The reason can range from an innocent one to one which requires urgent medical help. But there’s no need to panic. Here, we’ll go through the reasons that might be responsible for your dog peeing exceedingly.
After reading the article, you’ll know your next course of action. So, let’s get started.
Why Is My Dog Peeing So Much? Causes and Treatments
In this section, we’ll discuss the possible causes that might be behind your pup urinating too much. In addition, we’ll tell you about the treatment and what your next step should be.
1. Urinary Tract Infection
It’s a common issue among aging female dogs. Male dogs also suffer from UTI, but the ratio is far less than the female ones.
Now, how do you identify UTI?
There are some common symptoms:
- Blood in the urine
- The dog squatting for a long time before peeing
- Whining while peeing
- The dog will show discomfort
If you see these symptoms, you must take your dog to a local veterinarian immediately, get the doctor to have a look at the dog. Because UTI can be very painful for the dog, and your dog will continue to suffer until you get it treated.
Now, the dog might need to go through a full examination, and its urine sample might be taken to check if it has UTI.
What’s the treatment for UTI?
Bacteria in the dog’s urethra cause UTI. So, usually, the doctor will prescribe antibiotics for 7-14 days. He may also ask you to make the dog drink more water to flush the bacteria from its bladder.
2. Age
Age can play a key role in this. If you’ve brought a new puppy home, and its age is less than 5 months, it may pee more often. In fact, they usually pee every 2 hours.
Old age can also cause more peeing than usual. As the bladder gets weaker with age, senior dogs find it harder to hold it for long.
Now, a healthy adult dog may pee every 4-6 hours. However, it can vary depending on several factors. Some dogs can go as long as 8 hours without peeing.
3. Cushing’s Disease
Cortisol is a natural steroid that the body of a dog produces. However, when the body produces excessive cortisol, it can cause Cushing’s disease. The common symptoms include:
- Excessive urination
- An increase in appetite
- A reduction in activity
- Hair loss
- Excessive drinking of water
The disease is usually treated with medication. But in some cases, it may require surgery.
4. Diabetes
Another reason behind your dog urinating in the house frequently can be diabetes. When the dog’s digestive system experience disturbance and fail to convert the food into energy properly, then it can cause diabetes mellitus in dogs.
In the case of diabetes, there will be a lot of other symptoms apart from frequent urination. The symptoms include:
- The need to urinate more frequently
- Excessive thirst
- Losing weight
- Increasing appetite
5. Marking
Dogs have an interesting way to mark their territories; by peeing. Yes, dogs claim the authority of an area or space by peeing in that area. That’s why you might see your dog urinating regularly while being on a walk, even if it’s house-trained.
If you have multiple dogs, they can pee inside the house to mark their territory. But the dog peeing in the house can leave a strong stench which can be an uncomfortable experience.
To prevent marking inside the house, you can resort to spaying and neutering them.
But how do you know if they are marking or just answering the call of nature?
Well, it’s quite easy to figure out. When they are relieving themselves, it will be a lengthy and continuous stream.
For marking, they will use quick bursts and sometimes mere drops.
Also, keep in mind that dogs can sometimes communicate through urinating. They can express their wish, and moods through urinating.
6. Spay Incontinence
Spaying and neutering dogs can sometimes cause spay incontinence which might lead them to urinate involuntarily. As they don’t realize the issue, you may often find them wetting the bed. The reason is they are simply incapable of holding the pee.
Medications such as phenylpropanolamine are prescribed in such cases to treat this issue.
7. Diet
The reason behind the dog peeing too much might be its diet. Remember that wet food has a greater amount of moisture than normal pet food. In addition, canned foods contain a lot of salt, which can often lead to increased drinking and peeing.
So, if your dog is urinating more than usual, check if there has been a change in its diet.
8. Exposure to Heat
During summer, if the dog spends a lot of time outside, it might get thirsty. And they may drink a lot which can cause your dog to urinate more.
9. Medication
Sometimes side effects of certain medications may cause the dog to relieve itself more frequently. Medications such as prednisone and furosemide can cause the dog to get more thirsty often. As a result, they will pee more than usual.
So, you gotta check with the vet if the change in medication has anything to do with the dog peeing frequently. If it turns out that the constant peeing is a side-effect of the medication, ask the vet for some alternative medicines.
10. Kidney Disease
The job of the kidney is to remove the toxin from the blood and regulate blood pressure. It also helps with preventing water loss. If the kidney struggles to perform these duties, it can cause your pup to urinate over and over again. Now keep in mind that, blood and urine tests might be required to find out if your dog has kidney issues. But kidney disease can be treated with medications and diet.
You can look out for these symptoms:
- Vomiting
- Frequent Diarrhea
- Weakness
11. Bladder Stones
Various minerals in the urine combine together to form a stone in the bladder. And it can be the main reason behind your dog soiling your house.
Now, bladder stone symptoms are very similar to UTI symptoms. So, it can be really easy to get confused. That’s why it’s really important that you get your dog to see a vet as soon as possible so that he can find out the real issue. In most cases, surgery will be needed to remove the stone.
You may witness the following symptoms if the dog has bladder stones:
- Refusal to eat regularly
- Experience discomfort in the abdomen
- Display a lack of energy
When Should I Take My Dog to the Vet?
If you see no serious symptoms, then I’d suggest that you wait a bit. But if you notice any sign of discomfort, blood in urination, or deep orange color pee, then you should visit a local vet as soon as possible. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Conclusion
As a pet parent, it’s normal for you to get concerned when your dog is displaying abnormal behaviors such as peeing a lot. But there’s no need to panic! With the proper course of action, the problem can be solved.
Hope our article was of help to provide you with proper guidance regarding your next step.
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