Have you ever looked at your dog’s urine? Do you know what color it normally appears to be? What would it mean if your dog’s urine changed color suddenly, or over a period of time? What is a normal color for dog urine?
If you’ve ever stopped to wonder what your dog’s urine color can tell you about his health, you’re not alone. Many dog owners find themselves wondering the same thing. It’s a good idea to brush up on everything you need to know about canine urine colors, so you can better recognize when something may be going wrong with your dog.
Healthy Dog Urine: Pale, Clear Yellow
If your dog’s urine is pale yellow and very clear, this means he has healthy urine. This is the appearance you want to strive for when it comes to the color of your pet’s pee! The urine should be slightly yellow—not too clear, but not too dark—and should not contain any cloudiness or other concerning signs.
If your dog’s urine is usually this color, then you probably have a very healthy pup on your hands. However, you can still have your dog’s urine tested at the vet any time, if you are concerned.
Concerning Dog Urine Colors
- Clear with no yellow: If your dog’s urine is very clear with no real hint of yellow, this typically means the dog is over-hydrated. You may be giving your dog too much liquid in his diet, especially if you provide him only with wet food and broths. On the other hand, he may simply be drinking too much water on his own throughout the day.
- Over-hydration can, however, sometimes be a sign that your dog could have diabetes. Although there are other more common signs of canine diabetes, your vet will likely want to rule out the risk of diabetes in your pet if your dog has clear urine.
- Dark yellow: Dark yellow urine is just the opposite of clear urine with no yellow, and it usually means your dog is slightly dehydrated. Mild to moderate dehydration will cause the urine to appear dark yellow, but more serious levels of dehydration can cause urine to look caramel or orange in color.
- Dehydration can be deadly to dogs in a short amount of time. Even if your dog is only slightly dehydrated, make sure you encourage him to take in more fluids. Give him ice, broth (with no harmful ingredients), wet food, or frozen dog “smoothies” to help him hydrate.
Serious Dog Urine Colors
- Pink or red: Pink coloration in a dog’s urine usually means the dog has some bleeding going on somewhere within the urinary tract. Although the cause of the bleeding may be nothing too serious, it still needs to be treated as soon as possible by a vet. Pink could indicate a urinary tract infection as well.
- Red urine, however, is more serious. It means your dog has a lot of internal bleeding from the bladder, kidneys, or elsewhere in the urinary tract. It could indicate an injury, a very serious infection, cancer, or other severe issues that need prompt medical treatment.
- Brown: Brown urine is not to be confused with dark yellow, caramel, or orange urine, which can indicate dehydration. Brown urine usually means there is internal bleeding somewhere within your dog’s body, and it can also be a sign of toxin ingestion in a dog.
- If you know your dog has consumed something potentially harmful (such as a cleaning solution, a human food that is dangerous to dogs, or a foreign object), and you see brown urine, take him to the emergency vet immediately. This could be a sign of life-threatening symptoms related to your dog’s toxin ingestion.
- Green: Finally, green urine can indicate there is something wrong with your dog’s kidneys. Although green urine is not very common, it is still a potential symptom to be on the lookout for, especially if you know your dog has already been diagnosed with kidney failure.
- Typically, green urine indicates late-stage kidney failure, cancer of the kidneys, or extremely severe urinary tract infection. Urine may turn green because bilirubin makes its way into the kidneys, where it is not supposed to be. Dogs will likely be very sick if they have reached the point of having green urine, but this is not always the case.
Conclusion
With the help of this guide, you should have a better idea of what normal urine looks like for your dog.
