ABSTRACT

A study was conducted to note the major clinical signs of prostatic diseases in dogs. The major signs

exhibited were constipation (66.7 per cent) followed by inappetence (53.3 per cent). Other signs included

hemorrhagic prepucial discharge and dysuria (46.7 per cent each), abnormal gait (40 per cent), vomiting and

cachexia (33.3 per cent each). Hematuria, pyuria and purulent prepucial discharge were also noted in some

animals. Pyrexia and dehydration was seen in 33.3 per cent of the animals followed by 26.7 per cent of the

animals with a poor body condition. Caudal abdominal pain was very infrequent.

INTRODUCTION

The common clinical signs of prostatic

disease in dogs include constipation as evidenced

by tenesmus, ribbon like feaces, dysuria, prepucial

discharge and abnormal gait (Kutzler and Yeager,

2005). However, these clinical signs are often

misinterpreted and the disease is frequently

overlooked. If the condition remains untreated, it

may result in renal failure or toxemia. Therefore, it

becomes mandatory to rule out the existence of

prostatic diseases in all aged male dogs by a

Veterinary Physician, particularly, when they are

presented with one or the other clinical signs

commonly associated with prostatic disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The data pertaining to the present

investigation were generated following screening

of all the male dogs aged over five years which were

presented to the Out Patient Department of Clinical

Medicine, Veterinary College Hospital, Hebbal, stBangalore during the period between November 1

th2007 and April 30 2008. Details about the signs

exhibited were derived by both enquiries to the

owners and general clinical examination of the

CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS OF PROSTATIC

DISEASES IN DOGS

Kiren Menon, Krishnaswamy A and Honnappa T.G.

Department of Animal Reproduction Gynaecology and Obstetrics

Veterinary College, Hebbal, Bangalore

patient. The disease was confirmed in dogs by a

combination of diagnostic techniques like rectal

palpation, ultrasonography and prostatic fluid

examination.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Constipation was the most common

presenting sign seen in 66.7 per cent of the dogs

suffering from the disease followed by inappetence

in 53.3 per cent, hemorrhagic prepucial discharge

and dysuria in 46.7 per cent dogs each. Abnormal

gait were noted in 40 per cent of the cases and signs

like vomiting, and poor body condition were each

seen in 33.33 per cent of the affected animals.

Hematuria was seen in 20 per cent of the cases and

pyuria and presence of purulent urethral discharge

was each noted in 6.7 per cent of the cases (Table 1).

Physical examination of dogs suffering

from prostatic disease revealed presence of pyrexia

and dehydration in 33.3 per cent of the affected

animals and poor body condition in 26.7 per cent

animals. Pain upon palpation of the caudal abdomen

was noted in 6.7 per cent of the diseased animals

(Table 2).

J. I

nd. V

et. A

ssoc

., K

eral

a. 1

0 (

1)

24

RESEARCH ARTICLE

The most commonest complaint in animals

with prostatic disease was constipation (66.7 per

cent) which has also been reported by Hornbuckle

and co-workers (1978), Davidson (2003), Kutzler

and Yeager (2005) and Holt (2007) who stated that

constipation characterized by tenesmus is one of

the prominent clinical sign of prostatic disease in

aged dogs, due to compression of the colon by the

enlarged prostate gland. Hemorrhagic prepucial

discharge and dysuria were the observed in 46.7 per

cent each in the affected animals which has also

been reported in earlier studies (Hoeffer, 1977;

Read and Bryden, 1995). Dilated prostatic urethral

veins are considered to be the source of

hemorrhagic urethral discharge and the inward

growth of the gland into the urethra results in

Dysuria (Reihmann and Bruskewitz, 1993). Other

clinical signs observed in this study were abnormal

gait (40 per cent) and loss of body condition (33.3

per cent) which has also been described by Johnson

and Archibald (1974), Hornbuckle (1978),

Davidson (2003) and Holt (2007). Abnormal gait

and loss of body condition are probably associated

with either prostatic neoplasia or painful prostatic

diseases. Emesis was observed in 33.3 per cent of

animals with prostatic disease. Vomiting has also

been reported in previous studies (Parry, 2006;

