 2010 7:40 AM

Kinda gross dog question about the stain my dog left last night...

Occasionally we let our 10-year-old Corgi sleep in the bed with us. Other than her getting wiggly, it's usually no problem. However, this morning when I woke up and took her out of the bed, I found a rather gross, weird stain. It looked like a big patch of urine with a little bit of dried blood in it.

At this point it's an isolated incident and she doesn't seem upset or uncomfortable, but I am a little concerned. She almost never has accidents in the house (she pooped inside a couple times last year, which we attributed to her having a tummy ache). She had gone out at about 11pm, and I woke up around 9 - a fairly usual time frame for us for a Friday night/Saturday morning.

So MeFites, any ideas? Should I wait it out and see if it happens again? Call the vet immediately? I'm very perplexed.

posted by radioamy to Pets & Animals (13 answers total)

First thought: Urinary tract infection?
posted by limeonaire at 7:55 AM on May 22, 2010

It could be urine. Older dogs can get leaky, especially if they were spayed young. There is medication if this is the problem. It could also be a UTI or some other issue.

Was there an odor? A fishy odor could be anal glands, dogs will occasionally empty them involuntarily.

Either way, a vet visit is in order. If she is acting normal, it's likely not "run to the emergency clinic now!!!!!" important, but she should be seen as soon as reasonably possible during regular hours. IANAV.
posted by biscotti at 7:57 AM on May 22, 2010

Does it smell like urine? If not, it may be a spot where she was licking some part of her anatomy all night, and maybe bled a little. Go over her with a fine tooth comb and make sure she doesn't have a scratch or some other injury on her that she may have been obsessing over last night.

If not, then I would watch her through the weekend for signs of a UTI. I agree that this probably doesn't warrant an emergency vet visit, but you might want to bring her in Monday if you suspect something is going on.
posted by tryniti at 8:02 AM on May 22, 2010

I would go to the vet and bring the stain with you. I wouldn't wait -- because of the blood. The fact that she couldn't hold whatever it was also implies something's not right. I'm not sure about dogs, but in cats, urinary problems are very serious - they can be life-threatening.
posted by oldtowndogs at 8:09 AM on May 22, 2010

Response by poster: Crap, I already put the sheets in the washer! It didn't smell super-uriney, but it was sorta dry so it's hard to tell. But it was big enough and yellow enough that it couldn't really be anything else.
posted by radioamy at 8:16 AM on May 22, 2010

Response by poster: Yeah I'm starting to think UTI also. I called and left a message with the vet (they're open limited hours today). I just needed the reassurance that waiting until Monday when her regular vet can see her won't be life-threatening!
posted by radioamy at 8:25 AM on May 22, 2010

Absolutely not intended to freak you out, exceedingly remote chance that this is it, but thought I'd mention it just so people are aware--blood in the urine can be a symptom of bladder cancer. (I'm keenly aware because I have a breed with a high incidence of this.)
posted by HotToddy at 8:37 AM on May 22, 2010

Let me just say, as biscotti mentioned, with older spayed female dogs, it's not uncommon for them to develop incontinence issues. My dog has it, she takes Proin, and has been on it for years for this exact problem.

It's usually pretty easy to tell if a dog has a UTI, when you let them out to pee, they will squat multiple times, and won't go much at any one time. If when you let your Corgi out she seems to pee with no difficulty, then that's not likely to be the issue.
posted by KirTakat at 8:50 AM on May 22, 2010

Response by poster: HotToddy - thanks for the note, I'll keep that in mind. KirTakat, I will definitely watch when she pees. To be honest, I was half-asleep when I took her out this morning so I wasn't really paying attention.
posted by radioamy at 9:25 AM on May 22, 2010

Do Corgis have issues with anal glands? If so, she could have developed a blockage/infection there as well. Our old beagle has to have those things expressed regularly. If not, she can leave very similar spots on her bedding.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:32 AM on May 22, 2010

Response by poster: Thorzdad - I don't know in particular, but this is my first Corgi. I'm somewhat familiar with the anal gland issue - I'll ask the vet on Monday.
posted by radioamy at 3:35 PM on May 22, 2010

I foster for the Humane Society and 4 time, in the last year I have dealt with this symptom. 1 was a UTI, 1 kidney stones, 1 kidney crystals, 1 cancer. Only a urine test will give you a definitive answer. Kidney stones/crystals are fairly common in older dogs, prescription diet is the treatment. Good Luck
posted by misspat at 3:44 PM on May 22, 2010

Response by poster: Crap, I already put the sheets in the washer! It didn't smell super-uriney, but it was sorta dry so it's hard to tell. But it was big enough and yellow enough that it couldn't really be anything else.

So it's been 24 hours and no sign of a repeat performance...is that weird?
posted by radioamy at 10:41 AM on May 23, 2010