What this means
Every dog's urine has its own smell, which depends on drinking and food. What matters is a change: a smell that suddenly became sharper, foul or unusually sweet, especially if it lasts a few days.
Look at the colour of the urine too: whether it is darker, cloudy, bloody or looks very clear. Note how much your dog drinks and how often it urinates, whether it strains, and whether appetite or weight has changed too.
Write down when the smell changed and whether your dog had new food or other changes at the time. Collect a sample for the vet only in the way the clinic advises.
Possible causes
These are things that can cause this sign. It is not a diagnosis, and they are not equally likely for your dog.
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Inflammation of the urinary tract
Inflammation can change the smell and look of the urine. The urine may be cloudy and your dog may urinate more often.
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Bladder stones
Stones irritate the bladder, and the urine may smell different and contain blood. Your dog may strain or whimper.
About the condition: Bladder stones -
Kidney disease
When the kidneys are not working as they should, the smell and concentration of the urine can change. Greater thirst may go with it.
About the condition: Kidney disease -
Diabetes mellitus
A dog drinks a lot, urinates a lot and may lose weight despite a good appetite. The urine may smell sweet.
About the condition: Diabetes mellitus -
Too little fluid
When a dog drinks little, urine becomes darker and smells stronger. If it continues, the reason your dog is not drinking needs to be found.
What else to watch for
These observations help your vet build the picture faster. Note down what you saw and when.
- When the urine smell changed and what it is like
- Whether the urine is darker, cloudy or bloody
- Whether your dog drinks more or less than before
- Whether your dog strains or whimpers while urinating
- Whether appetite or weight has changed
- Whether you have changed the food recently
When to book a routine visit
Book a visit if the urine smell is unusual and lasts several days, if the urine is cloudy or your dog drinks more. If your dog cannot pass urine, is lethargic, vomiting or in pain, go straight away.
Related conditions
Conditions whose entries mention this sign. The list is somewhere to read on, not a way to reach a diagnosis.
- Bladder stones Kidneys and bladder Bladder stones are hard clumps of minerals that form in the urine and slowly grow inside the bladder. They irritate the bladder wall, causing inflammation and pain, and if one gets stuck in the urethra it can block the urinary tract. A dog that cannot pass urine is in a life-threatening situation and needs a vet immediately.
- Kidney disease Kidneys and bladder The kidneys filter the blood, remove waste from the body and help keep the balance of fluids and salts. When they are damaged suddenly, for example by poisoning or infection, or weaken gradually over a longer time, substances they should remove start to build up in the body. Long-term kidney changes can go unnoticed for a long time, because the healthy part of the kidneys takes over the work for a while.
- Diabetes mellitus Hormones and metabolism Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which the body makes too little insulin or can no longer use it properly, so sugar cannot move from the blood into the cells and builds up in the bloodstream. The body's cells go short of energy even though the dog is eating enough, and blood sugar that stays high for a long time can harm various organs, such as the eyes. It is a long-term condition that needs ongoing monitoring together with a vet.
Body systems: Kidneys and bladder Hormones and metabolism