There are several 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 difficulty urinating on a Friday night. He seemed fine all week and all day on Friday and then it seems like suddenly that night he started straining to urinate and obviously feeling the pressure of constantly having to go. I was pacing back and forth and trying to lift my leg over everything, but nothing came out.
There were no warning signs of trouble. There was no blood in the urine. The next day, which was Saturday, he went to the emergency vet on duty, who, of course, was not his usual vet. They diagnosed him with a urinary tract infection and gave him some medication. The vet told me that Saturday night should be much better. Well, that didn’t happen. There was no improvement over the weekend, so he went to his regular vet on Monday. He had it all day, running tests and blood tests. He found no traces of urinary tract infection, but diagnosed him with an enlarged prostate.
Enlarged prostate! Yes, male dogs can have this problem just like men. His vet did a prostate exam; It is the same for dogs as it is for men. She concluded that her prostate was enlarged and causing urinary problems. I 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. Older dogs are usually the most affected.
This enlarged prostate gland normally expands back into the rectum, which can cause straining when having a bowel movement and diarrhea. My Yorkie was never able to relieve herself normally again. He was such a small dog and his prostate was so big that it was affecting everything.
They cauterized him and that seemed to help. Due to his age, he could not tolerate some of the tests that the vet wanted to do. He was arthritic and had a collapsed windpipe, which when stressed caused him to cough uncontrollably. His vet treated him very carefully and with great consideration for his condition.
Sometimes castration is the only treatment of choice, since it removes the stimulus for the prostate to enlarge. Avoiding an enlarged prostate in your dog is an excellent reason to neuter him when he’s a puppy. My Yorkie was not neutered when I got it 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 suggested spaying to prevent prostate problems. This is something that should 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 dog’s daily routine. You may be able to catch problems before they start and get out of control. If your dog is an older dog, just because he is raising his leg, it does not mean that something is coming out!