Dalmatians & Urates
Let's talk about Urates! A reminder that *all* Dalmatians can produce urate crystals. The presence of urate crystals in urine does not necessarily mean there is an issue.
Dalmatians excrete uric acid in their urine, instead of allantoin, as the principal end product of purine metabolism. They are the only dog breed that does so (however, it does appear that Egyptian Mau cats, a uniquely spotted cat breed, also share this genetic quirk!).
This is why we hydrate! As one internist I worked with used to say; "the solution to pollution is dilution!".
Properly hydrated and provided with regular opportunities to empty their bladder, few well bred Dalmatians will ever develop a clinically relevant urate issue. Some will...despite our best efforts, which is why we always ensure we are seeing a healthy stream of urine every day.
Hydration is truly the key! I like to see a urine specific gravity (concentration) around 1.030. This denotes a well-hydrated dog and if I see any urate crystals they'd likely be scant and not causing an issue.
At higher concentrations, normally occurring urate crystals have the opportunity to clump together and begin forming a stone. Keep flushing them out and they don't get a chance.
How do we hydrate? Of course, we always have fresh water available, however that's not enough. Floating the food (adding water to the kibble like you would milk with a bowl of cereal) is the easiest way to increase hydration at every meal.
I choose to feed 3 x a day, I'm fortunate that most days my schedule allows for this. The midday meal gives me another opportunity to get a full bowl of water into them.
Although my dogs always have a bucket of fresh water in their kennels in the car, they're not always good at drinking while we travel. I ensure we stop regularly and either feed a small meal with water or something like yogurt or a raw egg with water to ensure they're hydrated.
NEVER restrict water. Especially not for potty training. Although this is commonly recommended, veterinary specialists are horrified to hear this. Puppies can become dehydrated very quickly. This is even more potentially dangerous with Dalmatians.
Watermelon is water heavy and makes a delightful treat. Adding a bit of cottage cheese or yogurt to water will encourage your dog to drink the full bowl.
If I feel my dogs need more hydration (after a day of travel, for example), I'll feed half their meal in a bowl of water and the other half an hour or so later so I'm getting double the water into them.
If your veterinary team does a urinalysis and finds urate crystals they may jump to treatment and suggest a therapeutic diet. This is completely understandable as with most other breeds finding any crystals would be clinically relevant. It would be impossible for even the best vet teams to be familiar with breed predispositions of the 190+ breeds out there!
In Dals, the presence of urate crystals does not necessarily equate a medical issue nor need a diet change. The crystals need to be evaluated with all the info of the urinalysis and any bloodwork etc.
If in doubt, reach out! I am extremely fortunate to have wonderful connections in the veterinary world (including some fabulous vets and vet techs in this group as well as close friends who are internists) and I'm *always* here to help. I also have the good fortune of wonderful mentors in Dalmatians who can help understand medical concerns in the context of breed specificities.
Long story short.....feed an appropriately moderate purine diet (stay away from red meat, liver, peas, etc), manage hydration, and ensure regular trips outside and MOST Dals will never have a clinical urate issue.
