Few things can get you worried and disgusted, like perceiving a foul odor from your dog. It’s common knowledge that dogs can detect when an individual is sick due to their strong sense of smell. On the flip side, humans too can detect when a dog is sick by paying keen attention to the smell of a dog’s urine. You know something is not right when your dog’s urine smells like skunk.
If a dog is healthy, its urine should be clear and odorless. But if your dog’s urine smells like skunk, it’s time to go to the vet. However, bear in mind that some dog medications can make the urine of your pup smell bad. However, if your dog is not on any medication and it is producing foul-smelling urine, it’s a good sign of an underlying health issue.
In this article, we will discuss some of the reasons your pup’s urine smells like skunk. Later on, we will also consider some practical steps you can take to stop the horrible smell. We’ll also give answers to a few questions about dogs’ urine. Now, let’s consider why a dog’s pee may sometimes smell skunky.
Why Does My Dog’s Pee Smell Skunky?
Urinary tract infection is the main cause of foul-smelling pee in dogs. If your dog’s urinary tract is infected by harmful bacteria, it starts producing skunky smelling pee. The urinary tract is mainly made up of kidneys, bladder, and urethra.
If your pooch is suffering from urinary tract infections, there are some cardinal signs to look out for. Aside from the skunky-smelling pee, the signs and symptoms include pain while your pup urinates, lack of appetite, dehydration, and frequent urination. Escherichia Coli bacteria is majorly responsible for most UTIs in dogs. When the infection reaches an advanced stage, you will start noticing blood in an infected dog’s urine.
A sudden change in your dog’s behavior can also reveal that your dog is ill. A well-trained dog would always stick to some house rules. For example, a well-trained dog would not pee or poop in the living room. If it starts doing all these, your dog might be sick. If your dog messes up your room due to a urinary infection, use our top recommended dog UTI supplement for your pooch to prevent future recurrence. This supplement works by strengthening the immune system of your canine.
Is It Always Bad when Your Dog’s Urine Smells Like Skunk?
Yes, it is. Any obvious change in your dog’s urine should be a source of concern for you. A dog’s pee should never have a strong smell. A skunk smell in dogs is often an indication of an illness. Sometimes, your dog’s pee can have an unpalatable smell if it’s dehydrated.
You must be familiar with the normal smell of your dog’s urine to detect a sudden change in smell. Apart from this, your dog’s urine color can give you a hint about its health. For example, if your dog’s urine is clear, it means your canine is healthy and well hydrated. On the other hand, reddish or brownish urine is a strong sign of blood in the urine. If you notice this, take your canine to the vet immediately!
Another sign of infection in dogs is cloudy urine. A dog’s urine can become cloudy due to the presence of crystals and protein in it. Furthermore, frequent small production of urine from your dog is another classical sign of infection. In extreme situations, a dog with a urinary tract infection may stop producing urine completely. If this happens, take your pooch to the emergency room.
What Should I Do If My Dog’s Urine Smells Like Skunk?
If your dog’s urine smells like skunk, find every means of getting your canine to the vet. Urinary tract infections can become fatal if treatment is delayed. There is a high chance of the infection spreading to other parts of the body.
When you get your dog to a vet clinic, your dog’s urine sample will be taken, and diagnostic tests will be conducted on it to determine the root cause of the infection. If bacteria were the cause of urinary tract infections, appropriate antibiotics would be prescribed. Your dog will start to feel better in a day or two after using antibiotics. However, ensure you strictly follow the vet’s drug prescription for your canine.
If there is a recurrent history of UTI for your canine, the vet would likely carry out other diagnostic tests to determine the reason for that. Furthermore, to get rid of the skunk urine smell produced by your dog in your home, use a combination of hydrogen peroxide and baking powder to clean the spots where your dog messed up. After doing this, rinse the spots with warm water. Another alternative is to clean your dog up with dog shampoo.
Conclusion
If your dog’s urine smells like skunk, don’t leave anything to chance. There is always a reason for this. Do not make an attempt to treat your dog all alone. It’s too risky. Get your dog over to the vet for quality health care. Keeping track of your dog’s urine smell and color can be the difference between life and death for your canine. Urinary tract infections in dogs spread easily to other body parts if nothing is done to tackle them. Therefore, once you perceive a skunk smell in your dog’s urine, go to the vet!
