# Sparkling crystals in my dog's dry urine



## saralong (Apr 2, 2011)

I'm living in Korea in an apartment, and due to a lack of grass and abundance of concrete in my area, I've had to indoor potty-train my dog Tobi.

The problem is recently I've noticed what appears to be little sparkling crystals (like salt or sugar) in his dry urine (for 3 days now). Is this a concern?

He's about 6 months old, a medium sized mutt (about the size of a corgi) that was living for 3 months outside a restaurant with his mom. He's been eating the same dry food for about a little over a month, and this wasn't a problem when I changed his food. He's caught up on all his vaccinations, and he was pronounced healthy at his last vet check a month ago. His mood appears unchanged.


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## CoverTune (Mar 11, 2007)

Yes, urine crystals are most definitely a concern. They can damage the bladder walls, and lead to stones which can cause a blockage that is potentially fatal if not treated.


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## lisak_87 (Mar 23, 2011)

did the dog tear up a potty pad and then pee?

A lot of potty pads have little thingies in them that poof up into clear "Crystal-like" things whe they get wet. About the size of tapioca. 
My dog dumped some water on a torn up pad this week and I noticed these things.

That being said, I would still call your vet


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I think dried urine always looks "sparkly". That's just the way urine is--all the minerals etc. in it will look like that after drying. Did it look different before, or was it just something you never noticed before?


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## saralong (Apr 2, 2011)

No to the potty pad question, but he does like to chew up paper and socks.

It literally looks like grains of salt or sugar coating the entire area where his urine has dried, and that definitely wasn't happening before. He goes on newspapers, so the rest soaks in.

I'll be taking him into the vet today, but I like in a smaller city in Korea, so I still sometimes have a communication barrier with my vet. He can read English textbooks, but doesn't always catch what I say in a conversation or ask me a lot of questions. I want to go in as specific as possible with my concerns before I go in.


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## Pasofino (Apr 10, 2008)

I am no vet and do think he needs to be checked or at least, take a urine sample in. That being said, the reason urine samples need to be looked at under a microscope, is that the crystals are too small to be seen by the human eye, I believe.

If these crystals are large enough to be seen by you, then more than likely, they are something that was on the ground before he peed. Just my opinion. If the crystals were large enough for you to see, they would have been very painful to pass and I am sure you would have noticed that.


I am interested in seeing what your vet says. If there is a language barrier, maybe ask him to write it down and have it translated by someone that can help you understand what it is if nobody can go with you that understands Korean..


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## CaitnChlo (May 1, 2011)

Thank you - lisak_87 
For the post on the crystals in the potty pad!
My Chi pee'd on the pad (that was not torn) and a dime size spot appeared extra dark, elevated and crystalized.
I panicked.... 
After reading and further investigation the potty pad had small clear and dry spots on it. 
Somehow the absorbtion stuff from the inside of pad had gotten on the surface of the pad straight from the manufacturer.. 
It's nearly invisable and puff up into "Crystal-like" things whe they get wet. About the size of tapioca. 
It will also take on darker color of liquid it absorbs.
Phew!!! Almost went to vet...


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## minijive (May 21, 2011)

We just discovered a dried crystal-like mound where my boxer urinates. The mound looks like salt or sugar. I took a sample to the our vet this morning who discovered that our dog has a UTI infection. She is on antibiotics and special food to try and break up the crystals and clear up the infection, which can damage the stomach wall/and or cause very serious damage if left untreated. Thus, I always suggest to take your dog to the vet if something seems amiss.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

If possible, bring the papers that were peed on, and have crystals into your vet, so he can see what you are talking about.


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