# Anyone's dog's pee STINK on raw??



## Tkuhlin (Jan 9, 2011)

Hi everyone,
I have been feeding my two cockers raw for about 2 months now. I am doing half Primal raw nuggets mixed with half fresh-ground poultry from Whole Foods Market (they grind and freeze the poultry and beef that they don't sell - so chicken backs, necks, gizzards, etc., as well as beef) and sell it as pet food for $1.50 per pound. 

I love feeding my dogs this diet and they are so happy and look wonderful, except for one thing, their pee STINKS! It has a very strong odor that I can't even describe except to say it is strong and weird (does not smell like typical urine). I have to assume it's from their diet because their urine didn't smell like this before. there is also the same odor that comes from their bodies because I can smell it on their blankets.

I know raw is supposed to eliminate doggy odor so I am confused and wondering if anyone else has experienced anything similar? I'm sure their diet is balanced as the Primal is very clean and approved by the AAFCO, and the meat that I supplement with is also clean.

Any suggestions??

Tracey


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## SamWu1 (Oct 15, 2010)

Is it really yellow? Long shot but one of my dogs drinks very little because of all the moisture in his diet so his urine is a bit yellow and stinky from the lack or hydration.

I now exercise the heck out of him to generate thirst and the urine is alot clearer and less smelly.


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## leelee (Nov 27, 2010)

If the odor is that strong, I would take a sample into the vet and have it checked for urinary tract infection. First pee of the morning can have a strong odor, but you should not be able to smell it on the beds. Does it have a fishy smell? Are they male or female dogs?


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

It could be a combination of all the mixes in the diet at once, most of the dogs here are fed a single protein at a time per meal.
It seems they are getting everything ground which IMO is not ideal as some ground can harbor bacteria and defeats the purpose of a raw diets dental benefits.

If these were my dogs I might start again from the beginning with a single protein of chicken backs and go from there. Good Luck


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## Tkuhlin (Jan 9, 2011)

Sam - Thanks for your suggestion. They both drink a decent amount of water and pee throughout the day. I had thought of dehydration, too, but since they do drink a fair amount of water, I think their hydration is okay. But I may try your extra exercise idea as an experiment :smile:

Leelee - one male and one female. The smell is not fishy. I wish I could think of an accurate way to describe it  But it definitely comes from both of them. Samantha recently had a UTI but recently got a clean bill of health.
It's so weird  Thank you for the suggestions!


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## Tkuhlin (Jan 9, 2011)

Whiteleo,
Thank you for the single protein suggestion! I was giving them whole chicken backs when I first started raw. But I was always spooked by the idea of bones. But come to think of it, I did not notice the bad urine smell! It makes perfect sense about the extra bacteria in the ground stuff. Thank you for this suggestion!

Tracey


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Infection was the first thing I thought of! 

I feed mine a mix of proteins sometimes and have not noticed an odor to their urine. For example I might feed a chicken quarter with a chunk of boneless pork and also some boneless turkey. I am surprised to hear that a combination of meat would be a problem...


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## Tkuhlin (Jan 9, 2011)

Hi Brownie!
Here's one more piece of info. Awhile back I had a foster living with me and I was feeding her the same stuff. She was incontinent, and her pee also smelled the same way...I couldn't figure out why my bedroom had such a strange smell, then one morning discovered Stevie's wet blanket which had The Smell! So ti seems whatever dog eats it, the urine smells the same.

I'm gonna go back to the backs ))


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

There must be something added in the primal that is irritating their bladder or something! I agree that homemade raw, where you can control exactly what they eat, is a good plan of action for now. If it doesn't improve a vet visit is in order! :smile: Good luck and keep us posted!


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

You probably can run through the transition a little more quickly as far as staying on the chicken backs before moving onto another protein source, just make sure that their poo is nice and firm and not mucky. Uncooked bones especially chicken are just fine. Make sure you go through RFD and Danemama08 homepages as these are the best guidelines to follow when starting or starting over a raw diet.


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## Tkuhlin (Jan 9, 2011)

Whiteleo,
I see you are in Bellingham, WA and in a pool with a dog. Do you by any chance run a canine swim therapy place? (I am curious because I am a volunteer at Camp Cocker Rescue in Los Angeles, and one of dogs, Maddy, got adopted to a home in Blaine. She is a special needs dog and goes to swim therapy near Blaine  Any chance she swims with you??


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

I don't own the swim therapy but swim my bull terrier at Lap of Luxury | Canine Warm Water Therapy it is close to Blaine and unless they go into Canada this is the only one in Whatcom County.

As Carrie only swims 1 dog at a time unless the owner has 2, I rarely see anyone elses dogs, but this is a very nice place and this cocker would have gone to a very good home.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

Tkuhlin said:


> Hi everyone,
> I have been feeding my two cockers raw for about 2 months now. I am doing half Primal raw nuggets mixed with half fresh-ground poultry from Whole Foods Market (they grind and freeze the poultry and beef that they don't sell - so chicken backs, necks, gizzards, etc., as well as beef) and sell it as pet food for $1.50 per pound.
> 
> Tracey


hi, tracey...

it's possible that the supplementation in the primal nuggets could be causing the odour....i know asparagus does that to humans....

so look at the ingredient list of the nuggets along with the supplementation list and your dogs' urine odour may well be coming from there. i was looking at the ingredients of primal nugget and i think your problem with the urine may be coming from there..

i just noticed that the nuggets have broccoli in it....i would bet that's your urine smell....

i have nothing against primal products. i use their sardine grind, when i can't get fresh fish...but it's california coast sardines and they are ground and that's it. nothing else.

the nuggets have all kinds of stuff added and you are not in control of what your dogs get..

my suggestion, also, would be to eliminate the primal nuggets and feed rmb and meat and poultry and bone and organ and no veggies.....

organs act as vitamins when it is time to feed dogs organs....

you have more control over what you feed or what is in the feed when you get to pick out the protein....that day or that week..

i mix proteins....for instance, my dogs could eat what's left of a pork shoulder that isn't enough for a whole meal with some lamb and maybe an egg....


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## Tkuhlin (Jan 9, 2011)

Whiteleo - what a small world! That is exactly where Maddy does her swim therapy 2 times a week  If you ever happen upon a gold English cocker who uses a wheelie for her back legs, that is Maddy. Our rescue was so fortunate to have found Elaine, her adoptive mother, who lives in Blaine 

Magic - thank you for the insights on the broc. I bet you are right. After I run out of that expensive food, I will start experimenting with yours and the others' suggestions and see if the smell goes away. It would make sense that the broc is causing it...

Thank you everyone for your thoughtful insights and suggestions 

Tracey


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