My Dog Smells Like Ammonia - Is It Serious? Vet Explains Potential Reasons.

Okay, so the other day, I noticed a weird smell coming from my dog, Buster. It wasn't his usual doggy odor – it was sharp and, well, it smelled like ammonia. Kind of like cleaning products. I was immediately worried, so I started sniffing around (him, not the house!).

First, I checked his fur all over. I thought maybe he'd rolled in something outside. We have a garden, and sometimes he gets into things he shouldn't. I felt around, gave him a good rub-down, but his fur felt clean. No sticky spots, no weird residue. Nothing.

Then, I smelled his breath. This was not pleasant, let me tell you. But, I wanted to see if the ammonia smell was coming from his mouth. It was hard to tell because, you know, dog breath. It wasn't overpoweringly ammonia, but there was a hint of it, I think.

My Next Step: The Internet!

Of course, I did what any modern dog owner would do – I googled it. "Dog smells like ammonia," I typed in. A whole bunch of stuff came up, some of it pretty scary. Kidney problems, dehydration, urinary tract infections... Yikes!

After reading a bit, I started to put a plan to gather. I decided to make sure he was hydrated. I filled his water bowl up nice and full.

Made sure he saw me put lots of fresh, nice water,

He did take a few laps, which was good. But he wasn't super thirsty, which was strange considering the things I was reading.

Next, I looked at his pee. I know, gross. But I needed to see if it looked normal. Was it dark yellow? Cloudy? We went for a walk, and I (discreetly, I hope!) watched him go. It looked pretty normal, maybe a little darker than usual, but not alarmingly so.

I still had to rule out a UTI, so I called my vet and made an appointment. I explained the ammonia smell, and the vet said it was a good idea to bring him in, just to be safe. Better safe than sorry, right?

The Vet Visit

At the vet, they did a urine test. That was fun (for neither of us). They also did a blood test to check his kidney function. While we waited for the results, the vet asked me a bunch of questions: What's his diet like? Has he been drinking more or less water than usual? Any changes in his behavior?

Luckily, the tests came back mostly normal! His kidney function was fine, and there was no sign of a serious infection. The vet said it could be a mild UTI, or possibly even just a slight dietary imbalance. She suggested a few things:

• More water (obviously!).
• A slight change in his diet, maybe to a food with a bit more moisture content.
• Monitoring his pee for any changes (again, fun times).

So, that's where we are now. Buster is still a little stinky, but less so. I'm keeping a close eye on him, making sure he's drinking plenty of water, and crossing my fingers that it was just a minor thing. It's a good reminder to pay attention to those little changes in our furry friends – they can't always tell us what's wrong!