Unneutered Male Dog Struggling to Urinate
by Will
(Chapel Hill NC USA)
Please take Zak to a vet today. When a male dog tries repeatedly and only produces drips and spurts, it can mean his urethra is partly or fully blocked. A blocked male can become critically ill within hours, so this is an emergency.
Holding urine for long stretches may slightly raise the risk of a bladder infection, but it is unlikely to be the main cause on its own. In an unneutered male, prostate problems such as infection, abscesses and cysts are common reasons for straining; benign enlargement more often makes it hard to pass stool. Check whether he’s straining to pee or to poop. Bladder stones lodging in the urethra and urinary infections are other possibilities, and the extra time spent peeing on walks over the past few weeks may have been an early sign.
Your vet will check his prostate, test his urine (including a culture), and may take X-rays or an ultrasound. If he is blocked, relieving that comes first. Many prostate problems in intact dogs improve greatly with neutering alongside treatment.
Our page on urinary tract infection symptoms in dogs explains the urinary warning signs that need urgent attention.
This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.
