# Do camels get kidney stones?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-camels-get-kidney-stones/784764>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 19, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-camels-get-kidney-stones/784764 "2017-04-19T02:56:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Contemplation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Contemplation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contemplation)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-camels-get-kidney-stones/784764/1 "2017-04-19T02:56:38Z")

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Camels can concentrate urine far greater than humans can. If their urine is highly concentrated, then shouldn’t they develop stones or get kidney failure?

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**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2017, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-camels-get-kidney-stones/784764/2 "2017-04-19T03:32:56Z")

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> [@Contemplation](#):
>
> Camels can concentrate urine far greater than humans can. If their urine is highly concentrated, then shouldn’t they develop stones or get kidney failure?

I am not a camelologist. However I imagine, like all mammals, they probably do.

I’m not sure how your point about concentrated urine is really relevant. It’s not like camels are using human kidneys.

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**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\
**Post date:** [April 19, 2017, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-camels-get-kidney-stones/784764/3 "2017-04-19T07:08:11Z")

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Searching and looking for information on this shows that it isn’t well studied, but from looking at knowledge from other animals I’d conclude like this.

An important issue when determining if an animal will have kidney stone problems is the structure of the urinary tract. It’s possible that camels have adaptations here allowing small stones to be removed more efficiently.

Formation of stones is not only a function of concentration, but also composition. It’s possible that camel physiology creates urine that reduces formation of stones.

Formation of stones is not only a function of dehydration, but of chronic low hydration, camels will occasionally have access to good amounts of water, and when they do they will drink a lot and urinate more normally, likely flushing out beginning stones.

Or to put it in terms of human physiology, which is where the OP starts, urine concentration is a contributing factor to kidney stones, but it’s not the only factor. Some people are more at risk for kidney stones than others, due to those other factors, and camels are very likely to be less at risk than even the least at risk human.