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Dalmatian: health and what the tests show

The spotted Dalmatian carries two inherited traits that shape its health checks. Every purebred Dalmatian excretes uric acid in its urine, which makes urate bladder stones far more common than in other dogs. And a large share of Dalmatians are born deaf in one or both ears, which only a hearing test can reliably detect.

A black-spotted Dalmatian leaping with a stick in its mouth
Photo: Lucasbosch · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Written by the AI DiagAnimals editorial teamReviewed by the AI DiagAnimals TeamUpdated Our editorial policy

The essentials

All Dalmatians are homozygous for a variant of the SLC2A9 gene that reduces uric acid transport in the liver and kidneys, so they have high uric acid in the urine and blood. In a large US stone laboratory, Dalmatians had 85 times the odds of urate stones compared with mixed breeds. Congenital deafness affected 17.8% of UK Dalmatian puppies tested by BAER, most of them deaf in one ear only. Urinalysis, stone analysis and a BAER hearing test in puppies are the key checks.

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At a glance

TraitDetail
OriginCroatia (historic province of Dalmatia) [1]
Breed groupFCI group 6, section 3 (scenthounds, related breeds) [1]
WeightNot specified by the FCI standard [1]
HeightMales 22–24.5 in (56–62 cm), females 21–23.5 in (54–60 cm) [1]
Life expectancyMedian 13.2 years in a large UK study [2]
CoatShort, shiny, hard and dense; pure white with black or liver (brown) spots [1]

Origin

Dalmatians appear in Croatian paintings and church chronicles from the 16th to the 18th century, which suggests an origin in the eastern Mediterranean and the historic province of Dalmatia. Church chronicles of 1719 and 1737 call it “Canis Dalmaticus”, and in 1790 an English work refers to the “Dalmatian or Coach Dog” [1].

The first unofficial standard was written in 1882, and the Dalmatian Club formed in England in 1890 turned it into the first official breed standard [1].

Common health problems

  • Urate bladder stones: humans, great apes and the Dalmatian are the only mammals that excrete uric acid instead of allantoin; in the Dalmatian this is caused by the SLC2A9 gene, and every Dalmatian tested was homozygous for the variant [3]. Among 10,444 stones analysed in California, Dalmatians had 85.5 times the odds of urate stones compared with mixed breeds [4]. See bladder stones in dogs.
  • Xanthine stones: 9 of the 25 dogs with xanthine stones whose breed was known were Dalmatians, probably reflecting treatment of urate stones with allopurinol [4].
  • Other stones are rare: Dalmatians had a much lower risk than mixed breeds of calcium oxalate (odds ratio 0.07) and struvite stones (0.08) [4].
  • Congenital deafness: among 8,955 UK Dalmatian puppies screened by BAER, 17.8% were deaf: 13.4% in one ear and 4.4% in both [5]. In a US kindred, about 30% were affected and heritability was estimated at 0.73 [6]. Blue eyes were associated with more deafness and a pigmented head patch with less [5, 7].

What is special in the Dalmatian’s urine and blood tests

Uric acid in the urine. The Dalmatian’s defect comes from inefficient uric acid transport in the liver and the kidney tubules, and it raises uric acid in both urine and blood [3]. Dalmatian urine even forms a crystal deposit when it cools [3]. A urinalysis and, after any stone is removed, a stone analysis tell urate stones from other types.

Urine and DNA tests for hyperuricosuria. A urine uric acid-to-creatinine ratio test has been validated to identify hyperuricosuric dogs, and a DNA test detects the SLC2A9 variant in other breeds such as Bulldogs [8]. In purebred Dalmatians the DNA test adds little, since all are homozygous [3].

The BAER hearing test. The brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) test measures the electrical response of each ear to clicks. Dogs deaf in one ear are not clinically deaf and are often mistaken for normal by untrained observers, so only the test reliably finds them [9]. UK screening data show that selecting against deafness has lowered its prevalence over time [5].

Further reading on urine tests: urinary tract infection in dogs and cats and kidney disease in dogs.

Related articles

Bladder stones in dogs

Crystals, urine pH, X-rays and stone analysis.

Read the article

Urinalysis for dogs and cats

Specific gravity, dipstick and sediment.

Read the article

Urinary tract infection

Urine culture and what a positive result means.

Read the article

En français : Dalmatien.

Questions to ask your veterinarian

  1. Does the urine sediment show urate crystals?
  2. If a stone was removed, has it been sent for analysis?
  3. How often should we check my Dalmatian’s urine to catch stones early?
  4. Was my puppy BAER-tested in both ears, and what did each ear show?
  5. If my dog is deaf in one ear, what should I watch for at home?
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Frequently asked questions

How long do Dalmatians live?

A large UK study found a median lifespan of 13.2 years, with a lower risk of early death than crossbreeds [2].

Why do Dalmatians get urate bladder stones?

All Dalmatians carry two copies of an SLC2A9 gene variant that reduces uric acid transport, so they excrete uric acid in their urine [3]. Their odds of urate stones are about 85 times those of mixed breeds [4].

How many Dalmatians are deaf?

In the UK, 17.8% of puppies screened by BAER were deaf in one or both ears [5]. In a US study the figure was about 30% [6].

What is the BAER test?

A hearing test that records the brain’s electrical response to clicks in each ear. It detects dogs deaf in one ear, which untrained observers often mistake for normal dogs [9].

What tests should a Dalmatian have?

Discuss with your vet a BAER test for puppies, a regular urinalysis and stone analysis if a stone is passed or removed [3, 4, 5].

Sources

  1. FCI. Standard No. 153: Dalmatian. 2011. fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/153g06-en.pdf
  2. McMillan KM et al. Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Sci Rep. 2024;14:531 (supplementary table S3). doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w
  3. Bannasch D et al. Mutations in the SLC2A9 gene cause hyperuricosuria and hyperuricemia in the dog. PLoS Genet. 2008;4(11):e1000246. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgen.1000246
  4. Kopecny L et al. Urolithiasis in dogs: evaluation of trends in urolith composition and risk factors (2006-2018). J Vet Intern Med. 2021;35(3):1406-1415. doi.org/10.1111/jvim.16114
  5. Lewis T et al. Decline in prevalence of congenital sensorineural deafness in Dalmatian dogs in the United Kingdom. J Vet Intern Med. 2020;34(4):1524-1531. doi.org/10.1111/jvim.15776
  6. Cargill EJ et al. Heritability and segregation analysis of deafness in U.S. Dalmatians. Genetics. 2004;166(3):1385-1393. doi.org/10.1534/genetics.166.3.1385
  7. Strain GM. Deafness prevalence and pigmentation and gender associations in dog breeds at risk. Vet J. 2004;167(1):23-32. doi.org/10.1016/s1090-0233(03)00104-7
  8. Karmi N et al. Validation of a urine test and characterization of the putative genetic mutation for hyperuricosuria in Bulldogs and Black Russian Terriers. Am J Vet Res. 2010;71(8):909-914. doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.71.8.909
  9. Holliday TA et al. Unilateral and bilateral brainstem auditory-evoked response abnormalities in 900 Dalmatian dogs. J Vet Intern Med. 1992;6(3):166-174. doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.1992.tb00332.x

Laboratory methods and reference intervals vary. This article explains; it does not diagnose. For a decision about your pet, use the original report and talk to your veterinarian. Our editorial policy.

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