The prostate is the only accessory sex gland in male dogs. Normally, this gland has a series of defense mechanisms against infections. However, sometimes these mechanisms are overcome and prostatitis occurs. Prostatitis are inflammatory processes of infectious origin that affect the prostate tissue; acute prostatitis can seriously compromise the he alth of the animal and chronic prostatitis can cause infertility. Therefore, it is important to make an early diagnosis of the pathology in order to establish a specific treatment against it.
What is prostatitis in dogs
Prostatitis is an inflammatory process of the prostate tissue of infectious origin. It can occur both in intact dogs and in neutered dogs, however, in neutered dogs the pathology is usually less important because the gland is smaller.
Depending on its course, prostatitis can be:
- Acute: they are diffuse, that is, all the glandular tissue is affected. The infection usually reaches the prostate through the urethra, although it is also possible that it reaches the hematogenous route (through the blood).
- Chronic: they are usually a perpetuation of the acute form, although in some cases they appear unexpectedly in dogs without previous prostate disease. In this case, they are localized in the form of abscesses. Here you can find more information about abscesses in dogs.
Causes of prostatitis in dogs
As we have already mentioned, prostatitis are inflammatory processes of infectious origin. Specifically, they are infections caused by bacteria. Among the main bacteria that cause prostatitis are:
- Escherichia coli: this is the bacterium responsible for the infection in 70% of cases.
- Mycoplasma and Brucella canis: although they are less common than E. coli, they are of more concern to us as they can cause permanent sterility in the patient. You can read this other article on canine brucellosis to learn more about the bacterium Brucella canis.
- Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Proteus, Klebsiella and Pseudomonas.
It should be noted that there are a number of factors that predispose to infection, including:
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia: it is the most frequent predisposing cause of prostatitis. It is a very common pathology in older entire dogs, characterized by a marked increase in the size of the prostate (prostatomegaly).
- Other prostate pathologies: cysts or squamous metaplasia.
- Urethral disease: urolithiasis or neoplasms.
- Urinary tract infections: such as cystitis, ureteritis or urethritis.
Symptoms of prostatitis in dogs
The clinical signs that we can detect in dogs with prostatitis are:
- Fever, anorexia and lethargy: fundamentally in acute prostatitis. Here you can find more information about Anorexia in dogs.
- Infertility: due to changes in prostatic fluid. We must remember that the function of the prostate is to produce a liquid that serves as a means of transport and support for the sperm. During this infectious process, the sperm die as a result of their exposure to bacterial toxins present in the prostatic fluid. In chronic prostatitis or those caused by Mycoplasma or Brucella, permanent infertility can occur.
- Hematuria (blood in the urine) and purulent urethral discharge. Do not hesitate to take a look at this other post on our site to find out Why does my dog urinate blood?
- Constipation: when associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia, the prostate is enlarged and can compress the rectum, preventing defecation.
- Dysuria: difficulty urinating and painful urination. When the prostate is enlarged, it can compress the urethra and make it difficult to urinate.
- Peritonitis and septicemia: If an abscess ruptures, peritonitis and systemic spread of infection can occur. To know more about Peritonitis in dogs, here you can find more information.
Diagnosis of prostatitis in dogs
The diagnosis of prostatitis in dogs is based on the following points that we will discuss below.
Palpation
Rectal palpation of the prostate is painful, especially in acute cases. Depending on the case of prostatitis that we find, the dog's prostate will present some characteristics or others.
- In case of acute prostatitis: the prostate feels spongy, the surface remains smooth, the symmetry of both lobes is normal, the surface is fluctuating and there are no adhesions to the surrounding tissues (it can move).
- In case of chronic prostatitis: the prostate is harder and we can notice an irregular contour due to the presence of abscesses and cysts. The size can be variable. It is important to point out that palpation must be extremely careful, since otherwise we could rupture a prostatic abscess and cause peritonitis.
Digital palpation must be performed with a finger appropriate to the size of the dog, properly lubricating the glove and palpating with slow and smooth movements.
Bone scan
When we perform an X-ray we can see an increase in the size of the prostate (when associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia) and mineralization. When radiological contrast material is used, intraprostatic abscesses can be seen.
Ultrasound
It is the safest and most informative diagnostic testIn acute prostatitis, the parenchyma of the prostate remains homogeneous and its contour smooth, while in chronic prostatitis we can see a heterogeneous parenchyma, with the presence of calcifications and fibrosis and a regular or irregular contour. In addition, we can see cavities filled with fluid (cysts) or pus (abscesses). During the ultrasound it is important to make sure that there is no associated peritonitis, ruling out the presence of free fluid in the abdominal cavity.
Blood test
In both acute and chronic cases, an increase in white blood cells (leukocytosis) is observed due to the infectious process. In addition, an increase in immature neutrophils (neutrophilia with a left shift) is seen in acute cases. You can also see azotemia, increased ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) and hypoproteinemia.
If you have questions about how to interpret a blood test in dogs? don't hesitate to take a look at this post from our site that we recommend.
Urinalysis and prostatic fluid
Urinalysis and prostatic fluid can show desquamation cells, white blood cells, red blood cells and bacteria. In the case of acute prostatitis it is not recommended to evaluate the prostatic fluid since ejaculation is very painful.
Culture and antibiogram
It is done from urine or prostatic fluid. Through culture, it is intended to grow the bacteria causing the infection in order to identify it. Once identified, an antibiogram is performed to determine which antibiotics are effective against the causal agent. This procedure allows the establishment of a specific treatment using an antibiotic of choice, which contributes to therapeutic success and prevents the development of antibiotic resistance.
Puncture with Final Needle (PAF)
Even if the puncture is performed guided by ultrasound, there is a risk of causing the rupturing of an abscess with the consequent dissemination of the infection. Therefore, needle aspiration should be avoided when abscesses are present.
Treatment of prostatitis in dogs
The treatment of prostatitis in dogs is based on antibiotic therapy or surgery, depending on the case. Next, we are going to detail them better.
Antibiotherapy
An antibiotic treatment adapted to the type of prostatitis (acute or chronic) should be instituted. It will have one effect or another depending on the prostatitis. Therefore:
- In acute prostatitis: the blood-prostatic barrier is altered, so all the antibiotics diffuse into the prostate and will take effect.
- In chronic prostatitis: this does not happen, so we will have to use antibiotics that are capable of crossing the blood-prostatic barrier, such as quinolones.
As we have commented in the previous section, it is advisable to perform a culture and antibiogram to establish a specific antibiotic treatment. However, as these diagnostic techniques take some time, the first 48 hours are usually treated with a broad-spectrum antibiotic (such as clindamycin) and, once the results are obtained, it is replaced by the antibiotic of choice. The duration of the antibiotic treatment will be 4 weeks in acute prostatitis and will be extended 8 weeks in chronic prostatitis. In acute cases, it is recommended to start the administration intravenously, and then continue orally.
Surgery
When prostatitis is associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia, it will be necessary to consider castration (orchiectomy) of the animal. Castration will cause atrophy of the prostate and prevent future episodes of prostatitis. Do not hesitate to read this other post to know the care of newly sterilized dogs.
