Bennys aging problem. This gorgeous boy is Benny, a 7 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier, who visited us recently when his Mum was concerned that he hadnt eaten for a few days, and was abnormally quiet. A thorough examination, and in particular, a rectal examination, suggested that Bennys problem may lie with his prostate gland. This is a small gland that lies around the urethra of male dogs, and adjacent to the rectum. In un-castrated dogs, the gland can increase in size, typically causing stop-start urination and a tendency to strain to pass faeces. An ultrasound scan of Bennys prostate gland showed that it was more than twice its usual size, and urine analysis confirmed the presence of large amounts of blood in his urine - another typical sign of prostate disease. An enlarged prostate can indicate inflammation, infection, cysts or neoplasia, but all suggestions are that Bennys prostate is enlarged due to inflammation. Hopefully, a course of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and routine neutering or castration will be all that is needed to shrink Bennys prostate again, and return him to his usual bouncy self.
Posted on: Thu, 29 May 2014 15:05:00 +0000