My two-year old dog has blood in his urine but no sign of infection according to the urinalysis. There is blood when he ejaculates and his prostate is approximately four times larger than normal. My veterinarian says it's BPH and castration is the "drug" of choice. My dog is a champion and I would like a semen collection before he is neutered, but I can't get one until there is no blood. Are there any treatments for this?
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a common problem in unneutered male dogs. By six years of age, almost two-thirds of intact male dogs will have some enlargement of the prostate gland. By nine years of age the incidence rises to 95 percent. BPH is an age-related process and is caused by testosterone stimulation of the prostate gland.
Most cases of BPH are not painful. Signs may include blood in the urine (hematuria) and in the ejaculate. Affected dogs may have a urethral discharge that contains blood. They may strain during defecation because the enlarged prostate presses on the colon, interfering with the normal movement of feces.
BPH must be distinguished from several other diseases, some of which may exist along with benign prostatic hyperplasia. These include acute and chronic bacterial prostatitis, prostatic cysts and abscesses, and cancer of the prostate. Generally bloodwork and urinalysis will be normal (except for hematuria) when BPH is the only problem. BPH does not cause fever, pus in the urine (pyuria), poor appetite, weight loss, weakness, or other signs that may accompany these other prostatic problems.
BPH may be differentially diagnosed from other conditions with bloodwork, urinalysis, and bacterial culture and sensitivity tests. Radiographs (x-rays) and ultrasound studies will reveal prostatic enlargement and sometimes the presence of cysts. A fine-needle aspirate procedure, in which a small needle is passed into the prostate gland and a sample of cells is drawn into a collecting syringe, provides cells for microscopic analysis. An ultrasound scan is particularly helpful in guiding needle placement. A cellular sample obtained in this manner will be uncontaminated by fluids from the rest of the urinary tract, and provides significant diagnostic information. Needle biopsies or surgical biopsies may be needed to discriminate between inflammatory and cancerous diseases of the prostate. Inspection and culture of prostatic fluids through washes or ejaculates may also be helpful.
Occasionally, certain drugs can be given to temporarily reduce the size of the prostate, but it sounds like your dog has such an advanced case that this therapeutic approach may not be appropriate. Your veterinarian has made an appropriate recommendation to neuter your dog because of the severity of his BPH. We know this is not the type of news that people hoping to breed their dogs want to hear. But unfortunately, being affected this severely at this young age is not encouraging news. Your dog's symptoms can become more severe and painful if he is left unneutered. Until this is done, you will want to limit his exposure to other dogs. The presence of a female dog in heat will stimulate hormones in your dog that may make the BPH worse.
You could contact a reproductive specialist, or theriogenologist, in your area in order to try to preserve some of the dog's semen prior to the surgery. The specialist could evaluate your dog and let you know if freezing semen samples would be an option for you. This would give you the ability to "stud" your dog through artificial insemination of an appropriate female dog.
However, this is something that I would pursue only if your dog is of excellent breeding quality.
11/17/00
