Prostate disease in dogs is estimated to be present in over 80% of entire male dogs over 5 years old.  Only one in four of these will show symptoms. Prostate changes get worse as the dog ages. Rarer types of prostate disease, such as abscesses or cancer, are very serious.

Prostate disease in dogs affects mostly entire male dogs over the age of 9 years. Symptoms can come from the prostate itself or from it blocking nearby organs.Being unable to pass urine or faeces can quickly become life-threatening. If you think your dog hasn’t passed any urine for 12-24 hours, or any faeces for 3 days or more, you should take them to  a vet straight away.

 

Overview

What is prostate disease in dogs?

The prostate is a gland that exists in males of most mammal species. In dogs it is located around the urethra and near the bladder. It produces most of the fluid that makes up sperm.

Testosterone causes the prostate to get bigger and change over time, and in many dogs this becomes excessive or can lead to complications.

There are several types of prostate disease in dogs:

Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)

Very common in entire dogs and makes up 45% of the  cases of prostatic disease. It gets worse with age.

• Mild cases show no symptoms.
• Moderate cases can develop discharge with blood, which may drip from the penis or be passed with urine.
• Serious cases have trouble passing faeces or even urine
• This type of disease increases the risk of dogs developing prostatitis, but not cancer.

Prostatitis

Also common in entire dogs and makes up about 38% of the cases of prostatic disease.  It’s a common complication of other prostate problems, such as BPH and tumours.

• Bacteria usually travel up the urethra but may come from the blood as well.
• Some infections are sudden and go away with treatment, others develop slowly or remain at a low level after treatment.
• New infections often cause fever and pain.
• These infections can become serious and go on to cause an abscess or a blood infection.

Prostate abscesses

Abscesses make up about 8% of prostatic disease cases. They can develop on their own or after prostatitis. Symptoms and complications are similar, with the main difference being that abscesses are much more difficult to treat and usually need to be drained surgically.

Prostatic cysts

Cysts are about 5% of prostatic disease cases. can develop as a complication of BPH or develop from the external layer of the prostate.

• Small cysts cause no symptoms, but some can become very large and cause symptoms similar to BPH.
• Castration and medication may reduce the size of smaller cysts, but large ones need to be treated with surgery.

Prostate tumours

Tumours of the prostate are rare in both neutered and entire male dogs, but may be slightly more common in neutered dogs.

• Most prostate tumours are cancerous and about 80% have spread before being detected.
• They spread to the surrounding bones and muscles, causing limping and significant pain.
• Survival times are usually weeks to months, but treatment can improve quality of life and survival time.

In very rare cases, testicular cancer or treatments with oestrogen can cause changes in the prostate that lead to infection or inflammation.

 

Symptoms

Symptoms of prostate disease in dogs

• Discharge with blood coming from the penis
• Blood in urine
• Straining to poo
• Ribbon-shaped poo
• Constipation
• Straining to pee
• Urinary incontinence
• Infertility
• Fever
• Poor appetite
• Tummy pain
• Trouble getting up
• Limping or stiffness
• Repeated urinary tract infections
• Lower back pain
• Weak back legs

 

Risk

Dogs at higher risk of prostate disease

• Entire male dogs have a much higher risk of BPH and prostatitis, and these are very rare in neutered dogs
• Neutered dogs may have a slightly higher risk of prostatic cancer
• Breeding dogs are at higher risk of infection, especially with a bacteria called Brucella canis

 

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of prostate disease in dogs

Your vet will suspect that your dog has prostate disease after discussing your concerns and doing a full physical examination.

In many cases, the prostate can be found to be abnormal on rectal examination, but this can miss significant disease and doesn’t provide further information. Further investigation will be done with:

• An ultrasound scan is performed to evaluate the shape, size, and structure of the prostate.
• Collection of fluid from the prostate for analysis. This can be done with a catheter. It can help detect which type of infection or cancer is present.
• Urine tests can help rule out urinary tract disease.
• X-rays or CT scans: When there is pain or a tumour is suspected. They are used to check bones and other structures in the area.
• Blood tests: can show signs of infection or complications in other organs.
• A Fine Needle Aspirate or biopsy:  to confirm what type of disease is present or to take samples for culture and antibiotic selection.

 

Vet treatment

Vet treatment of prostate disease in dogs

• Many cases of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia are mild and progress very slowly. Regular monitoring can be an option if symptoms are mild and intermittent.
• Surgical castration is very effective at reducing the size of the prostate and preventing the progression of the problem.
• Finasteride is a medication that blocks the prostate from using testosterone. It can obtain many of the same benefits as castration without loss of fertility, but it requires very long courses of treatment.
• Osaterone is a progesterone-like medication that is very effective at reducing the size of the prostate and is also thought to maintain fertility.
• Chemical castration with implants containing Deslorelin has the same benefits as surgical castration, but the problem is likely to return when the effects of the implant wear off.
• Laxatives to help with constipation and pain when passing faeces.
• Prostatitis is treated with anti-inflammatories and, when infection is present, antibiotics.
• Abscesses need to be drained and flushed surgically.
• Cysts that are causing symptoms should be drained surgically. An opening can be created to allow them to continue draining (marsupialisation).
• Tumours of the prostate are very difficult to treat. If there is no spread, surgery can be an option. Otherwise, anti-inflammatories and chemotherapy can improve quality of life for some time.

 

Home treatment

Home treatment of prostate disease

• There are no home treatments for prostate disease in dogs. Symptoms may not always reflect the severity of disease, so a vet evaluation is important in order to choose the best treatment plan, even if it ends up being just monitoring.
• Many cases of prostatic disease will benefit from regular monitoring at the vet, in order to prevent flare-ups and complications.
• Some cases may benefit from a low-residue diet to reduce constipation, please discuss this with your vet.

 

Prevention

Can prostate disease be prevented?

Preventing prostate disease is one of the major reasons most vets recommend routine castration of dogs. BPH, prostatitis and prostatic cysts are all very common in entire dogs and very rare in castrated dogs. Prostatic cancer is rare in both entire and neutered dogs but may be slightly more common in castrated dogs.

Is prostate disease contagious? Can people catch it from dogs?

Most types of prostate disease are not contagious. The exception is a rare disease called Brucellosis.

• This disease didn’t exist in the UK until recently but is common in many parts of Europe.
• Symptoms are often mild or non-existent in dogs.
• It can spread through breeding and secretions. It can also be passed on to puppies by their mum.
• This disease can cause health problems in people.
•  If you bought or adopted a dog from abroad, discuss with your vet how to check if your dog could be carrying this disease.

 

When to worry

When to worry about prostate disease in dogs

Speak to a vet as soon as possible if your dog:

• Is constantly straining to pee or poo
• Hasn’t passed any urine in 12-24 hours
• Hasn’t passed any faeces in 3 days or more
• Has no energy or appetite
• Is struggling to stand up or has weak back legs
• Is dribbling blood from their penis or passing blood in their urine

The vets and nurses at the Joii app are always available to give you advice and answer any doubts.