HUA vs LUA in Dalmatians: Everything you should know

Don’t know about you but we’re seeing spots!

There are 101 reasons why Dalmatians make great poochy companions. They’re playful, energetic, intelligent, great with children and let’s face it, pretty darn cute.

But what isn’t common knowledge is the potentially harmful health condition that, as it turns out, most Dalmatians in the UK suffer from. This health condition is called HUA or Hyperuricosuria, and calls for vital care and extra attention towards their diet.

So if you’re a Dalmatian owner (or dream of being one) we’re here to lend our expertise and tell you everything you need to know about HUA. With help from our in-house Vet Linda, this article will explore what it is, how it impacts Damaltians and most importantly, the food we recommended to ensure a healthy, happy pooch.

What does HUA and LUA mean?

HUA stands for High Uric Acid, and LUA - Low Uric Acid.

Most Dalmatian owners will find that their pooch has High Uric Acid.

What is uric acid?

Uric acid is a natural by-product the body produces and can be detected in your dog’s urine (pee). Normally, for LUA dogs, uric acid will dissolve in the blood, pass through the kidneys and leave the body without problems. For dogs who are unable to break it down, it causes an abnormal build-up of uric acid.

Having high levels of uric acid is called ‘Hyperuricosuria’, but will often be described by your vet as HUA.

Uric acid is created when your dog’s body breaks down purine; a chemical compound found in a lot of dog-friendly foods.

What is Purine?

Purine is a natural chemical compound that’s crucial for the production of  RNA (ribonucleic acid) and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which are essential for most bodily functions. When the body breaks down purine, it produces uric acid.

But how does purine get into the body? 

Purine occurs naturally in the body, so a dog with HUA will still produce it. However, dogs often get lots of extra purine from certain foods, especially the following high-protein ingredients:

Despite many examples of oily fish being a no-go, Salmon is a low to moderate source of purine so is a safer alternative for your HUA dog. 

For dogs that can break down uric acid, a high intake of purine is no problem. However, for dogs like Dalmatians that aren’t able to successfully break it down, this leads to a dangerous build-up. This is what constitutes HUA in dogs, and can often lead to other problematic health issues.

How does HUA impact your dog?

Dogs with LUA can break down uric acid, whereas those who can’t are left with detectably high levels of it in their urine.

We’ve asked resident Vet Linda to explain how exactly this leads to harmful health problems:

“High uric acid levels in dogs can lead to them forming crystals or urate stones in the urinary tract, kidneys and bladder. These stones can cause a range of issues including:

• Chronic pain
• Urinary tract infections
• Blocked bladders
• Kidney disease
  
  

As vets, we tend to see issues more so in males than females as they've got a narrower urethra, making them more prone to urinary blockages.”

Why does it affect Dalmatians?

Most Dalmatians are born with a genetic mutation of the SLC2A9 gene that stops them from being able to convert uric acid, causing their levels to be abnormally high.

This gene mutation is passed through the gene pool and has become a general defect associated with the Dalmatian breed.

How do you know if your Dalmatian has HUA?

If you have a Dalmatian, and you haven’t been told otherwise by a vet or your breeder, you should assume that they’re HUA and be prepared to adapt their diet accordingly.

LUA Dalmatians do exist and usually stem from a specific LUA Dalmatian breeding programme.

How to test for HUA in Dalmatians

If you’re yet to confirm whether your Dalmatian is HUA, you can ask your vet for a test. 

The test itself is quick and simple and involves swabbing the inside of their cheek. The swab is sent off for genetic testing to see if your pooch carries the mutation, which would mean they can’t break down excessive uric acid.

For more information about testing your Dalmatian, be sure to contact your vet.

Symptoms of HUA in Dalmatians

Symptoms of HUA often stem from the urate stones or crystals that form as a result of high levels of uric acid. Urate stones cause a number of symptoms and if left untreated, can lead to more serious health conditions like infection or disease. 

