<p>I took my dog for a walk this morning, I noticed his urine was a bit bloody at the beginning. It got clear in the course of the walk before it got worse when he had hardly any left to relieve. I googled and am guessing a possible urinary track infection. It’s a dachschund, 10 years old, not neutered. Should I be concerned and take him to the emergency vet?</p>
<p>I would at least call the emergency vet- never had that problem but it sounds serious- poison can also cause bloody urine- how has he been acting?</p>
<p>If funds are not an issue, take him now. He is probably in pain. If funds are very tight, go first thing in the morning. Hopefully, an infection is the only problem. Best wishes to your guy!!!</p>
<p>Oh, I know. I was quite alarmed until I googled for the symptom. He is playing quite well, eating well, peeing well, doesn’t show any sign of pain. He has an excellent vet but doesn’t keep emergency hours. I am hesitant to go to any vet at the emergency.</p>
<p>Yes- call the emergency vet and tell them his symptoms. They could tell you if you are safe to wait until morning to take him to your regular vet.</p>
<p>It’s most likely an infection that’ll clear up with meds but a vet should look at him. I think it’s your call as to whether to rush to an emergency vet or wait until the morning for the regular vet. I haven’t had the greatest experiences with the emergency vets and they’re costly.</p>
<p>The emergency vets are very costly. If he is looking well, eating, peeing etc … I would wait until the morning, and then see if he can been seen tomorrow. </p>
<p>If he was clearly in pain, my advice would be different.</p>
<p>While yes, emergency vets are expensive, so is the time taken out of a work day to get to the vet. I agree that while its probably a UTI or possibly just a a ruptured blood vessel, if its a UTI his symptoms may worsen, he may have accidents in the house and you’ll be dealing with blood and urine stains to boot. Good luck.</p>
<p>I guess it depends on your emergency vet. For myself, $750 to walk in the door on a Sunday afternoon doesn’t compare to leaving work for an hour to go to the vet. </p>
<p>(Of course, for myself, not being an employee changes my focus a bit, and I could justify visiting my vet as a business activity! My employees would be free to leave for an hour for a vet appointment tho … and the $750 for Sunday would stop them in their track. Obviously everyone’s mileage will vary on this one!)</p>
<p>Holy cr*p- $750 to walk in the door?? That was the bill for my poor doggie when he went in for emergency care, stayed overnight, had fluid tapped off his abdomen, lab tests, etc. </p>
<p>And I can’t take a trip to the vet during the day as a business expense 
I’d have lots of unhappy human clients if I cancelled them to go to the vet. Of course your situation is entirely different.</p>
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<p>Yeah - we spent over $1,000 for what turned out to be ‘tummyache’. Dog got into the trash.</p>
<p>I would avoid the emergency vet unless the dog is showing other symptoms. Blood in urine is usually an UTI (of which I have had many) and while it’s something that needs treatment, unless the dog is running out to go the bathroom every 5 minutes, it can probably wait until tomorrow.</p>
<p>You also might want to collect a urine specimen in the morning (if you can) to take with you to the vet. I have had female dogs; I’m guessing that it is easier with a female, but I really have no idea.</p>
<p>Do dogs let you collect? I am wondering how I should do it? Put a cup under? </p>
<p>It’s much less than $750 for the emergency care around here. You never know who will see the dog. The first time we went was when this dog ripped his chest open chasing a ball at high speed in the yard. Dachschunds are low. They sewed him up but it opened after the stitches were taken out. Had to be sewed up again by his regular vet. The second time he had a blockage in the intestine. He swallowed a cedar ball from the closet. He was throwing up badly. The vet at the emergency called it pancreatitis. By the time we got him to the regular vet a few days later, we had a real emergency.</p>
<p>I would rather have my dachshund’s regular vet than a “stranger” look at it. I would use one of the emergency room people only for immediate life and death…hit by a car, etc. Of course, I would be standing at the vet’s door half an hour before he opens up in the morning without calling for an appointment first!</p>
<p>Not a cup, more like a pie plate.</p>
<p>I’ll never eat pie again…</p>
<p>I’ll never eat a pie pan again…</p>
<p>I use the disposable foil pans that you make brownies or lasagna in. Stick it under the dog just as s/he starts to pee. My dog has given me a funny look – as in, “What the H*LL are you doing?!!” – but by then you’ve collected some urine to put into a smaller container (with a top!).</p>
<p>We collected urine for our dog every day in a gladware container, it can most certainly be done. When they have diabetes, that’s how you check their sugar. I would guess it’s easier for a boy dog than for a girl, but for a dachshund a pie tin type thing may be easier since you’ve got to be able to fit whatever it is under the dog-- personally I would recommend something you can just snap a lid on. For our dog, we just waited for him to “assume the position” and then caught it mid-stream. Once he was peeing he wouldn’t move, but otherwise he wouldn’t let us do it.</p>
<p>I would at least call the emergency vet and ask about it, if nothing else for peace of mind. I am one that takes no chances just because we had a sick dog for a lot of years and I would be taking him to the emergency vet, but I understand most people are less proactive about these things. If at any point he seems like he’s in pain you have to take him, if not it’s up to you.</p>
<p>If he does not have a temp, and he IS PEEING (this is important!) I would wait till morning. Non-neutered males are prone to prostatitis, making them pee small amounts, frequently, sometimes bloody. But if he has trouble peeing, that is emergency.</p>