Baby Jack Russell has discolored urine

Question
Hi, I just got a ten week old jack russell puppy yesterday and we are in the process of potty training, which is going well but he had an accident on the carpet and his urine is an orangish brown color. Should i be concerned or could it be from switching food?

Answer
Hi Shawnda,

A sudden change in diet can cause a little diarrhea, not a change in urine color. Has your puppy been drinking enough water? Darkening of urine can mean it's very concentrated due to not drinking enough. You can try encouraging your puppy to drink more often, to see if the color improves.

Has your puppy had any vaccinations within the last day or two? The change in the color of his urine may be due to the vaccinations, but there are also diseases that can cause dark urine. You shouldn't try to guess which is the case. A puppy's urination is an indicator of his water balance. The quantity should be about the same each time the puppy urinates. It might be pale yellow to almost clear, but should never be deep yellow or orange.

You should call your veterinarian and let them decide if your puppy needs to be seen. They may ask that you bring in a urine sample, or they may need to take a sample directly from your puppy's bladder, which means an office visit.

If they tell you to collect a urine sample to bring in, get the sample first thing in the morning, and get a midstream sample if possible, to reduce the chance of bacterial contamination. Keep the sample in your fridge if you can't take it right over to your vet's office. Any sample left longer than 20 minutes should be refrigerated and tested within a few hours. Use a clean container! Any contamination, and even soap or detergent will alter test results.

Here are instructions on how to collect a urine sample:

http://www.ehow.com/how_2254624_collect-urine-sample-dog.html

Best of luck,

Patti