So, if you spot any of the following symptoms from your Dalmatian, be sure to contact your vet immediately:

• Struggling to pee - they may stoop or cock their leg but nothing comes out.
• Blood in their pee - their pee may appear pink or reddish.
• Inflammation of the bladder or Cystitis - signs of this include peeing more than normal, peeing in the house, a bloated tummy or changes to the colour or smell of their pee.
• Vomiting or changes to their appetite.
  
  

Things to consider as a HUA Dalmatian owner

If you’re a Dalmatian owner and all this information is news to you - don't worry, you’re not a bad pawrent! You’ve taken the necessary steps by doing your research to find out more. And it’s the next steps you take to make sure your spotty pooch is happy and healthy that are the most important.

If you’re dog-pawrent-to-be and dream of owning a Dalmatian, it’s important to consider the health issues and responsibilities that come with their breed.

As a Dalmatian owner, you should be considering the following:

To learn more about the symptoms of urate stones and bladder or kidney problems, be sure to contact your vet.

What should you feed your HUA Dalmatian?

When feeding a HUA Dalmatian, you should be on the lookout for ingredients that have low purine. As we previously covered, high-purine foods consist of protein-heavy ingredients like red meat, offal and some oily fish which are common in most dog foods, including here at Pooch & Mutt.

That said, as dog lovers we want to make sure every pooch is catered for no matter their dietary needs. We have plenty of lower-purine options that your pooch can chow down on.

Since protein is such an important part of a healthy doggy diet, we must champion lower to moderate purine foods that still provide your HUA pooch with all the necessary proteins.

Vet Linda says:

Before trying your HUA Dalmatian on any new diet, be sure to speak to your vet first.

Recommended lower purine food at Pooch & Mutt for HUA Dalmatians

If you’re looking for a HUA-friendly diet that’s packed with the necessary nutrients, protein AND has low to moderate levels of purine, we’d recommend the following.

If you’d like to analyse our entire product list, click here.

Dry Food

• Health and Digestion Dry Food - As well as being gentle on their tummy, Health & Digestion is packed with protein without the use of red meat. Instead, it uses fresh salmon, as well as salmon protein. This dry food does contain peas, but they provide a low to moderate amount of purine so can be enjoyed by your HUA pooch, especially when you keep on top of their urinalysis. Be sure to contact your vet for further information.
  
  
• Single Protein Fresh Salmon Dry Food - With the main ingredient and source of protein being 50%  fresh salmon, our Fresh Salmon Dry Food is another great option for HUA dogs. 

Wet Food

• Chicken, Pumpkin & Pea Wet Food - Our Chicken, Pumpkin & Pea Wet Food is without offal or red meat, and instead uses white meat to provide your pooch with that much-needed protein. Chicken and peas are both low to moderate sources of purine, so can be enjoyed by dogs with HUA, especially with regular and necessary urinalysis. For more information, be sure to contact your vet.
  
  

Treats

• Peanut Butter Probiotic Nutty Treats - Our vegan alternative to Meaty Treats, the Peanut Butter Nutty Treats are free from red and organ meat (which are high purine). That said, they’re made up of 48% pea, so they can be enjoyed by your HUA pooch in moderation. Be sure to contact your vet before feeding if you have any concerns.
  
  
• Health & Digestion Probiotic Fish Treats - These fishy treats are salmon-based with a composition that sticks to low/moderate purine ingredients such as peas and hydrolyzed yeast.

Chews

• Peanut Butter Dental Sticks - Our meat-free, Peanut Butter Dental Sticks are a great, chewy choice for your HUA pooch. They also contain hydrolyzed yeast.

 Where yeast is high in purines, the hydrolysation process reduces the amount of purines, making them a safer treat for your dog.

• Cheese Fondue Dental Sticks - A fun, cheesy, chewy treat, our Cheese Fondue Dental Sticks are free of high-purine ingredients. Similar to our Peanut Butter Dental Sticks, they also contain hydrolyzed yeast, so can be enjoyed by your HUA dog in moderation.
  
  Please seek further support and advice from your vet before feeding your HUA dog with any new wet or dry food, as well as chews and treats. 

