When you bring your dog into the vet, you should give them a thorough summary of your dog’s medical history. Note any previous health issues your dog may have had as well as details of when the symptoms of prostate disease started to appear. You may also note any incidents that could have caused the condition or made it worse.For example, you may tell your vet, “My dog stopped eating a few days ago and is very lethargic, with a high fever. He has never been like this before and I am worried he may have prostate infection as he is an older, intact dog.”

, Your vet will start by doing a full physical exam on your dog, including a close examination of his prostate. They may insert a gloved finger into your dog’s rectum to feel their prostate gland. If your dog reacts with pain or the prostate feels larger than usual, your vet may suggest a biopsy of the prostate gland for testing. Your dog may be sedated during the biopsy so he does not feel any pain or discomfort.This is done to assess the size of the prostate, if it is symmetrical, and if it is painful or not.


If your dog reacts with pain or the prostate feels larger than usual, your vet may suggest a prostic wash to harvest a sample of cells from the prostate. Biopsy of the prostate gland is tricky as the gland is difficult to access, and so your vet will carefully assess if this is necessary or not. Your dog will be given an anesthetic during the biopsy so he does not feel any pain or discomfort.
In some dogs, their prostate may recede too far into their abdominal area to be felt in a physical exam. If this is the case, your vet will suggest an ultrasound on your dog’s abdominal area to get a better look at his prostate.
 Your vet will then run standard laboratory tests on your dog, including getting a complete blood count, and a urinalysis. Your vet will need a sample of your dog’s urine to run the urinalysis. The urinalysis will help your vet determine if there is blood in his urine, this could be a symptom of prostate disease., Once your vet has completed a physical exam of your dog and ran the necessary tests, they will determine the cause of the issue and suggest a treatment plan. If your dog’s prostate disease is due to a hormonal imbalance, your vet may recommend castration or hormone-blocking medication to reduce your dog’s symptoms. If your dog’s prostate issue is caused by a bacterial infection, your dog will be given antibiotics.If your dog’s symptoms are severe and he has a ruptured, abscessed prostate, he may need surgery on his prostate. Your vet will let you know the timeline for the surgery and give your dog antibiotic therapy to stabilize his condition before the surgery can be performed.
Share your dog’s medical history with your vet.
Let your vet examine your dog’s prostate.
Allow your vet to run tests on your dog.
Get a treatment plan.
{"src": "wikihow-all_validation", "title": "How to Diagnose Prostate Disease in Intact Male Dogs2"}