Rocky is a handsome 12 year old Silky Terrier! He came into Markham Veterinary Clinic for an examination and consultation because the owner noticed blood in his urine. A prostate exam was done as he was not neutered and his prostate was enlarged on physical examination. We did bloodwork to ensure there were no concerns with his internal organs as well as a urinalysis and culture to check for bladder infections and crystals in his urine. The lab results did not show anything concerning other than blood in his urine and he was still passing a lot of blood in his urine at home. So, an abdominal ultrasound was recommended and done at a referral clinic to ensure there was no obvious cancer of the prostate. He was found to have prostatitis and prostatic cysts which is indicative of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH). Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia is a disease that is fairly common in non-neutered dogs. As dogs age, hormonal imbalances can cause an increase in number (hyperplasia) and size (hypertrophy) of prostatic cells. As the prostate gland grows, this can cause obstruction of the urethra and/or the colon, leading to constipation and/or inflammation and blood in urine. The treatment recommendation is to be neutered or removing his testicles. His big day came in early December and he had his neuter procedure done at Markham Veterinary Clinic! We are happy to say he fully recovered from the surgery and his symptoms completely resolved. And he does not miss his testicles!
Dr. Lily Loo DVM
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