What Are The Characteristics of Healthy Canine Urine?
There are three main elements that determine if your dog is passing ‘normal’ urine: color, quantity and smell.
Just like humans, clear urine usually indicates that a dog is well-hydrated.
Sometimes, though, clear excretions can be a sign that your dog isn’t able to manage their urine concentration levels effectively. If they are not drinking much, but still have very clear urine, then perhaps a trip to the vet is required.
The darker the shade of yellow, the less hydrated your pet is, and you should try to encourage them to take in more fluids.
If your dog’s urine looks orange, brown or red, this is a red flag and could signal internal bleeding. It may not always be something serious, but is certainly something you should speak with your vet about.
Cloudy urine can also be an indicator of a problem, often bladder stones, and it should not be ignored.
If your dog suddenly needs to potty more frequently, or the amount that they are producing is significantly more or less than normal, this could warrant a trip to the vet.
Frequency can be impacted by several factors including blockages, medical conditions and infections.
A sudden change in the smell of your dog’s urine can also be a warning that something else is going on.
If your dog’s urine is more concentrated, it will smell stronger (often of ammonia). Specific conditions or medical problems can also lead to an unpleasant or strong smell.
Your Dog has Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Yes, dogs can also suffer from medical conditions such as urinary tract infection. Dogs can get this infection when bacteria enter upwards through the urethral opening. The bacteria may come from feces or other debris. Strong urine smell isn’t the only common symptom of a UTI. Affected dogs may also have trouble urinating and constantly lick the urinary area.
Does vinegar kill dog pee smell?
Because the vinegar is acidic, it will neutralize the bacteria in the dog pee, offsetting its odor. Vinegar is pet safe, effective, cheap, and eco friendly. Let the vinegar solution sit for 3-5 minutes or carefully follow the instructions on the cleaning product’s label.
Dog bladder infection or Dog urinary tract infection (UTI). Symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment!
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Urine can vary in color — and smell — based on the amount of waste products as well as fluids you take in over the course of the day.
However, there are some out-of-the-ordinary smells that may indicate you need to seek medical treatment. One such example is a sweet smell to the urine, which can indicate excess glucose (blood sugar) in the urine.
Another is the smell of ammonia, which has a strong, chemical-like smell. While urine that smells like ammonia isn’t always cause for concern, there are some instances where it can be.
Waste products in urine often have an odor, but urine is usually diluted enough that the waste products don’t smell. However, if the urine becomes more concentrated — meaning there is a greater amount of waste products in relation to fluids — the urine is more likely to smell like ammonia.
Urea is one of the waste products found in urine. It’s a byproduct of the breakdown of protein and can be broken down further to ammonia in certain situations. Therefore, many conditions that result in concentrated urine can cause urine that smells like ammonia.
Stones in the bladder or kidneys can build up due to excess waste products in the bladder. Additional symptoms of bladder stones include:
Bladder stones themselves can be caused by a variety of conditions. Learn more about bladder stones.
Not having enough fluid circulating in the body means the kidneys are more likely to hold onto water, yet release waste products. As a result, the urine may be more concentrated and smell like ammonia. If your urine is darker in color and you’re passing only small amounts of urine, you may be dehydrated. Learn more about dehydration.
A bladder infection or other infection impacting the urinary tract can lead to urine that smells like ammonia. Other symptoms associated with a UTI include:
Sometimes urine smells like ammonia due to a unique combination of foods. This is not usually cause for concern unless it’s accompanied by other uncomfortable symptoms.
Occasionally having urine that smells like ammonia isn’t usually cause for concern. You may need to drink more water to dilute your urine. However, if your symptoms are accompanied by pain or potential signs of infection, such as a fever, then you should see a doctor.
Your doctor will use these responses to consider the next diagnostic tests. Sometimes, a doctor will perform an exam to check a man’s prostate for signs of enlargement that could be affecting urination. They may also ask for a urine test. The urine sample is sent to a laboratory and then tested for the presence of bacteria, blood, or pieces of a bladder or kidney stone or other waste components. Usually this test, along with a description of your symptoms, can help a doctor diagnose the cause for urine that smells like ammonia.
Your doctor may also order imaging studies where they test for abnormalities in the kidneys, bladder, or other areas that could be affecting the urine.