Dogs can develop many of the same diseases and conditions as humans do. You should always pay attention to your dog’s actions and both his urine and feces in order to spot something that isn’t right as soon as possible. Catching diseases or disorders early will help you to get him diagnosed by the vet and then he can be treated quickly so he doesn’t get worse.
Why is My Dog’s Urine Sticky?
You will notice if your four-legged family member has more accidents in the house when he is fully potty trained. If your dog is urinating in the house and he normally doesn’t do this, it can be a great concern. Our pets don’t just suddenly one day decide to start making messes, so if this happens a few times, it can be a sign of diabetes.
When a dog becomes diabetic, it will usually have an increase in thirst, which in turn leads to an increase in urine. He may accidentally go on the floor or he may go outside to urinate way more often than normal. The urine is usually a darker color than it should be when there is too much glucose in the blood. Your dog may also have weight loss in spite of eating the same amount of food or he could have an increase in his appetite because without the glucose his body needs, the body’s cells are craving food for energy.
The stickiness of the urine is caused by the elevated sugar content. It’s concentrated urine as well and it will most likely have a much stronger smell than normal. If you have ever noticed that you took your dog for a jog or run and he exercised a lot, he will most likely be very thirsty afterward and his urine will be clear. This is because the exercise depleted his body of any extra insulin and this causes the color in the urine to change.
Insulin is produced by the pancreas to help control blood glucose or blood sugar, as it is often called. When there is not enough insulin in the body or the levels the pancreas produces are too little, then your dog becomes diabetic. The liver tries to filter out the high blood glucose and it works overtime, which leads to your dog getting dehydrated and urinating more often. When the urine dries on your flooring it will be sticky, just as if you spill a soda on the floor and let it dry before cleaning it.
What To Do If My Dog’s Urine is Sticky?
If your dog continues to use the bathroom in the house and he has sticky urine when it dries, you should take him to the vet right away. Your veterinarian can perform a few very simple tests to tell him if your dog is indeed diabetic.
Advanced signs of diabetes in your furry friend include a lack of energy and a loss of appetite as well as being depressed and not wanting to play as he usually does and vomiting. Uncontrolled diabetes can be debilitating and result in cataracts that lead to blindness, an enlarged liver, UTIs, kidney failure, ketoacidosis, and seizures that can be life-threatening. Diabetes in pets is a very treatable condition when you catch the symptoms early and get them medical attention.
Several different factors can predispose your dog to diabetes, including older dogs, being a female, and being obese. Steroid medications can cause diabetes if they are used over a long period of time and your dog may become diabetic if his parents had this condition and he inherited it.
Some dogs become overweight and then contract diabetes simply because they are eating too many sweets or sugary treats–especially human food. So this is one thing you should be concerned about when your dog looks at you with those begging eyes as you are eating ice cream. A tiny bit of something sweet won’t hurt your dog, but this shouldn’t be the norm and only every so often. Otherwise, stick to his dog treats.
Why Is My Dog’s Pee Thick and Yellow?
The thick and yellow urine is a sure indication that something isn’t right with your pooch. It is most likely because he is diabetic and he will need to be seen by your vet. A normal urine color for a dog is anywhere from clear to lightly tinted yellow in color. Bright or dark yellow is a sure sign that something medical is happening to your pet.
If your dog has thick and yellow urine, make sure he has plenty of water to drink and take note of the next time he urinates to see if the color is now lighter or clear. If so, then he is probably okay and maybe he just had one episode of dark urine. If your dog refuses to drink any water or strains to urinate or produces no urine, then you need to rush him to the vet’s office as this can be a sign of a urinary blockage which is life-threatening if it isn’t treated immediately.
If the blood and urine tests at the vet determine your dog has diabetes, then he will need treatment. He may need to eat specialized dog food for dogs with diabetes. This can be a prescription dog food that is high in protein to fill your pup up with a moderate fat content and a very low carbohydrate level to keep his insulin in check. You may also need to walk your dog more often or play with him more if he is obese or overweight. This will also help to check his blood glucose levels.
Your dog may also need to take insulin shots in order to get better, just as some humans do. The injections use a very fine needle that doesn’t hurt your dog and your vet will teach you how and when to give the shots to your pooch.
How to Clean Sticky Dog Urine?
If your dog is peeing all over the house and he is diabetic, it can be a major problem. Dogs will return to the same area over and over to urinate there again and the smell can be pretty awful. It’s imperative to thoroughly clean the sticky urine and get the smell out too. Another problem is that ants are attracted to the thick and sticky pee because of the sugar content and then this presents another big pest problem.
You should wear rubber gloves in order to protect your hands. Either use an old mop to remove the liquid as much as possible. Instead, you can put thick layers of paper towels on the urine and let it absorb into them as much as possible and then just toss them. This is the preferred method so as not to make your mop stinky and then, you need to clean it too.
Next, you can either use a commercial product or a combination of baking soda and vinegar to remove the stains and the odor. For commercial cleaners, you apply the commercial cleaner and deodorizer in a liberal amount because on the carpet, it needs to reach through the carpet and through the carpet padding underneath it to be effective. Follow the directions on your commercial product because some say to allow it to sit on the spots for a specific amount of time and then clean it up, while others say to let it dry completely on the area.
If you are going the all-natural route. sprinkle a liberal amount of baking soda on the spot and then rub it in the carpet with an old toothbrush. Then you add a liberal amount of white vinegar on top and let it dry completely by itself. You can put a fan blowing on it to make it dry faster. The last step is to merely vacuum up any product left on the carpet.
For tough and large stains and odors, you may need to retreat the areas again and for carpet stains, you might think about using a carpet cleaner with detergent in that area of your home. On hardwood or any other hard floors it’s easier to clean up becasue it doesn’t soak through the flooring.