As we discussed earlier, there is reason to suspect that the signs seen in your dog XXXX are due to a urinary tract disorder.

Some common causes of urinary tract disease in dogs are:

- Urinary tract infection

- Crystals in the bladder which may develop into bladder  stones

- When there is a womb infection (pyometra)

- Inflammation of the vagina in young bitches

- Incontinence

- Prostatic disease in male dogs (neutered and unneutered)

Common signs of urinary tract disease are:

- More frequent urination

- Taking much longer than usual to pass urine

- Frequent urination attempts where only small amounts of urine comes out, drop by drop or not at all.

- Restlessness and a need to go out more often than usual.

- More frequent licking of the genitalia (this may be a sign of discomfort)

- The urine can be smelly and/or mixed with blood

- Sometimes the dog may appear unwell but not always

If your dog has any of the above problems then you should always consult a physical veterinarian for an examination.

As discussed, the signs that your dog is showing are possibly caused by a more severe urinary tract disease and it is therefore important that your dog is examined by a veterinary surgeon immediately.  In the worst case, it can be a blocked bladder and this can be life-threatening.

It is important to find out the cause of the dog's problems and often the vet will want to take both blood and urine samples. X-rays or ultrasounds are sometimes included in the examination.