The meaning of the color of urine in a dog

The color of your urine will tell you about your health status.

If the owner of a four-legged friend regularly monitors the color of his urine, he has every chance of recognizing diseases at an early stage of their development. This is due to the fact that the kidneys respond to the onset of the disease even before its first symptoms appear.

Urine color reflects health status

A change in the color of urine can mean various abnormalities in the body:

dark yellow urine. Liquid of this color can be either normal or signal unfavorable external factors or individual characteristics of the animal. This color is characteristic of low fluid intake or excessive physical activity. To return the color to normal, it is recommended to give the animal enough to drink and reduce exercise;
beet color. When you see such a shade, you should not immediately panic; you should remember what foods the dog ate the day before. If the dog could eat beets, then it was she who caused such changes. It is better to be wary if, in addition to the shade of the secreted fluid, the dog has poor appetite, bowel dysfunction, depression and other unusual symptoms;
orange tint. Sometimes a change in the color of urine to orange occurs after the dog has tasted commercial cat food. However, this happens quite rarely, in other cases the reason lies in the development of jaundice, infectious diseases, as well as in early liver dysfunction;
colorless. If the urine looks more like regular water, it is an indication that it is being over-produced. This symptom is typical at the beginning of the development of diabetes mellitus, especially if there is severe thirst;
dairy. White urine in a dog warns of a high content of leukocytes. This symptom is typical for pyelonephritis and other inflammatory diseases;
bloody urine. Blood in the urine often indicates the onset of prostatitis, cyst rupture, urolithiasis, piroplasmosis, tick bites and other problems.

Note! Red urine in mature females may indicate the onset of estrus.

Other shades of urine in pathologies

Urine can take on different shades, depending on what pathologies develop in the body.

Dark yellow and brown urine

Reasons for the dark, almost black tint:

extensive swelling of soft tissues;
dehydration;
intoxication;
infectious diseases.

This shade occurs due to the increased concentration of bilirubin in the secretions. Dark urine is typical for those cases when the dog was forced to endure a long time to go to the toilet. After a long period of abstinence from the stream of urine, foam will remain.

Bright yellow and orange

A dog's urine appears bright yellow in the following cases:

leptospirosis;
early stages of jaundice;
liver diseases.

An orange tint to urine may occur if the dog has eaten dry cat food.

Brown shade

The brown tint occurs due to the fact that the concentration of disintegrated red blood cells in the urine increases. Blood cells are destroyed during intoxication, when toxic substances are removed from the body, and during diseases of the genitourinary system.

Additional Information! Brown urine gives off an unpleasant, putrid odor, which is why it is impossible not to pay attention to it.

White or clear urine

Milk-white discharge is an indicator of a high concentration of leukocytes. This picture is typical for inflammatory processes. Colorless discharge that looks like water indicates too much urine production. This is typical for diabetes mellitus.

Blood mixed

Blood in urine is a consequence of abdominal trauma, poisoning or surgery, for example, after castration.

Green color

Green urine is an extremely dangerous symptom. Urine looks this way due to the development of purulent inflammation in the bladder or urethra, as well as blockage of the bile ducts.

Green discharge is a symptom indicating a severe pathology that requires immediate action.

Normal urine characteristics

Yellow poop in a dog: causes of orange poop

Urine, or urine, is the product obtained after blood is purified and filtered by the kidneys. Its shade can be affected by the foods included in the daily diet. The reason why dogs have bright yellow urine is influenced by the urobilin content. This component is a derivative of bilirubin, a toxic compound that must be completely eliminated from the body. The higher its concentration in urine, the more red it is colored.

If your puppy has yellow urine, then this is normally colored urine.

The natural color of urine is yellow or straw. To make a more accurate determination of the shade, some of the liquid is poured into a transparent glass and placed in front of a white surface (you can use paper).

About cloudiness

What does severe cloudiness of urine indicate, even if it has a normal straw color? Most likely, this indicates the presence of cystitis, urethritis, nephritis, vaginitis, and other pathologies of the genitourinary system, including cancer. If urine remains this way for more than a couple of days, we advise you to consult a specialist. This is especially true in cases where the dog does not eat.

