You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Control of urine pH is an important objective in the management of several diseases, notably urolithiasis. An understanding of the factors that influence urine pH is important so that any underlying cause of persistent alkalinity can be identified and corrected.

Alkaline pH (<7.0) is a normal finding in some species - notably herbivores such as rabbits. It is also a normal finding in carnivores (eg cats and dogs) in the period immediately following eating - the so-called "post-prandial" period during which loss of acid in gastric juices causes a compensatory "alkaline tide" and excretion into urine.

Urine will test alkaline if it is :

• Stale
  • If the urine has been retained in the bladder for too long
  • If the urine has been standing too long - so always test urine as soon as possible after collection
• Contaminated with detergent - eg residue in a collecting bottle
• Contaminated with ammonia

Clinical conditions which lead to an alkaline urine are :

• Urinary tract infection with urease-positive bacteria - most common cause
• Persistent vomiting - due to loss of gastric acid. May be associated with gastric outflow disorders.
• Respiratory alkalosis - due to excessive carbon dioxide expiration in animals with hyperventilation
• Rarely, proximal renal tubular acidosis can occur, resulting in excess bicarbonate loss in urine.

Several therapeutic regimens can also create alkaline urine :

• Drugs that cause an alkaline urine - including : acetazolamide, thiazide diuretics, potassium citrate, sodium acetate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium lactate
• Special diets formulated to produce an alkaline urine eg Hill's Precription Diet Canine u/d

Last updated : October 2013