Why Is My Dog Peeing So Much?

Seriously, when will it end?

August 28, 2024

In This Article:

How Often Should My Dog Pee? Possible Causes of Excessive Peeing in Dogs When to Call a Veterinarian FAQs (People also ask)

The urinary habits of our dogs are important indicators of their health, and the perception of “peeing too much” could indicate the presence of a major medical condition. Usually, when a dog parent is noticing their pup peeing more, a detailed history helps to distinguish whether the pet has increased volume of urine (and drinking), increased frequency, or incontinence.

The list of potential diseases that cause changes in urination is long and the diagnostic work up can be complex. That said, the pet parent is an essential partner in providing history to help guide diagnostics and treatment.

Young woman smiling confident hugging dog sitting on bed at bedroom.

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How often should my dog pee?

What’s normal?

Normal urine production and water intake for a dog can be variable and is affected by age, size, diet, environment, activity, and potentially medications the pet is taking. There is not a simple, universal answer to the question of how much pee is too much pee. Although there are published numeric amounts of urine and water intake that are considered normal, it would be impractical to quantify these in a non-clinical setting and without veterinary oversight.

To start to answer the question of how often and how much urinating your dog should be doing, a pet parent should take note of their dog’s regular behaviors. Observing trends and deviations from a pet’s normal routine can provide essential clues for your vet to determine if there is cause for concern.

Normal can be relative to an individual pet, but your vet will want to determine if your pup is displaying any abnormal signs of one of the common urinary disease categories. These categories represent different sets of diseases and distinguishing what signs are present helps to better direct a diagnosis and treatment plan.

Polyuria / Polydipsia

Polyuria is the conscious production of large volumes of urine with the concurrent consumption of large amounts of water, polydipsia (collectively known as PU/PD). A dog parent may notice the water bowl is more empty than usual or the pet is spending more time at the water dish (without any changes to exercise or weather). A dog may start waking their guardian in the night to go out or have increased difficulty holding their urine for periods of time without a walk than they could previously.

If a pet is displaying an increase from baseline in their volume of urine output and water intake unrelated to warm weather or increased exercise, it should trigger a trip to the veterinarian as this is definitely not “normal” and can indicate one of many serious medical problems. The list for possible causes of PU/PD is long and some of the more common conditions are discussed below.

Pollakiuria

Sometimes, the issue prompting a dog parent’s concern of “peeing too much” is not related to urine volume but to urinary frequency. An increase in the number of times a pet pees is called pollakiuria and can represent a whole other set of conditions, specifically in the lower urinary tract (the bladder and urethra).

This sign, like PU/PD, can also manifest as requesting to go out more but will result in several small volumes produced (rather than one large one). Along with an increase in the number of times a dog urinates, common accompanying signs to pollakiuria can be straining to urinate, blood in the urine, pain while urinating, or an attempt to urinate inappropriately in an unusual area.

Incontinence

Incontinence, or the unconscious leaking of urine, is yet another condition to differentiate from the others when someone is worried that their pet is peeing too much.

They may notice a wet spot where a pet had previously been lying, or the pet’s bed is wet in the morning after sleeping. Pets may have urine scald irritation on their hind end from chronic dribbling of urine on surrounding skin. Successful urination requires a complex coordination of body systems, and this complexity means there are many places things can go wrong and potentially cause incontinence. This makes incontinence a challenging work up and careful attention to the specifics of a pet’s urinary behaviors helps their doctor to determine if it is necessary to go down that road.

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Possible causes of urinary changes in dogs

Polyuria / Polydipsia

Diabetes mellitus: Diabetes mellitus is characterized by an inability to pull sugar into cells, and so it stays in the blood stream. Some of the excessive sugar in the blood gets filtered out by the kidneys into the urine. This sugar pulls a lot of water along with it, making a pet urinate an increased volume. In addition to urinating and drinking larger volumes of water, other common signs of diabetes are weight loss despite a ravenous appetite.
Cushing’s disease: This condition is caused by increased stress hormone (cortisol) secreted by a tumor. Cortisol decreases the ability of the kidney to respond normally to other hormones that regulate water balance in the body. In addition to PU/PD, pets may have a potbelly, frequent panting, and lose hair on their trunk.
Chronic kidney disease: The kidneys themselves have lost function tissue and cannot properly hold onto fluid the way the should, resulting in PU/PD. Parents may also notice weight loss, vomiting, and poor appetite.
Leptospira infection: Leptospirosis is a condition resulting from infection with a bacteria often spread through fresh water sources that can cause liver and kidney disease, possibly resulting in PU/PD. At-risk animals should be vaccinated annually.
E.coli infection: When present in the body, E.coli toxins can prevent normal kidney function and lead to increased peeing and drinking. E.coli infections can happen in many areas, such as the kidney itself (pyelonephritis), the prostate (prostatitis), and the uterus (pyometra). These are serious infections that usually make a dog systemically very compromised, in addition to affecting those specific organs.
Medications: Certain common medications, like steroids taken for inflammatory conditions or diuretics taken for heart disease, will cause a pet to drink more and pee more. Some prescription diets, such as those that are low in protein or high in sodium, also produce increased thirst and urination.
Behavioral: Psychogenic PU/PD refers to a pet who drinks more (and therefore pees more) due to behavioral anxiety rather than a physiologic problem. This is thought to be extremely rare, and would require a thorough work-up to rule out medical causes first.
Other: There are several other potential causes for PU/PD in our canine pets, such as Addison’s disease (hypoadrenocorticism), elevated calcium (hypercalcemia), and even primary brain problems. The full list is long and complex, demonstrating how this seemly simple condition can lead down a diagnostic rabbit hole.

