If your dog suddenly smelly urine secretes, this is often a clear warning sign.
A change in the dog’s urine often indicates something to be taken seriously illness there.
In this article, you’ll learn what smells in dog urine are normal, what can trigger smelly dog urine, and when it’s time to see a vet.
Dog urine stinks – which smell is normal?
First of all: The Color and the Odor of urine of your dog are always one snapshot.
Even drinking a lot of fluids can mean that the urine turns a much lighter color.
Morning pee often smells a bit more concentrated of ammonia than the urine your dog urinates throughout the day.
This is because your dog pees more frequently throughout the day, emptying the bladder regularly.
Good to know:
Healthy dog urine is transparent, yellow and almost odorless. If this is the case, you can assume that your fur nose is not suffering from an illness.
Smelly urine as a symptom of diseases
One good nose is often helpful in recognizing the first symptoms of a disease based on the smell of urine.
The following diseases lead not only to a change in the color of the urine, but also to a change in the smell:
cystitis
The urine your dog smells like fish or smells like ammonia? The color is cloudy and your dog has to pee all the time?
These are usually very clear symptoms for one UTI (urinary tract infection).
Does your dog show these other symptoms:
- blood in the urine
- Painful expressions when urinating
- exhaustion
- light fever
- increased urination
- increased licking in the intimate area
Then you should take your dog to your veterinarian.
An untreated bladder infection is not only very painful and uncomfortable for your dog.
It can also lead to serious secondary diseases such as inflammation of the renal pelvis.
It is very common for a bitch to have bad-smelling urine because she has contracted a bladder infection. One possible consequence is that your dog may leak urine.
Since bitches’ ureters are shorter than males’, they are more prone to urinary tract infections.
dehydration
The urine of a normally drinking dog consists of 96% water and 4% waste and pollutants.
The dog separates them via the kidneys waste and pollutants using the urine.
Dehydration means nothing other than that the dog’s body dehydration has suffered.
This happens when more fluid is excreted than taken in over a period of time.
If the dog now urinates in its dehydrated state, the urine will have a much lower water content. The urine is concentrated.
However, since the proportion of waste and pollutants remains the same, the stinking odor develops. Oftentimes, a dehydrated dog’s urine will be very dark.
Other symptoms that can indicate dehydration include:
- Rapid pulse
- exhaustion
- Tremble
- Pale gums
- skin not elastic
Dehydration always needs treatment. If the dog remains dehydrated for a long time, serious kidney damage be the result.
diabetes
Diabetes most often occurs in dogs from the age of 7 to 9 years.
Since the blood sugar elevated, the excess sugar is excreted in the urine. It is striking that the dog sometimes smells extremely fruity.
The fact that a dog has diabetes is usually noticeable by the fact that it has a much higher fluid requirement than normal.
Other symptoms can also indicate diabetes:
- Extreme cravings
- Weight loss despite increased feed intake
If the suspicion is obvious that the dog is suffering from diabetes, a visit to the veterinarian must take place promptly.
Diabetes can be treated with medication, but if left untreated it can be fatal.
Kidney disease / renal insufficiency
Since the kidneys are responsible for the removal and excretion of toxins and metabolic products, it is obvious that a kidney disease on the Odor and the Color of the urine.
The following causes can lead to the kidneys no longer being fully functional:
- Severe dehydration
- poisoning
- Bacterial infection
- hereditary disease
- cardiological problems
Dogs suffering from kidney disease should always be taken to the vet.
Important! kidney failure
There is often a strong odor in the urine when the kidney is already severely affected.
If the dog suffers acute kidney failure, ⅔ of the kidneys are already affected! The urine here stinks extremely strongly of ammonia.
In this case there is only one solution: consult the veterinarian immediately.
Kidney disease is often accompanied by the following symptoms:
- Strong bad breath
- Vomit
- Diarrhea
- Pale mucous membranes
- weight loss
- Bloody urine
- Ammonia odor in the urine
- lethargy
- reluctance to eat
Since kidneys have a vital function, I advise you: It is better to drive to the vet once too often than to take it lightly.
Many diseases can be easily treated if caught early enough.
bladder stones
All mammals can take bladder stones suffer, even dogs.
Bladder stones are extremely painful and form when the salts in the dog’s urine bind.
Small pebbles and old man can easily through the ureter be segregated.
However, if the stones are larger than “the exit”, it can become problematic.
A dog suffering from bladder stones often shows the following symptoms:
- Dark cloudy urine
- Small amounts of urine
- Increased urination
- incontinence
- Bloody urine
- Increased licking in the genital area
- listlessness
According to several statistics, small dogs such as the Pug, Miniature Schnauzer and Maltese, among others, are particularly affected by bladder stones.
Bladder stones are relatively easy to find with an ultrasound scan.
Appropriate treatment will completely rid the dog of bladder stones.
Nourishment
Sometimes the explanation for the dog’s smelly urine can simply be found in his bowl.
Vegetables that contain a certain amount of sulfur or acid can change the smell of urine.
cabbage and asparagus are very popular with dogs, but are often the main reason why the dog’s urine stinks temporarily.
poisoning
Smelly urine is often a side effect of poisoning. You can find out which foods you shouldn’t feed your dog in our article: Danger to life! These 10 foods are toxic to your dog
Good to know:
Smelly urine can also be caused by:
- pregnancy
- prostate disease
- bladder cancer
- castration
- heat
What can I do for my dog myself?
If you notice that your dog’s urine smells, you should take it seriously. Try to find out if it might be due to a change in diet.
Normally, a dog drinks 20 to 100 ml of water per kilogram of body weight per day and urinates 4 to 5 times.
The most important thing is that your dog always has access to fresh water.
When should I go to the vet?
If you can rule out that the diet is the trigger for the smelly urine, you should definitely consult your veterinarian.
Smelly urine is almost always a symptom that the dog needs treatment.
If a dog’s smelly urine is ignored, this can not only lead to pain for your dog.
Serious complications can also arise. And some of these diseases, if left untreated, unfortunately lead to death.
How can I neutralize smelly urine?
Neutralizing smelly urine is easy with the following home remedies, which are guaranteed to be found in every kitchen:
Vinegar
Vinegar and Water become in relation 2:1 mixed and then applied to the affected area.
baking powder
Simply generous baking powder apply to the affected area. The rule here is: Better more than too little. Then leave it on overnight and brush off.
If you prefer to use chemicals to finally neutralize the odor, there is a wide range of odor removers for dog pee.
Conclusion
There is always a reason why dog urine stinks.
If your dog has not just eaten asparagus or other acidic vegetables, this can be an indication of a serious illness and should be clarified by your veterinarian.
Unfortunately, most dog owners do not notice a change in the urine – whether in smell or color. That’s why it’s important to keep an eye on your dog’s excrement and check it regularly.
Have you experienced smelly urine? Or even a proven recipe on how to get rid of the smell on the bed? Please leave us a comment!