Skip to main content
MD
MedicalDictionary.comThe Free Veterinary Medical Dictionary
Clinical Symptom🐕 Dogs🐈 Catsurinary

Hematuria

🗣️ Pronounced:hee-mat-YOOR-ee-uh
In One Sentence (Plain English)

The presence of red blood cells in the urine, giving it a pink, red, or brownish discoloration.

Editorial Status: Verified from peer-reviewed veterinary sources (v1.0)
Updated: 2026-01-15

💬 In Plain English

Hematuria means there is blood in the urine. It can be microscopic (only detected on a dipstick or microscope at the clinic) or macroscopic (plainly visible to the owner as pink, bright red, or dark brownish urine). Pet owners often spot red spots on tile, in the bathtub, on snow, or in the cat’s litter box. Hematuria is commonly accompanied by painful straining (stranguria) and passing small, frequent drops (pollakiuria). Common causes include bladder infections, bladder stones, feline idiopathic cystitis, or bleeding disorders.

🔬 Clinical & Technical Depth

For Vets & Technicians

Formal Clinical Definition

Excretion of intact erythrocytes in urine. Must be differentiated from hemoglobinuria (free hemoglobin from intravascular hemolysis) and myoglobinuria (muscle breakdown from rhabdomyolysis) via urine centrifugation and dipstick examination.

Why Veterinarians Use It

Veterinarians assess hematuria using urinalysis and imaging to differentiate lower urinary tract disease (bladder/urethra) from upper renal disease or systemic bleeding disorders.

Clinical Context Encountered

Frequently reported in cats with feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD) and dogs with bacterial cystitis or urolithiasis (bladder stones).

Clinical Reference Guide (Clinical Symptom)

Urgency Level

🚨 Red Flag Warnings (When to Contact an Emergency Vet)
  • •In male cats, hematuria combined with repeated straining and producing zero urine is a life-threatening urethral blockage requiring immediate emergency care.

❓ Questions to Ask Your Veterinarian

Take these actionable questions with you to your next clinic visit or appointment:

  • 1Is the blood visible microscopically (RBCs on sediment) or macroscopically (gross red urine)?
  • 2Did a urine culture grow bacterial colonies, and what specific antibiotic is indicated?
  • 3Did abdominal X-rays or ultrasound reveal radiopaque bladder or kidney stones?
  • 4In a male cat, is there any danger of urethral obstruction?

Academic & Clinical References