Smith, 2008) and has been attributed to the rise in

metabolites in blood that fail to get excreted due to

dysuria. Hematuria, Pyuria, and purulent prepucial

discharges were clinical signs observed in the

present study. Similar signs have been described by

Table 1: Clinical History of dogs confirmed with prostatic diseases

Sl No Clinical sign Number of Percentageanimals

exhibiting signs

1 Constipation 10 66.7

2 Inappetence 8 53.3

3 Hemorrhagic Prepucial discharges 7 46.7

4 Dysuria 7 46.7

5 Gait abnormality 6 40.0

6 Vomiting 5 33.3

7 Loss of body condition 5 33.3

8 Hematuria 3 20.0

9 Pyuria 1 6.7

10 Purulent prepucial discharges 1 6.7

Table 2: Clinical examination findings in prostatic diseases

Sl No Nature of abnormality Number of animals Percentageobserved exhibiting abnormality

01. Pyrexia (>102.5 F) 5 33.3

2. Dehydration 5 33.3

3. Poor body condition 4 26.7

4. Caudal abdominal pain 1 6.7

JIV

A V

ol. 1

0 Issu

e 1

A

pril 2

01

2

25

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Davidson (2003) and Kutzler and Yeager (2005).

Hematuria which was observed in 20 per cent of the

affected animals may be a result of irritation caused

by excess ammonia production in the bladder due

to retained urine (Johnson and Archibald, 1974).

The common abnormalities on physical

examination noted in the present study were

pyrexia (33.3 per cent), dehydration (33.3 per cent),

poor body condition (26.7 per cent) and caudal

abdominal pain (6.7 percent). Cornell (1997),

Davidson (2003), Parry (2007) and Smith (2008)

described that signs like fever and cachexia are

commonly seen in infections of the prostate gland

(Prostatitis/Abscess). Caudal abdominal pain

(Kutzler and Yeager, 2005; Holt, 2007) is a

characteristic sign in acute inflammatory condition

of the prostate, shining a light on the fact that rest of

the inflammatory conditions of the prostate could

be of a chronic nature. Dehydration was one of the

signs in this study, as also noted by Parry (2006),

can be attributed to the reflection of the systemic

disturbances like pyrexia and uneasiness caused by

pain results in anorexia.

REFERENCES

Cornell, K. K., Waters, D. J., Cooley, D. M., Pauli,

B., Harvey, H. J., Hall, G., Render, J., Hendrick,

M., Sweet, D. and Stoica, G., 1997. Canine

prostate carcinoma; clinicopathological

findings in 168 cases. In: Proceedings, Ann.

Meeting, Am. Coll. Vet. Radiol. pp.86.

Davidson, J.R., 2003. Prostatic diseases of the dog,

Waltham Focus, 13: 2, 4-10.

Hoeffer, R.E., Dykes, N.L., and Greiner, T.P., 1977.

J.Am.Anim.Hosp.Assoc., 13: 98.

Holt, P.E., 2007. Prostate disease, In: SEVC

(Southern European Veterinary Conference)

Proceedings, (Eds). International Veterinary

Information Service, Ithaca NY.

Hornbuckle, W.E., MacCoy, D.M., Allan, G.A. and

Gunther,R., 1978. Prostatic disease in the dog.

Cornell Vet , 68:284.

Johnson, D.E. and Archibald, J., 1974. Male genital

system in canine surgery, American Vet

Publications, California, pp. 729.

Krawiec, D.R. and Heflin, D., 1992. Study of

prostatic diseases in dogs: 177 cases (1981-

1986). J Am Vet Med Assoc, 200:1119.

Kutzler, M. and Yeager, A., 2005. Prostatic

Diseases. In: (ed): Ettinger, Feldman Textbook

of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 6th Edition,

Elsevier Inc., p. 1809- 1819.

Parry, N. M. A., 2006. Inflammatory diseases of the

canine prostate gland, UK Vet, 11: 8, 1-4.

Parry, N. M. A., 2007. The canine prostate gland:

Part 1:Non-inflammatory diseases, UK Vet, 12:

1, 1-5.

Read, R. A. and Bryden, S., 1995. Urethral

bleeding as a presenting sign of benign

prostatic hyperplasia in the dog: a retrospective

study (1979-1993). J Am Anim Hosp Assoc,

31:261.

Reihmann H., Bruskewitz R.C., 1993. Benign

prostatic hyperplasia: manifestations and

intervention. In: Lepor H, Lawson R, K. (eds):

Prostate Diseases. Philadelphia, WB Saunders

Co.108.

Smith, J., 2008. Canine prostatic disease: A review

of anatomy, pathology, diagnosis, and

treatment, Theriogenology, doi: 10.1016/j.

theriogenology.04.039.

J. I

nd. V

et. A

ssoc

., K

eral

a. 1

0 (

1)

26

RESEARCH ARTICLE