The danger of all inflammatory pathologies of the urinary system is that they can cause stagnation of urine. This is fraught not only with its clouding and other “tricks” with color, but also with the absorption of metabolic products into the blood. We are talking about uremia, a severe condition in which the animal’s nervous system is affected, numerous neurological phenomena and seizures are observed.

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By the way, let's go back to the beginning of our article for a moment. Remember what we said about completely clear urine? For dogs, “crystal” purity of urine is uncharacteristic. This may indicate poor kidney function that does not secrete urobilin, or your pet may have polydipsia. Simply put, this happens in cases where the dog drinks constantly and continuously. This behavior often indicates problems with the thyroid gland, adrenal glands, or indicates some kind of poisoning. Well, or the dog just ate too much salty food.

What causes urine to turn dark?

There may be several reasons why a dog has dark urine, here are the most common ones.

Urolithiasis disease

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One of the reasons for darkening of urine is urolithiasis, which is also characterized by prolonged urination. The dog has difficulty emptying the bladder, and the process itself is delayed indefinitely.

Important! The dark color is caused by an inflammatory process occurring in the internal organs.

Darkening in this case is caused by blood entering the urine, which turns red or brown. At the same time, metabolic processes are disrupted, which leads to the development of stones in the bladder.

Often, stagnation of emptying can occur due to prolonged abstinence, which is typical for rare walks. The animal has to endure a lot of time, which causes inflammation and the beginning of many diseases.

Piroplasmosis

Piroplasmosis is a dangerous disease caused by ixodid ticks. While the parasite sucks the dog's blood, the pathogens of this disease can penetrate through its proboscis, and infection begins. While the domestic dog feels tired and can sleep a lot, active laying of larvae occurs in his body.

Ixodid ticks are carriers of piroplasmosis

Important! The development of piroplasmosis can be suspected by the animal’s poor appetite, high temperature, dark urine, as well as by the dog’s apathy and drowsiness.

If there is a suspicion of this disease, and the dog has been bitten by ticks, it is recommended to consult a specialist for a detailed diagnosis and treatment. Otherwise, the animal may die. And those individuals that were saved often suffer complications to the brain, kidneys and heart.

Dog treatment

To diagnose a dog for this disease, you need to do an X-ray examination or ultrasound. In addition, you will need to submit your urine for analysis. It should be remembered that with a certain diagnosis of the dog, the doctor must inform you about the names of the types of stones.

If a breeder observes dark-colored urine in an animal, then the first step is to take it to a specialized clinic, where the dog will be examined. The diseases listed above are characterized as difficult to diagnose, therefore, “by eye” and without a preliminary examination, the doctor will not be able to make an accurate diagnosis. After conducting a diagnostic study, the veterinarian will be able to determine the causative agent of the infection and the cause of this symptom, and then prescribe therapy and inform you about the necessary course of treatment.

If a pet is diagnosed with piroplasmosis, then the dog’s owners should be patient, because the treatment of this disease takes a very long time. Experts call four stages of therapy. Which is necessary for effective elimination of parasites.

In the first stage, treatment is aimed at eliminating mites and their larvae that are inside the body. The veterinarian prescribes medications and instructions for their use. After the parasites are destroyed, there is no need to stop treatment, since the dog’s body will be infected with toxic substances. All subsequent stages are carried out to completely cleanse the body. It is recommended to give your dog vitamins and medications to help restore and maintain health. Afterwards, specialists perform diuresis. This procedure eliminates the risk of relapse of the disease. At the end, the blood is completely cleansed.

Treatment for cystitis

If the cause of dark-colored urine is cystitis, then medications are used for treatment, the purpose of which is to relieve inflammatory processes. In advanced cases, the dog's bladder is washed. During the therapy period, it is recommended to provide comfort and coziness to the dog so that it does not move excessively and is not subjected to heavy physical activity, which can cause complications. Also, special attention should be paid to the animal’s nutrition; the best food is milk soup, which does not cause irritation in the body and restores the coat.

If a dog has been diagnosed with urolithiasis, then the treatment method is chosen individually. Sometimes doctors resort to surgery. But in most cases, the urinary tract is washed. This procedure makes it possible to drive stones into the bladder.

