Section: Information In-depth
Hematuria (blood in the urine) can be caused by several different disorders. The most common causes of hematuria are:
Bacterial urinary tract infection
Stones in the urinary tract especially in the bladder or urethra
Cancer of the urogenital (urinary or reproductive) tract, especially cancer of the bladder or urethra
Urogenital (urinary or reproductive) disorders such as uterine infection and vaginitis
Congenital abnormalities (those present at birth) of the urinary tract, most often an outpouching of the bladder called a urachus
Less common causes of hematuria include:
Clotting abnormalities caused by low platelet count (called thrombocytopenia), warfarin (rat poison) ingestion, and disseminated intravascular coagulation (a systemic clotting problem seen in seriously ill animals)
Parasites of the urinary tract (the kidney worm Diotophyma renale and the bladder worm Capillaria plica)
Trauma to the urinary tract (kidneys or bladder)
Some drugs such as cyclophosphamide (a drug used to treat cancer and immune disorders) can cause hematuria by inducing a sterile (non-infectious) hemorrhagic cystitis
Bleeding from the kidney of unknown cause (referred to as "benign renal hematuria") is rare but when present can cause hematuria that is severe enough to lead to anemia
Related Articles
-
1
Feline Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC)
Feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC) literally means an inflammation of the urinary bladder in cats of unknown origin. It is also called feline idiopathic lower urinary tract disease (FiLUTD) or feline urologic...
» Read More
-
2
Urolithiasis (stones in the urinary tract) in Dogs
Urolithiasis refers to the formation of stones in the urinary tract due to oversaturation of the urine with certain minerals. Calculi can be found anywhere in the urinary tract, but are most common in...
» Read More
-
3
Urinary Obstruction in Cats
Feline urinary obstruction is an acute obstruction of the urinary tract and is most common in males. It is usually caused by a plug of inflammatory debris and crystals, which is part of the common syndrome...
» Read More
-
4
Acute Cystitis in Cats
Acute cystitis is inflammation of the urinary bladder, and in cats it is not usually infectious in nature. The most common cause of lower urinary tract symptoms in cats is feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC),...
» Read More
-
5
Urinary Bladder Cancer in Cats
Urinary bladder tumors are rare in cats, but of the possible cancers, transitional cell carcinoma is the most commonly diagnosed. This cancer is a malignant cancer usually arising from the inside surface...
» Read More