A dog's urine can give us very important information about its state of he alth. Therefore, any change in its appearance, color or smell, as well as in the frequency of its emission, are cause for alert and veterinary consultation.
In this article on our site we will focus on explaining why a dog's urine smells very strong We will look at the causes that may be behind this problem and how we should act. As urine problems can end up damaging the kidney, it is important to go to the vet early.
My dog smells a lot like pee, why?
There are pathological causes that can explain why our dog's urine smells very strong, but sometimes the problem is that the whole dog smells like urine. This situation is more frequent in those animals with long hair that stain their genital and abdominal areas and their legs with urine. It has no more relevance than the hygienic problem and we can solve it or, at least, reduce it, cutting the hair of the affected areas.
Other times, the dog smells excessively of pee because he suffers from urinary incontinence This disorder is more common in older dogs, being normal that we see a small puddle of urine in the place where it rests. Even so, as there are different causes that may be behind incontinence, we must go to the veterinarian to obtain a diagnosis, since there are some that are treatable.
In dogs with kidney disease we can also detect a smell of urine and, specifically, their mouths will smell of ammonia. The problem with this pathology is that it begins to show symptoms when the kidney is already severely damaged. As it affects older dogs with greater probability, it is recommended that, in general, from 7-8 years of age we take them to a veterinary check-up, since in a blood test we could detect this disorder. It cannot be cured but it can be treated to slow its progression and keep the dog with a good quality of life for as long as possible.
My dog's urine smells like ammonia, is that normal?
A very common cause that explains why a dog's urine smells very strong is cystitis, in which we can notice a different odor to her, like ammonia, although some keepers report that their dog urine smells fishyIn any case, it is a strong smell that will attract our attention.
Cystitis is inflammation of the bladder and can be accompanied by urine infection, which is characterized by, in addition to a strange smell, an increase in the frequency of urination, pain in the abdominal area, sometimes blood or haematuria, efforts to urinate and discomfort when doing so. The typical sign is a dog that adopts the posture to urinate, tries, but does not succeed or only expels a few drops. This pathology is treated with antibiotics and it is important to start as soon as possible because, otherwise, bacterial infections can ascend from the bladder to the kidneys, even causing kidney failure.
Calculus, which are deposits of minerals such as struvite formed at different points in the urinary tract, are another cause of cloudy urine. Some break down and pass with a proper diet, but others require surgery to remove because they won't dissolve or are so large that it's physically impossible for the dog to expel them on his own. The stones can cause a partial or total obstruction of the urinary system. This last case is a veterinary emergency, since if the animal cannot urinate and does not receive treatment, it will die. Thus, if, in addition to noticing a strong odor, you wonder why your dog's urine is very yellow, it is possible that the reason is also in the presence of stones or urine infection.
Finally, the urine of a dog that has not been able to evacuate for hours, for example, during the night, will normally be more concentrated and, therefore, will smell stronger, without this implying pathology some. We must offer the dog enough opportunities to empty his bladder
Why does my dog's urine smell bad?
The reasons we have seen to explain why a dog's urine smells very strong, also work if instead of being a male we are the caretakers of a female. Of course, in female dogs we have to distinguish well whether it is urine or vaginal secretion There are several pathologies that include among their symptoms a vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor, such as vaginitis or pyometra. In either case, veterinary diagnosis and treatment will be needed.
Dark urine in dogs - Causes
We have seen that in some of the pathologies that explain why a dog's urine smells very strong we can find blood in the urine, which can make it look dark. In male dogs this blood is one of the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, a disorder that affects unneutered dogs in which this gland increases its size due to the effect of hormones. The treatment of choice is usually sterilization.
Also, some serious illnesses can stain the color of urine to a brown or orange hue. For example, a liver failure that also causes symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, yellowing of the mucous membranes or jaundice, bleeding or fluid retention in the abdomen or ascites.
Another example of a relatively frequent pathology that can present dark urine in dogs can be found in babesia, a parasite that ticks transmit to dogs and that can sometimes be fatal. The darker coloration is due to a hemolytic anemia which destroys the red blood cells and hence the dark urine. Therefore, a change in color of this will always be a reason for veterinary consultation.
