Companion Animals

Canine Prostatic Disease: Welfare and Management

Prostatic disease is common in entire male dogs and causes significant welfare impacts that are largely preventable through castration.

Key Facts

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) affects over 80% of entire male dogs over 5 years of age
Clinical signs include tenesmus, haematuria, ribbon-like stools and occasionally urinary obstruction
Bacterial prostatitis causes acute illness with fever, pain and systemic disease in affected dogs
Castration causes regression of BPH within weeks and is the most effective treatment

Welfare Considerations

BPH causes chronic discomfort from pressure on adjacent structures. Bacterial prostatitis causes severe acute pain and systemic illness. Prostatic cysts and abscesses are painful and potentially life-threatening. Welfare priorities include recognising clinical signs promptly, treating bacterial prostatitis aggressively with appropriate antibiotics, and castration as the definitive treatment for BPH and prevention of recurrence.

What You Can Do

Consider castration of entire male dogs not used for breeding to prevent prostatic disease
Seek veterinary assessment for any entire male dog showing straining, blood in urine or difficulty defaecating
Complete full antibiotic courses prescribed for bacterial prostatitis
Monitor castrated dogs for any recurrence of urinary or defaecation problems