Final answer:
A high plant-based diet could cause an alkaline urine pH in an animal due to its base-forming properties, raising the pH of urine.
Step-by-step explanation:
The urine pH of an animal can be affected by its diet, which in turn influences whether the urine is more acidic or alkaline. Specifically, certain diets and metabolic processes can lead to more alkaline urine pH. For instance, a high plant-based diet can cause urine to be more alkaline.
This is because plant-based foods, such as citrus fruits and vegetables, tend to be base forming and raise the pH of urine. On the other hand, high-protein meat diets would generally make the plasma and urine more acidic, not alkaline.