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Bright yellow urine in dogs

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If your adult dog or puppy has yellow urine that resembles orange juice, you should consult a professional. This symptom is characteristic of dangerous disorders associated with the hepatorenal system. Among them:

damage to red blood cells. When an animal is exposed to poisons, serious changes in the functioning of internal organs often occur. The causes of brown urine in a dog in this case may be piroplasmosis, leptospirosis and other diseases;
pathological processes occurring in the bile ducts. Analysis in this case may show the presence of helminths, malignant tumors or stones;
severe form of dehydration. It can occur in extreme heat, limited drinking and improper living conditions for the animal. The dog is lethargic, has a poor appetite and shows all the signs of apathy. This condition is characterized by dark yellow urine;
diseases associated with the gallbladder. The presence of inflammatory processes and stones in the gall bladder in the early stages can be suspected by the rich yellow color of the urine;
pancreatitis that occurs for various reasons.

How to diagnose liver disease in a dog at home

An accurate diagnosis is established using ultrasound and biochemical tests. If it is not possible to contact a veterinarian, you will have to try to diagnose the disease yourself. At home, 2 diagnostic methods are possible:

Clinical picture. In addition to the above symptoms, the development of liver failure will be indicated by: thirst, yellowness of the mucous membranes (conjunctiva, oral cavity, skin), shortness of breath. Frequent urination, vomiting, increase or decrease in body temperature are alarming.
Palpation. The liver in carnivores fits tightly to the costal wall and is located in the anterior abdominal cavity in the center. If, when palpating the liver area, the dog is worried and whines, this indicates pain and inflammation of the organ. In healthy dogs, the organ is not palpable, but upon magnification, the posterior edge can be clearly felt. You need to palpate with the animal standing or lying down, tightly folding the fingers of the leading hand.

Associated symptoms that should alert you

If your dog has at least one of the following symptoms in addition to changes in urine color, you will need to consult a veterinarian:

incontinence. If a dog, which previously could tolerate until the next walk, begins to make puddles in the apartment, this should alert you and be a reason to visit the veterinarian;
rapid breathing without previous physical activity;
bloody issues. They can be observed at the beginning of urination or at the very end, be in the form of dark clots or dissolved in the urine. All this should be paid attention to and voiced at the doctor’s appointment;
vomiting for no apparent reason. If there has been no evidence of poisoning, but the dog begins to vomit for no apparent reason, you should also pay attention to this;
increased anxiety and lethargy;
abdominal pain and excessive salivation.

Incontinence in a dog

Change in urine color

Description of symptoms

The color of your urine will tell you about your health status.

Urine is a liquid that the body secretes, and along with it, metabolic products. Some of them give urine a particular color. For example, urobilin, urochrome, uroroserin, uroerythrin and the like. Thanks to them, urine turns yellow in varying intensities.

Normal urine color ranges from pale to bright yellow, depending on the presence of a pigment called urochrome. The color of urine may not always be normal. Vitamins can change it to bright green, carrot color can turn it orange. Porphyria is a disease that affects the skin and nervous system; it changes the color of urine to the color of wine.

Causes of urine color change

The color of urine depends on several factors. Firstly, it depends on metabolism and the amount of metabolites that are excreted, as well as on the volume of fluid excreted by the body. Thus, unconcentrated urine will always be lighter than concentrated urine. Secondly, it depends on age. The color of a child's urine will always be lighter than that of an adult. In infants, urine is light yellow in color, while in newborns it is almost colorless. But a reddish tint is allowed for two weeks from the moment of birth. This is due to high levels of uric acid.

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What foods you eat also determine what color your urine will be in the future. For example, green urine is the result of eating rhubarb or asparagus, pink or even red urine is from beets, and orange urine is from carrots. If the color of the urine changes during treatment, this may be the result of taking medications, which will most likely be written in the instructions for the medications.

But it is worth noting that a change in the color of urine most often occurs in the

Source

Urine fluid, as a rule, has a transparent consistency or is colored slightly yellow. The smell of a healthy person's urine is a bit like ammonia. A change in the color of urine indicates existing abnormalities in the health of the body.

