My dog's fur is brown where she pees. Is it a UTI or urine stain?

Hello, Urine stains are not dangerous to the fur itself. Urine can cause burns on the skin if the dog is regularly sitting in it, such as in a soiled kennel. I hope this is helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The most common reason for the fur to be that color is from excessive licking. There is a pigment in dog saliva that stains the fur reddish brown. As for her urine being brown or red, that is not normal. I would collect a urine sample and have her seen by your Vet tomorrow. The most common reason for red-brown urine is blood. Bloody urine can be from a UTI. The Vet can diagnose an UTI from a urine sample and also address her excessive licking (allergies, skin infection or fleas are common causes). I wish Harlow the best!

Sometimes they will have discolored urine if there is still a little blood stuck in the vulva from the surgery or if they didn't drink much water yesterday. I would watch her closely and make sure she is getting plenty of water. If the urine continues to stay dark or if she isn't feeling well in any other way, I would have your vet take a look at her to ensure she hasn't developed an urinary tract infection. I hope this helps!

That may be due to a urinary tract infection/inflammation (UTI). Urine analysis and a check up would be needed to confirm or rule out this clinical suspicion and give appropriate treatment. The UTI could come from the bladder, urethra, urethers or even kidneys. It is unlikely to be related to the genital tract.

The brown liquid is actually normal and is just her marking. It would have nothing to do with the UTI. We more commonly see this behavior in intact males. If there is another cat in the house, then it would explain why she is marking. It's best to clean the area where she is marking with an odor neutralizer such as the one in this link: If the odor is still present, then she or other cats will continue to mark the area. I hope this helps.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Gracie has been urinating frequently and that it is red-tinged. It is possible that she has a UTI that is not responding to the particular antibiotics that your veterinarian initially prescribed, which can be a problem especially in older pets. Your veterinarian should perform a urinalysis and a urine culture and susceptibility (if they haven't already) to see if there is an infection present and to what particular antibiotics it is susceptible. Another possible cause of Gracie's signs could be urinary bladder stones, which can cause irritation of the bladder, leading to frequent urinations that are often red-tinged. Most bladder stones are visible on abdominal x-rays, which may be recommended by your veterinarian. Other stones require an abdominal ultrasound to see. An abdominal ultrasound would also be able to detect any other abnormalities in the bladder, for example, a tumor. I recommend ensuring she has plenty of access to water, and having her seen by your veterinarian at their next available appointment. I hope this is helpful!

They could be saliva staining from excessive licking. Monitor April and place an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent further licking if necessary. Ideally, if she is licking, the underlying cause shoudl be diagnosed and treated. It may also be localized skin infection, natural pigmentation or simply a dirty spot. Use a pet wipe or plain, unscented baby wipe to cleanse the area. Have April examined by your veterinarian to diagnose skin infection or to determine if it is natural pigmentation.