Enlarged prostate in dogs – signs and what to do

Updated 2026-09-30 · 1 sources

Based on: PDSA

Contact a vet today

Contact your vet today if you think your dog has this – it can become serious. It means the prostate gland, a small gland in male dogs, has become enlarged.

What to do now

What you can do now

  1. Contact your vet today
  2. Note when it started, how often it happens and what else you see
  3. Take a photo or short video to show the vet
  4. Keep fresh water available
  5. Let your dog rest somewhere calm

Don't

  • Do not give any human medicine
  • Do not wait if it gets worse

What it is

The prostate is a small gland in male dogs, located just inside the bottom and around the urine pipe beneath the colon.[1] When the prostate becomes enlarged, it can cause problems with toileting.[1]

Signs

  • Trouble peeing, including straining or peeing little and often
  • Blood in the urine
  • Straining to poo
  • Blood or pus from the penis
  • A painful tummy
  • A high temperature in severe cases or infections

Causes and risk factors

  • Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
  • Prostatitis
  • Prostate cancer

How a vet finds out

  • Blood tests
  • Urine tests
  • X-rays
  • Ultrasound
  • Biopsy
  • CT scan
  • MRI

What the experts say

“Overview. The prostate gland is a small gland that male dogs have just inside their bottom. It sits wrapped around the urethra (urine pipe) just underneath the colon, so it can cause toileting problems if it becomes enlarged.”

If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is having a seizure or can't stand up: go to the nearest vet now.

Not sure how serious it is?

OkPaw asks a few quick questions about your pet and tells you in 30 seconds whether it can wait. Free on Google Play for Android.

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Common questions

What is an enlarged prostate in a dog?

It is an enlargement of the prostate, a small gland in male dogs that sits around the urine pipe beneath the colon.[1]

What signs can an enlarged prostate cause?

Signs can include trouble peeing, blood in the urine, straining to poo, blood or pus from the penis, a painful tummy and a high temperature in severe cases or infections.[1]

How might a vet investigate an enlarged prostate?

A vet may physically check the prostate by rectal exam and may suggest a urine sample, blood tests, X-rays or an ultrasound scan.[1]

Sources

  1. PDSA

How this page was made: written with the help of AI from the sources below, then checked claim by claim against those sources. Urgency levels follow OkPaw’s fixed safety rules. It is guidance, not a diagnosis. How we write our pages

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