If the urine takes on a pinkish or reddish tint, this may indicate that bleeding has occurred in some area of the genitourinary system. You should seek medical help immediately. Cloudiness in the color of urine indicates an infection of the bladder or the formation of kidney stones. In addition to changes in the color of urine of a specific nature, you need to know that in the case of diabetes mellitus, the urine acquires a slight smell of fruit when there is excessive sugar in the blood.

All other changes in the color of urine, according to urologists, indicate that the person has eaten or drank. So, after eating beets, the urine becomes pinkish. And when eating carrots, it turns yellow or orange. After eating asparagus, the urine turns greenish and acquires a foul, pungent odor. A number of certain antibiotic drugs also cause changes in the color of urine. In some cases, it may turn blue or purple. Certain medications that are typically prescribed for diagnostic purposes can also change the quality and color of urine. However, in the latter case, the change is more of an exception than a rule.

Bright yellow urine indicates that a person is dehydrated because the body is not getting enough fluid. Chronic dehydration, when the urine becomes very bright, even in the absence of strong thirst, can lead to the formation of stones in the kidney tissue.

When to contact a veterinarian

If the urine has changed its normal color for several days, and there are other accompanying symptoms, the animal owner should contact a veterinarian. To speed up diagnosis and obtain the most accurate result, you need to pay attention and provide the following data:

urination pattern. The owner should be alerted if, when the dog sits down to the toilet, it begins to whine or squeal. Perhaps she spends a long time preparing for this process and cannot choose the right place the first time. You should tell your veterinarian about all these changes;
volume of urine. A change in the volume of escaping fluid, both upward and downward, should also alert you. This symptom indicates health problems and improper functioning of the genitourinary system;
smell. At the appointment, it is important to know what smell your pet’s urine has. If inflammatory processes occur in the dog’s body, the excreted fluid will have a putrid odor. An ammonia aroma will indicate kidney failure, and the smell of acetone will indicate diabetes;
character of the jet. Normally, when emptying the bladder, the stream is full. If it becomes too thin or intermittent, this indicates problems with its output. Most often, this symptom is observed in the presence of stones or prostate disease. It is also worth paying attention if, instead of fully urinating, the animal squeezes out a small amount of liquid. The norm is the situation if the male dog has not been neutered and thus he marks his territory. In other cases, this is a reason to consult a doctor.

Dog at the veterinarian's appointment

Note! After the symptoms have been announced, in order to accurately determine the problem, you may need to do an x-ray or ultrasound. For such procedures, it is good when the bladder is full, so you should not walk your pet before visiting the doctor. Often, a specialist recommends doing a blood and urine test to evaluate the functioning of the internal organs.

Darkening of an animal's urine may indicate the presence of health problems, so do not neglect this symptom. If the urine color does not correspond to normal for several days and accompanying symptoms appear, you should contact your veterinarian. Timely treatment will keep your pet healthy and alive.

How to collect dog urine for analysis

Without a urine test for hematuria, an accurate diagnosis cannot be made. When complaining of blood in the urine, the veterinarian will definitely ask you to collect it for analysis. How can this be done practically? Let’s say right away that the procedure is not easy – it often looks funny and strange.

It is highly advisable to wash the outside of the genitals with warm water before the procedure.

Even better - treat with an antiseptic solution, for example, Chlorhexidine.

If you have a male, we collect urine as follows. While walking, we carefully approach the animal from the side/back. When the dog begins to mark, place a wide-necked jar or bottle under the stream. This should be done at any “stop”. Don't be angry, don't be nervous - everything will work out. If you fail immediately, the process is repeated the next days - so the dog will get used to it, and you will get used to it.

To take material for analysis from the “girl,” prepare a special device. Wash and dry a regular empty plastic bottle thoroughly - its size should be adjusted to the size of your pet. Close the lid tightly and cut off the bottom from the top. While walking, quietly approach the animal while urinating and place the device under the stream. In bitches, you can try collecting urine for analysis in a flat container.

Normally, a dog's urine is straw-yellow, without a sharp pathological odor. A change in the shade of liquid excrement indicates that there is some kind of disorder in the animal’s body. For example, dark mustard urine is due to dehydration, rich orange urine indicates problems with the liver or gall bladder, black urine indicates a possible cancer. What does red urine mean in a dog, simply put, if there is blood in it? Let's try to figure out what causes blood in dog urine.