Alkaline Urine in Dogs

Background

• The Miami Museum of Science explains that pH is a number scale measuring the acidity or alkalinity of a substance. It ranges from 0 (extreme acid) to 14 (extreme alkaline) with pure water, at 7.0, considered neutral.

  The ideal pH level for dog urine, according to A Creature Comfort Pet Care, is slightly acidic, in the range of 6.2 to 6.5. Urine pH higher than 7.0 indicates alkalinity that might be caused by a high carbohydrate diet or certain medications.

Significance

• According to Vet Info, an alkaline pH level of 8 or greater can indicate a bacterial urinary infection. The most common type of urinary stones, called struvites, are made of magnesium ammonium phosphate and tend to develop in the presence of bacteria, reports The Dog Health Guide. Vet Info notes that calcium phosphate stones also are more likely to form in alkaline urine than in acidic conditions.

Related Symptoms

• Changes in urinating behavior might suggest that your dog's high pH level indicates a health problem. Frequent attempts to urinate, straining or taking a long time to urinate, and the sudden onset of incontinence are indications of urinary tract infections and bladder stones. The pet health section of WebMD notes that these symptoms also can indicate developing diabetes.

Treatment

• Larger bladder stones must be removed surgically. If a stone becomes lodged in the narrow tubes of the urinary system (the ureters and urethra), immediate removal is necessary to prevent death.

  Very small stones might require a treatment called urohydropropulsion that involves flushing them from your dog's system with saline. This technique, notes Drs. Foster and Smith Pet Education, requires anesthesia.

  If your vet suspects a bacterial infection in the urinary tract, he might suggest culturing a sample of your dog's urine to identify the exact bacteria causing it or simply begin treatment with a broad-spectrum antibiotic.

Considerations

• Urine pH readings fluctuate daily as the kidneys adjust to food intake and exercise levels, according to A Creature Comfort, so one alkaline result should not be considered proof of a life-threatening condition.

  Dietary therapy to dissolve struvites, prevent their formation or lower your dog's pH sparks debate over homemade diets versus high-quality prescription dog foods. The Dog Health Guide reports that dissolving urinary stones with any diet is a lengthy process.

  Adding acidifiers to your dog's diet is another option. According to Vet Info, however, calcium oxalate stones form more readily in acidic urine, so controlling struvite formation this way might create a favorable environment for the other stones to form.