Pollakiuria

Urinary tract infection (UTI): This is the most common cause of increased urinary frequency in our pet dogs and is usually accompanied by straining, blood in the urine, or urinating in inappropriate locations. Bacteria travels usually through the urethra and into the bladder, causing inflammation (cystitis) and bladder spasm. This bladder irritation triggers an urge to urinate at an increased number of times, even when the bladder is not full, resulting in small volumes, frequently. UTIs are more common in female dogs.
Urinary tract stones Urolithiasis, or mineral deposits in the urinary tract, can create pollakiuria symptoms. Some dogs are more susceptible to developing stones based on factors such as age, breed, sex, and spay/neuter status. In addition to being extremely uncomfortable, urinary tract stones can be particularly dangerous as they can block the flow of urine.
Prostate disease: Unneutered male dogs frequently develop benign prostatic hyperplasia, or prostate enlargement, as they age. This condition predisposes dogs to develop chronic prostate infection with bacteria, resulting in a UTI and accompanying signs of urinary tract irritation like pollakiuria and blood in the urine.
Cancers of the urinary tract: Various tumor types can impact the urinary tract and cause similar signs as infection and stones.
Scent-marking: Intact male dogs are notorious for repeatedly lifting their legs to urinate and scent-mark an area. Even though scent-marking is not medically a problem, if there are changes in patterns — like if the marking becomes more frequent or there are newly inappropriate areas marked — it could indicate development of an issue and warrants a visit to the vet.

Incontinence

Urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence (USMI): This is the most common cause of incontinence in dogs and results from weak urethra sphincter muscles. It seems to occur most in altered dogs in mid-to-older age, especially in females and larger breeds. The cause of USMI has not clearly been defined and is likely from various hormonal changes that impact genitourinary tissues after a pet is spayed or neutered.
Other causes: Incontinence can result from problems associated with any part of the urinary tract anatomy (such as urethra, bladder, and ureters), and the nerves responsible for their function, potentially resulting in a complex work-up. Some examples include birth defects with abnormally positioned anatomy (ectopic ureters or pelvic bladder), and spinal cord disease or trauma.

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How to Treat Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) in Dogs

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When to call a veterinarian

If changes in urination are suspected, this should be brought to the vet’s attention right away. Again, the list for potential causes for urinary issues is long, and includes many serious health conditions that, if left unaddressed, can progress to life threatening. Among urinary conditions, there is often overlap in symptoms, and sometimes subtle details can be paramount to directing an appropriate work-up. Therefore, veterinarians rely on detailed history from parents to help guide their diagnostic decisions.

One of the best things parents can do is meticulously monitor their dog’s thirst and urination patterns, as these can prove to be powerful indicators of a pet’s overall health. Urinary problems should be taken seriously and almost always warrant a visit to the vet’s office. If there is ever a concern that a pet is struggling to pass urine, this is a life-threatening emergency and should be addressed with veterinary care immediately.

FAQs (People also ask):

What is frequent urination for a dog?

Frequent urination in dogs is an increased urge to urinate, causing a dog to pee in several smaller volumes more frequently. It can be caused by things like UTIs or bladder stones. There is no set standard for how many times is considered “too many.” It is relative to what is normal for a certain dog.

Should I worry if my dog is peeing a lot?

The short answer is yes. Peeing a lot can actually mean a few different things, and is not normal. Peeing a lot can mean increased volume of urine, increased occurrences of urination, or even an inability to consciously control urination.

How do I stop my dog from peeing so much?

There is usually not a “quick fix” answer for this, as it requires knowing why the pet is doing this in the first place. Distinguishing what a dog parent is observing (for example, increased volume of urine versus increased frequency) is necessary to correctly identify what urinary changes are occurring and to advise on treatment.

Why is my dog peeing in the house?

Prior to considering behavioral issues, inappropriate urination should have a medical work-up to ensure the pet has not developed a medical condition that would cause them to pee in the house, like a UTI or diabetes. Close monitoring for any changes in urinary and drinking habits (like newly peeing in the house) can help identify issues early, and direct more specific diagnostics by the veterinarian.

References:

Melanie Glass

Melanie Glass is a veterinarian practicing in New York City, currently working in shelters and private practice. She is particularly passionate about feline medicine, dentistry, surgery, and animal welfare. When not working, she balances training for road races in Central Park, exploring with city with friends, and quality time reading at home with her cats, Christina Crawford, Rosalind Franklin, and Starfish.

Why Is My Dog Peeing So Much?