Which statement about glucose on a urine dipstick in animals is true?

• A. Glucosuria is always due to diabetes.
• B. Glucosuria is never related to stress.
• C. Glucosuria indicates kidney failure.
• D. Glucosuria can occur with diabetes mellitus or stress hyperglycemia.

Answer: (D)

Glucosuria happens when blood glucose exceeds what the kidneys can reabsorb, so glucose spills into the urine. The most common reason animals have glucosuria is persistent high blood glucose from diabetes mellitus, but it can also occur with stress hyperglycemia—an acute surge in blood glucose due to illness, surgery, or other stressors. In both cases, the filtered glucose overwhelms the renal tubules’ reabsorption capacity, leading to glucose in the urine.

That makes the statement that glucosuria can occur with diabetes mellitus or stress hyperglycemia true and the best description of practical scenarios. It’s not solely tied to diabetes, and it’s not an automatic sign of kidney failure, which would rely on additional kidney-specific issues.