All metabolic waste and toxins are eliminated from a dog’s body through its urinary system. A healthy urinary tract, therefore, reflects a healthy dog. Your dog’s pee color can reveal significant details about the health of his urinary system. An unnatural urine color indicates abnormal levels of water and minerals in the body. It may also be a sign of a particular disease.
A dog’s urine can be any color, ranging from transparent to yellow, or even black or some other color. The best way to observe your dog’s urine color is to take it in a transparent glass or plastic tube. Keep the tube in front of white paper to clearly notice the color. Our dog urine color chart will be helpful if you’ve already noticed a different urine color and are now wondering what it means. Let’s start with the normal range of urine color.
What Color is Normal Dog Urine?
Healthy dog urine is any shade of yellow. The yellow color is due to the pigment urobilin, also known as urochrome, present in the urine. Veterinarians claim that pale yellow or straw yellow is the ideal color for a dog’s urine. It depends on how well-hydrated your dog is.
Typically, the more salt and less water there are in the urine, the darker it is. If your dog is well-hydrated, he’ll produce clear yellow or pale yellow urine. If there’s a low level of water in his body, he’ll produce amber or dark yellow urine. No matter the shade, a normal dog’s urine must always be yellow.
Dog Urine Color Chart
Consult this dog’s urine color chart to know if your dog is healthy or sick. Notice his pee color and match it with the colors below.
Dog Urine Color |
Meaning |
| Yellow | Healthy |
| Transparent | Kidney or liver disease, overhydration |
| Orange | Severe dehydration, jaundice, pancreatic or hepatic diseases |
| Red or pink | Bleeding: due to an infection of the urinary tract, inflammation, injury, or cancer |
| Green | Renal diseases (or consumption of a highly pigmented diet) |
| Black or dark brown | Hemolytic anemia, muscle damage, toxins (especially after consuming onions, garlic, or acetaminophen) |
The Meanings of Different Dog Urine Colors
Some major non-yellow urine colors and their meanings are:
Transparent
No-color urine in dogs can mean one of two conditions: overhydration or illness. They may be suffering from liver or renal illness. Their kidneys become unable to filter waste or retain water in the body. It results in large volumes of very dilute and transparent urine.
In such a case, speak with your veterinarian right away. If he doesn’t diagnose any problem, it means your dog is just overhydrated. Reducing his water intake should make his urine a light shade of yellow.
Orange
Orange dog urine is often an indication of icterus or jaundice. It happens due to an abnormal breakdown of the red blood cells in the body. Hemolysis produces an excess amount of bilirubin (a pigment) in the liver. In the urinary tract, it is converted into urobilin. A large amount of urobilin in the urine imparts its orange color.
Dehydration is another cause of the orange color of dog urine. If your pooch is eating any pigmented foods or taking any medications, he may produce orangish urine. Whatever the case may be, orange urine requires a trip to the veterinarian due to the potentially hazardous causes described first.
Red or Pink
Red or pink urine indicates bleeding from the dog’s urinary tract. It is not a good sign. If you notice such a color in your dog’s urine, you must take him to the vet immediately. A few typical reasons for this bleeding could be:
- Inflammation (for example, cystitis: inflammation of the urinary bladder)
- Infection of the urinary system
- Renal or bladder cancer
- Trauma due to a foreign item
- Nephrolithiasis (kidney stones)
- Poisoning
- Liver or kidney failure
- Few blood platelets due to some disease
Green
Usually, a dog’s green pee may be caused by his diet. He’s been eating too many green foods. These foods’ pigments are eliminated from the body through urine. Sometimes, a dog’s pee showing green color may signify a medical emergency.
It can indicate major gallbladder, liver, or renal conditions. In this situation, a precise diagnosis for your dog is required. He must receive immediate care from a qualified veterinarian.
Black or Dark Brown
Brown or black dog urine indicates a severe health problem. It may be due to hemolytic anemia, a condition in which RBCs undergo abnormal breakdown. The brown color also represents muscle damage. The muscles of the dog may have suffered serious trauma or prolonged seizures.
Another cause of black urine is intoxication after medication (for example, acetaminophen). Moreover, consuming onions, garlic, grapes, chocolate, or other toxic foods may also be the reason for black urine. If you notice this urine color in your dog, he needs an immediate trip to the clinic.
Final Thoughts on Dog Urine Color Chart
Healthy dog urine is always yellow, regardless of the shade. Non-yellow urine may indicate a health problem. We hope our dog urine color chart has helped you understand these pee colors and their meanings better. If you find an abnormal urine color, take your dog to the vet for a proper diagnosis. Avoid self-medication at all costs.
