Most dog breeds share a common metabolic pathway for breaking down purines, the compounds found in protein-rich foods. Dalmatians do not. A single genetic difference, fixed across the entire breed, means their liver cannot fully convert uric acid into allantoin, the soluble end product every other dog excretes quietly and without consequence. Instead, uric acid accumulates in the blood and passes into the urine in concentrations high enough to crystallise. The result is a breed that is, by design, prone to urate urinary stones in a way no amount of good care can entirely eliminate, only manage.
