There are a number of reasons why any breed of dog can develop urinary problems. Urinary tract diseases have a very broad base.
My Yorkie Terrier started straining and having a hard time trying to pee on a Friday night. She seemed fine all week and all day Friday and then it seems like all of a sudden that night she started straining to urinate and obviously felt pressure that she had to go constantly. He was spinning and trying to lift his leg at all, but nothing would come out.
There were no warning signs of any problem. No blood passed in the urine. The next day, being Saturday, he urgently went to the vet on call, which, of course, was not his usual vet. He was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and put on some medication. The vet told me that by Saturday night he should be much better. Well that didn’t happen. There was no improvement over the weekend, so on Monday he went to his usual vet. He had him all day, running tests and blood work. He found no trace of a urinary tract infection, but diagnosed him with an enlarged prostate.
Enlarged prostate! Yes, male dogs can have this problem just like men. Your vet did a prostate exam, it’s the same for dogs as it is for men. She concluded that her prostate was enlarged and was causing urinary problems. She had no idea why this seemed to happen so suddenly. Prostate problems occur in many dogs over the age of five, but most show no effect. Elderly dogs are usually the most affected.
This enlarged prostate gland normally expands into the rectum, which can cause straining and diarrhea. My Yorkie was never able to relieve herself normally again. He was such a small dog and his prostate was so large, it was affecting everything.
He was cauterized and that seemed to help. Due to his age, he couldn’t tolerate some of the tests the vet wanted to do. He had arthritis and had a collapsed windpipe, which when he got stressed caused him to cough uncontrollably. His vet handled him very carefully and with great consideration of his condition.
Castration is sometimes the only treatment of choice, as it removes the stimulus for the prostate to enlarge. Preventing an enlarged prostate in your dog is an excellent reason to neuter him as a puppy. My Yorkie was not neutered when I got him and I did not realize the problems that could arise from this at the time. He had several different vets during his life, but none of them suggested neutering to prevent prostate problems. This is something that needs to be done BEFORE the dog develops problems. Not after the problem starts in an older dog. My Yorkie was 13 and at the time neutering would not have helped.
It is always wise to pay attention to your dogs daily routine. You may be able to catch problems before they start and get out of hand. If your dog is a senior dog, just because he’s raising his paw doesn’t mean something is coming up!