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Pet pee in the house is always frustrating, but you can find a silver lining to those moments when your dog has an indoor accident. Urine is one of many indicators that can clue us into underlying health issues. Although dogs can’t always tell us when something’s wrong, a funky odor or off-color to their pee is a fair sign it’s time to talk to the vet.
Green dog urine is particularly concerning and can be a sign of a serious issue that needs immediate attention. If you’re stuck wondering why your dog’s pee is green, we’ll explain the primary causes and what they could mean for your pet.
What Does Green Dog Pee Mean?
Green pee typically occurs due to bilirubin or biliverdin in the urine. Bilirubin is a dark yellow-orange breakdown product of hemoglobin and heme-containing proteins in bone marrow, muscles, and other tissues. Dog urine typically has small amounts of bilirubin but not enough to significantly affect its color when healthy.
Heme breaks down into biliverdin (a green-tinted compound) and then bilirubin through enzymatic action, primarily in the spleen, liver, and bone marrow. Bilirubin enters the liver, where it is conjugated and excreted in bile through the bile duct.
Bile then travels through the duct to the small intestine, with some branching to the gallbladder for storage and later use. Once it reaches the colon, bilirubin undergoes more processing before leaving the body in urine or feces.
Diseases and disorders at various points in this process can cause excessive bilirubin to enter the bloodstream and reach the kidneys and urine. As well as discolored urine, dogs may also show signs of jaundice (icterus) due to high bilirubin levels. Telltale signs of jaundice include yellowing eyes, gums, ear flaps, and other areas of the skin.
Although excessive bilirubin typically makes dog urine orange or dark yellow, it can also make dog pee green. Bilirubin oxidizes back to biliverdin in sunlight. If you come across a pool of green dog urine, it may have started as a darker yellow but changed color as it sat.
The 5 Reasons Why a Dog’s Pee is Green
1. Red Blood Cell Destruction
Abnormal red blood cell destruction (hemolysis) in the circulatory system or reticuloendothelial system can cause excessive bilirubin to appear in urine. Hemolysis has various causes, including immune-mediated hemolytic anemia and cancer. Blood parasites and toxins from some foods, such as onions and garlic, can also cause hemolytic anemia, leading to excess bilirubin in the urine.
2. Liver Disease
Cancer, cirrhosis, hepatitis, and other diseases can cause the improper breakdown, conjugation, and excretion of bilirubin by the liver, allowing it to build in the blood and enter your dog’s urine. Dogs can suffer from liver damage due to infections, toxic foods, and breed-related genetic disorders.
3. Bile Duct Obstruction
Bilirubin may also build up in the blood and urine and cause your dog’s pee to turn green if it can’t flow smoothly to the gallbladder and small intestine. Blockages often occur from gallbladder stones, infections, trauma, or inflammation of the pancreas, gallbladder, or liver.
4. Urinary Tract Infection
Sometimes, a dog may have green urine because of a specific type of UTI. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an infectious and highly drug-resistant bacteria that can survive on numerous surfaces, making exposure common for people and animals.
Though it more often affects the ear and soft tissues, the bacteria produce a greenish-blue pigment called pyocyanin that can turn a dog’s urine green if it infects the urinary tract.
5. Medications and Food Dyes
Occasionally green urine is a harmless byproduct of something your dog ate. Your dog may have gotten into something with a lot of blue or green food dye, some of which may have gone undigested and ended up in their stool or urine.
Rarely your dog may be on medication or have a drug in their system that can cause green-tinged pee.
Some medications and compounds that may cause green-colored urine include:
- Propofol
- Methylene blue
- Cimetidine
- Amitriptyline
- Metoclopramide
Most of these have been primarily documented as causing green urine in people rather than dogs. If your dog suddenly has green pee after a vet procedure or starting a new medicine you should still consult with your vet for advice.
What to Do If My Dog’s Pee Is Green
If it’s health-related, green dog urine usually accompanies other indicators. Monitor your dog for behavioral changes and signs of jaundice, and consider any foods or medications they took recently. The green urine may be temporary as your dog passes whatever they ingested.
When your dog’s urine is green without any obvious dietary explanation, contact your vet. Hemolytic anemia, liver disease, and infections that cause green urine can quickly worsen, putting your dog at risk of severe complications if they don’t receive treatment.
Vets may have to perform assorted tests to diagnose the cause of the green urine, as it can arise from numerous conditions. They’ll likely perform a physical, urinalysis, and bloodwork and your dog may need imaging and possibly a liver biopsy, to find where in your dog’s body the issue is occurring. Depending on the cause, your vet may resolve the issue through medications, diet, surgery, or other clinical procedures.
If you need to speak with a vet but can’t get to one, head over to PangoVet. It’s an online service where you can talk to a vet online and get the personalized advice you need for your pet — all at an affordable price!
What Color Is Healthy Dog Urine?
Dog pee should be pale yellow. Urochrome is responsible for the yellow hue, its concentration can increase if urine is kept at room temperature and it may darken when exposed to light. The yellow tone can vary depending on how much water is present. Dehydrated dogs will produce more concentrated darker yellow urine.
Final Thoughts
Green dog pee can stem from something as harmless as food dye or as dangerous as liver failure. Owners should see it as one sign of many that could indicate a problem, and should consult with their vet while watching their dogs for any additional concerning signs. While it may pass without issue in some cases, contacting your vet for advice is the surest way to gain peace of mind.
See also:
- Why Is My Female Dog Peeing in Her Sleep? Vet-Reviewed Causes & Tips
- Why Does My Dog Pee When Excited? Common Causes & Tips (Vet Answer)
Featured Image Credit: MPH Photos, Shutterstock
