German Shepherd With an Enlarged Bladder Who Can't Urinate
by Isabel
(Garcia)
Reader Question
My 8 year old Male German Shepherd appeared to be constipated and in a lot of pain. We found a small drops of pee where he sleeps with blood.
I took him to the vet today and they did an evaluation and then took x-rays. He was not constipated they showed me his x-rays and his Bladder is enlarged. They used a catheter to take out his urine. They wanted to perform some more tests to determine where the blockage was coming from. I was already at $400 for services and just didn't have another $1200.
They gave him an antibiotic and a steroid.
He has not ate for 2 days now and is barley drinking water from my hands. He won't move and has no energy.
How long should I wait to see if it was just an infection and how long is it TOOO dangerous for a dog to not pee?
Thanks
I took him to the vet today and they did an evaluation and then took x-rays. He was not constipated they showed me his x-rays and his Bladder is enlarged. They used a catheter to take out his urine. They wanted to perform some more tests to determine where the blockage was coming from. I was already at $400 for services and just didn't have another $1200.
They gave him an antibiotic and a steroid.
He has not ate for 2 days now and is barley drinking water from my hands. He won't move and has no energy.
How long should I wait to see if it was just an infection and how long is it TOOO dangerous for a dog to not pee?
Thanks
Answer from Our Team
Please take him back to your vet or an emergency clinic now. A dog who can't urinate, won't eat and barely drinks may have a blocked urethra or bladder that can't empty, which is life-threatening within a day or two. An enlarged bladder in a male dog can come from stones, prostate disease, a tumor or a nerve problem.
Antibiotics won't fix a blockage. If cost is a worry, ask your vet about a payment plan, or look for a low-cost clinic, humane society clinic or veterinary school near you.
See bladder stones in dogs for more on blockages.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.
