Urinary Tract Issues
If your dog suddenly starts peeing in the house (or other unacceptable places), it could be caused by a urinary tract infection. This is one of the most common reasons for inappropriate urination and one of the most frequently seen health problems in dogs.
Before you get upset with your dog, go see your vet for an exam and consultation. Your vet will most likely want a urine sample from your dog in order to perform a urinalysis and possibly a urine culture. This test is done to look for bacteria and abnormal cells in the urine. If your vet diagnoses a urinary tract infection, the next step is a course of antibiotics.
Other possible urinary issues your vet might find include cystitis (inflammation of the bladder), crystals in the urine, bladder stones, structural abnormalities, and even tumors. Most urinary issues can be treated with medications, supplements, and/or diet changes. In more extreme cases, issues like bladder stones may require surgery.
If your vet doesnt find a urinary tract problem, the next step is to look for other potential health issues.
Urinary incontinence is often associated with senior dogs, but its possible for a dog to develop incontinence as a young adult. If your dog is leaking or dribbling sporadically or leaving urine puddles in the bed or on the floor during naps, incontinence may be the culprit. If your dog is incontinent, its important to know is that your dog doesnt realize its happening and has no control over it. Fortunately, incontinence can sometimes be treated with medication.
On the other hand, if your dog consciously pees large quantities in inappropriate areas, its probably not incontinence. Talk to your vet to learn more.
Certain health problems may lead to urinary issues, such as kidney disease, diabetes, and Cushings disease. Your dog could be experiencing an injury, joint issues, or arthritis, making it painful for them to get up to go outside for potty breaks. Your vet may recommend additional diagnostic testing to rule out one or more diseases depending on your dogs other symptoms (if any). Treatment will depend on the diagnosis.
Puppies may still have accidents when theyre being house trained, but old age can bring on other causes of urinary accidents. Forms of dementia or senility can occur in aging dogs, leading to house soiling. These dogs may forget their house training or simply forget where they are.
Other health issues, such as kidney failure, tend to crop up in old age as well. This is another reason to get your veterinarian involved early and often. In some cases, dementia can be somewhat managed with medications and supplements. Many people living with senior dogs that have urinary issues also choose to use doggie diapers or line the dogs bedding and other frequented areas with absorbent pads.
Once your vet has ruled out all health issues, it is likely that you and your dog are facing a behavioral problem.
Why Do Dogs Suddenly Start Peeing in the House?
Often called “inappropriate urination” by vets, peeing in the house is a relatively common problem in dogs, but its usually addressed during puppyhood. If your dog is a puppy, then house training might not be complete yet. House training can take a while, and you might need to review the steps as you go.
If your dog is definitely house trained and the inappropriate peeing started well after house training was complete, then there are other potential reasons for the behavior. Its essential to first rule out health problems before you investigate behavioral causes for inappropriate urination.
If your house-trained dog starts peeing in the house again, there are several potential causes for it.
Below you will find three reasons why your adult dog is peeing inside the house:
Has your potty-trained pup peed in the house recently? Peeing in the house is no uncommon issue amongst dog owners, but this is typically an issue with puppies rather than adult dogs, so what may be the cause? If your adult dog is peeing in the house, it may be a sign of behavior or underlying health issues. Take the initiative and find out why your pup is displaying this out-of-character behavior.
At Huebner Oaks Veterinary Hospital we offer a variety of pet health care services to ensure your dog stays happy and healthy. We offer preventative care through routine wellness exams, core vaccinations, and diagnostic testing. Our team is dedicated to providing your companion with the care they need to live a happy and long life at your side. Call or visit us today to schedule your pup’s appointment today!
5 Signs that your Dog has a Urinary Problem | How to Spot Urinary Problems in your Dog?
You may have witnessed it or just heard of it happening. Everything is seemingly normal and then the dog starts peeing. She hasnt suddenly forgotten all of her potty training; your perfectly trained pup might suddenly let loose in an inappropriate situation for a number of reasons. Consult your vet because most of the time the condition can be treated with medication or modified training.
Submissive urination goes back to your dogs instinctive behavior. In a pack, a dog who wants to show himself to be submissive will lower himself and urinate. If your dog exhibits this type of urination behavior, she is trying to let you know she is surrendering to your authority. Your dog might also display submissive urination when confronted with an aggressive dog or if she finds herself in a situation that frightens her. The immediate way to deal with submissive urinating is to remove your dog from whatever is causing her fear or stress. Retraining her to show submission by sitting or lifting her paw on command can be an effective long-term strategy.
Excited urinating is more a matter of lack of control rather than a behavioral issue. It happens most often in puppies because they dont quite have bladder control down pat yet and if something causes them to become excited, whatever their little urinary tracts are holding can leak out in drips or a full-blown stream. Most puppies outgrow this messy and exasperating habit, but there are a few who dont. Working with your excitable peeing pup to get her used to the situations that most frequently cause the problem will help. You can also talk to your vet about medicinal treatment if the problem is more than just a nuisance and persists long past puppyhood. Phenylpropanolamine has been used with mixed results. Although it doesnt always cure excited urinating, its worth a try for enduring urination problems.
Problems with your dogs urinary tract or bladder could cause her to suddenly urinate in inappropriate places and settings. Infections, tumors or stones could interfere with your dogs normal elimination, causing her to feel like she has to go when theres nothing in her bladder or making it difficult to empty her bladder entirely. The urine that is left behind might dribble out slowly even as she is walking or sitting still. Your vet can run tests to pinpoint the exact cause of the problem and prescribe antibiotics or other medications if its an infection or stones that are causing the peeing problem. A tumor would need to be dealt with surgically.
If your dogs bladder muscles are weakened, she wont have the control she used to have and may suddenly start urinating improperly. About 20 percent of female dogs who are spayed lose strength in their bladder muscles in the year after their spay surgery and it just goes downhill from there, continuing to weaken as they grow older, according to Vetstreet. Over half of the dogs who experience incontinence as a result of their spay surgery do well on estrogen therapy and close to 90 percent respond to treatment with phenylpropanolamine, Vetstreet reports. Other treatment options include collagen injections around the bladder muscle, and if all else fails, there are surgical procedures you can discuss with your vet.
Elle Di Jensen has been a writer and editor since 1990. She began working in the fitness industry in 1987, and her experience includes editing and publishing a workout manual. She has an extended family of pets, including special needs animals. Jensen attended Idaho and Boise State Universities. Her work has appeared in various print and online publications.