Dog Urine—How Much Should A Dog Pee?

Dog Urine—How Much Should A Dog Pee?
Watching how much a dog drinks and urinates helps us know when there are problems. Dogs that drink too much and pee too much can have:
· Kidney disease
· Diabetes
· Addison’s disease with aldosterone deficiency
· Diabetes mellitus
· Diabetes insipidus
· Behavioral problems.

So, what is normal and when should you ask your veterinarian to check your pet to see if there is a problem?

Drinking
A dog normally drinks less than 90 ml/kg (40 ml/lb or 1.3 ounces/lb).
· A 10-lb dog would drink less than 400 ml or 12 ounces.
· A 50-lb dog would drink less than 2000 ml or 2 liter, about 8 cups.
· A 100-lb dog would drink less than 4000 ml or 4 liters, about 16 cups.

Urinating
A dog normally urinates less than 45 ml/kg (20 ml/lb).
· A 10-lb dog would urinate less than 200 ml or 6 ounces.
· A 50-lb dog would urinate less than 1000 ml or 1 liter, about 4 cups.
· A 100-lb dog would urinate less than 2000 ml or 2 liters, about 8 cups.

Urine Specific Gravity (USPG)
Measuring the concentration of particles (osmotic concentration) in the urine reflects how much a dog drinks and how often it urinates. The lab tests that measures the urine concentration is called urine specific gravity or USPG. The urine of a healthy dog should not be extremely concentrated or extremely dilute but be in the range of 1.012 and 1.060.

When the USPG is dilute, that is in the range of 1.008 and 1.012, we are concerned that the dog cannot concentrate its urine. This is called isosthenuria. Urine that is isosthenuric can indicate that the pet is drinking excessively or has a disease, such as Polycystic Kidney Disease, Addison’s disease, Diabetes insipidus, or a behavioral problem. Blood tests reveal whether there is a true problem, or just a tendency to drink excessive amounts of water.

When the USPG is concentrated, that is in the range of 1.030-1.060, the dog may be concentrating the urine normally, may be dehydrated, vomiting, have diarrhea, or may have a disease, such as Diabetes mellitus. Blood tests reveal the cause of the high specific gravity.

Normal human USPG
Normal human USPG is similar to that of dogs: 1.002-1.028.