Toddler with Strong Urine Odor

I would say yes...BUT before you do...double check the dehydration first.

- How much is your little girl actually drinking? (In oz?)...Hot weather (well, for seattle) came on about a week ago. 40 oz (essentially two small water bottles) is pretty bare minimum for small children in hot weather. Double or triple that is frequently needed to stave off dehydration. In reeeeaally hot weather (with any activity) she should be drinking *constantly*. Fortunately, we don't usually get into the 90's low 100's...but even in the 70's/80's if she's active she should be drinking at least 20 ounces every 2-3 hours or so.

- Single Mum...so daycare? How much is she drinking in daycare, and do they play outside? And is the facility air-conditioned or not? I know preschools where the kids are required to have water bottles (and the numer of them that they drink in a day is written on a piece of tape so that the parents know...and others where they only have teensy tiny shotglass size cups of water/juice that they're only allowed to have during certain times...and still other's where it's line up for the water fountain and they're lucky to get a few swallows/gulps before being jostled aside, or told to move to let someone else get a drink. If she's pounding the liquids as soon as she gets home, pretty guaranteed that she's not getting enough in daycare.

FYI...Although you may well know this already:

- Yellow pee is dehydrated.

- If you can pinch the skin on the back of her hand/wrist and it takes a while to go back down then she's SEVERELY dehydrated.

If she's fine in the hydration department (and you haven't been eating asparagus all week;), then I would definitely take her to the Ped tomorrow...and if she's severely dehydrated...call tonight for a touch base & check on best way to rehydrate as quickly as possible. SOME forms of dehydration are best fixed with an iV in the office...but most are easily handled at home. The nurses hotline at Childrens' or Evergreen would be able to steer you in the best route.

Good Luck :)

If it smells like ammonia in any way, it could be an urinary tract infection or bladder infection. I would call the doctor cause if untreated it could lead to kidney infections. My daughter had one and it only smelled bad for a day but about two weeks later got a fever that wouldnt quit. The doctors dont like to think that they get them that young (she was 6 months old), but it is more common than they are aware of.

It could also be that she is not getting enough liquids or is holding in her pee.

Call the doctor, better to be safe than sorry. Always go with your instincts.

good luck

could it be from vitamins?

I would call the ped. just to check with them, but strong urine is generally a sign that something is wrong UNLESS she's been eating asparagus, broccoli, or another strong smelling veggie.

Has the smell of her breath changed? Is she peeing more frequently? Has she vomited? Is she lethargic? If these are no's, then switch to water only (no juices) to see if that helps. If yes's, take to ped. immediately for a blood glucose test.

My daughter had the same thing, but it was when she was older, already potty-trained. If she got the teeniest bit of pee on her underwear, we could smell it. It was disgusting. We took her to the pediatrician and found out she had a bladder infection. She had to take antibiotics to clear it up. Don't know if this is what is going on with your daughter, but it's a possibility.

Just a thought...have you changed diaper brands? Some of them absolutely reek of urine, even when the diaper is barely wet.

I recommend calling the doctor. They will also want to know about the color of the urine. I think that they will ask for a urine sample. In most offices you can take in the sameple without having an appointment with the dr. Then the office will call you and make an appointment if the tests indicate a problem. You save the cost of a doctor's visit this way.