What food to avoid for HUA Dalmatians

Having a HUA Dalmatian means sifting through dog food ingredient lists to ensure what you’re feeding them is HUA safe. But what are the red flags you should be looking out for?

As we’ve mentioned, the main ingredients you should be eliminating from your HUA dog’s diet are those that provide high amounts of purine. This is so you can help avoid the additional production of uric acid. As previously mentioned, this includes ingredients that are often high in protein like rich red meats, some oily fish (salmon is okay!) and offal (meat derived from organs).

With that in mind, when it comes to Pooch & Mutt, we recommend not to feed your HUA dog the following ranges:

Dry Food

• Our Primal Range - Our Primal range focuses on using rich, high meat contents like wild boar, lamb and ostrich to appeal to big dogs that benefit from eating like their ancestors. We would not recommend these to HUA dogs due to the high volume of red meat, which is a prime source of purine. 

Wet Food

• Calm & Relaxed Complete Wet Food - Our Calm & Relaxed wet food contains three high-protein meats, beef, lamb and turkey, which are also known to be rich in purine. Feeding this as a regular part of your HUA dog’s diet would increase their already high levels of uric acid. This could lead to more complicated health conditions like urate stones, infections and diseases of the bladder and kidneys.
  
  

• Chicken & Beef Wet Food - Beef is a key component of our Chicken & Beef wet food and is notoriously high in purines.
  
  

Treats

• Our Meaty Treats Range - Our Meaty Treats range is made up of our Calming Probiotic Meaty Treats, Dental Probiotic Meaty Treats and Skin and Coat Probiotic Meaty Treats. All of them are composed of high purine meats, as well as hydrolyzed chicken liver which is very high in purine.

Chews

• Calming Dental Sticks  - These contain dehydrated chicken liver which is very high in purine.
  
  
• Superfood Dental Sticks - Our Superfood Dental sticks also contain dehydrated chicken liver.

What to feed HUA puppies

Since most Dalmatians are born with HUA, their diet should be adapted accordingly from the get-go.

When it comes to Pooch & Mutt puppy food, our Puppy Wet Food is recommended as a great option for HUA puppies due to the lack of red meat, and instead its chicken base and chicory root extract.

The same can be said for our Puppy Complete Superfood Blend. It does contain brewer’s yeast, which is rich in purine but only makes up 1% of the composition, making it okay for HUA dogs and puppies. That said, be sure to consult your vet before moving your HUA puppy to this diet.

Puppy Complete Dry Superfood

1.5kg 7.5kg

£8.99

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Puppy Wet Food

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£2.49

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Brewer’s yeast and HUA dogs

Many HUA dog owners will be warned about brewer’s yeast and its high levels of purine. Brewer’s yeast is present in many Pooch & Mutt products, but in small amounts meaning it shouldn’t pose an issue for your HUA pooch. That said, if your HUA dog has a history of stones, always consult your vet before feeding.

Does HUA/LUA affect other dog breeds?

Where most Dalmatians in the UK are HUA, they’re not the only breed to suffer from hyperuricosuria.

Any dog breed can be HUA, with the most common breeds being Dalmatians, Bulldogs and some Terriers.

Whatever your dog's breed, you should always keep an eye on their pee to spot the symptoms, speak to your vet about urinalysis and if possible, check the genetic history with their breeder regarding their heritage or genetic health.


With the right diet and lots of love, your HUA Dalmatian can live a normal, healthy life. Setting up a healthy, high-quality HUA diet is the best way to set them off on the right paw, and at Pooch & Mutt, we’re here to help you every step of the way! If you have any more questions about HUA vs LUA, Dalmatians and their diet, please don’t hesitate to contact our expert team.

Full product list of lower purine recommendations for HUA Dogs

*Always consult your vet before providing your HUA dog with any new diet.

*Since supplements are provided to your pooch in moderation, their levels of purine shouldn’t be a problem for your HUA pooch. That said, be sure to consult your vet before adding them to your dog’s diet.

*Only suitable when recommended by a vet.