Why does a dog drink a lot of water and go to the toilet often (reasons and treatment). A dog urinates frequently: causes and methods of solving the problem Frequent urination in a 6-month-old puppy

Anyone who has a fur baby has wondered: why does the puppy urinate often? The fact is that he cannot control the process of urination. He doesn't know how to ask to go outside, and the result is constant puddles on the floor. But the older the baby gets, the less often such embarrassments occur.

It is believed that normally a three-month-old puppy should walk 10-12 times a day, a six-month-old puppy – up to 8 times, and a one-year-old puppy – 6-7 times a day. Additionally, your baby may leak urine whenever he is very excited or scared. The number of urinations of an adult dog is reduced to 3-4 times a day, and, in addition, it acquires the skill of asking to go outside or patiently waiting for a walk. But there are situations when the animal feels a constant urge to urinate. They are often so strong that the pet cannot wait. Why does this happen, is it normal or pathological, and what to do in this case? Our article will talk about this.

The process of urine formation begins in the kidneys, from where it flows through the ureters into the bladder, accumulating and stretching its walls. The muscle that expels urine (detrusor) is in a relaxed state at this moment, and a special valve, the sphincter, located at the beginning of the urethra, prevents urine from flowing out. When the pressure reaches its limit, receptors in the walls of the organ transmit a signal to the brain. The detrusor becomes tense, and the sphincter relaxes and urination occurs.

Causes of incontinence

All situations where an adult dog or puppy urinates very often can be classified into two large groups:

• variant of the norm;
• pathology.

Of course, both the causes and their treatment are completely different. Let's look at each of them.

Variant of the norm

The normal variant includes situations that do not require therapeutic measures. In some cases, the deviation can be corrected in other ways. There are three types of reasons why frequent urination occurs, related to the normal variant:

• natural;
• behavioral;
• age.

Natural causes

Natural reasons why a dog feels the urge very often can accompany both controlled and uncontrolled urinary incontinence. They are as follows:

1. Severe stress that a dog receives as a result of excitement, fear, anxiety. To help an animal, you need to calm it down, create a friendly environment, and inject a sedative.
2. Natural uncleanliness. The cause of incontinence can be poor upbringing, when the dog is not instilled with a conditioned reflex that it should urinate only on the street.

Behavioral reasons

If a dog pees often, then the causes of incontinence may be some features of the dog's behavior:

1. The pet urinates to indicate its obedience to its owner or a stronger opponent. In such cases, she may fall on her back or sit on her paws. The owner needs to notice what exactly provokes the release of urine (eye contact, stern tone) and try to eliminate this factor.
2. Marking the boundaries of your territory by leaving marks. In this case, the problem can only be solved by sterilization or castration of the animal.
3. A dog may urinate in the house to spite its owner when he is dissatisfied or annoyed with something (jealousy, desire to avenge punishment, desire to attract attention, and so on). The owner needs to try to restore mutual understanding with his pet.

Typically, in the case of behavioral features, urine output is controlled by the dog.

Age reasons

Frequent urination in your dog may also be due to age-related reasons:

1. Incontinence in an older dog. In older age, muscles gradually lose tone, the sphincter weakens and therefore involuntary urine leakage may occur. Correction of this disorder occurs through medication.
2. Frequent urination in young females during estrus. Dogs that have not yet given birth experience quite severe pain at this time. To alleviate their condition, they are forced to empty their bladder frequently. To solve the problem, you need to walk the dog more often during such periods.
3. Another reason for urinary incontinence in young bitches is the late formation of the hormonal system. Provoking factors can be different - lack of vitamins, poor nutrition, family history. Symptoms usually disappear after the first pregnancy.

Pathology

If your dog urinates frequently and a lot, you may need to talk about pathological urinary incontinence. It is divided into true and false:

• False incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine in the presence of gross pathologies of the urethra, bladder or ureter.
• True incontinence is involuntary urination in the absence of gross pathologies of the genitourinary system.

True incontinence

True incontinence in dogs develops as a result of a variety of pathologies:

• structural defects of the urinary system;
• inflammatory diseases of the bladder;
• polydipsia;
• spinal injuries;
• consequences of sterilization;
• malignant neoplasms of the urinary tract;
• urolithiasis disease.

Disadvantages of the structure of the urinary system organs

They can be congenital or acquired. This may be weakness or underdevelopment of the muscles of the urethra or bladder sphincter, leading to constant leakage of urine. They try to treat the problem with medication, but this does not always help. Quite often it is necessary to resort to surgical intervention.

Inflammatory diseases of the bladder

Severe hypothermia or a persistent decrease in immunity can lead to infection of the bladder and cystitis. Inflammation is accompanied by severe pain and a feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen. As the disease progresses, the urge increases, and the pet is forced to urinate much more often to relieve pain.

Gradually, the dog loses the ability to restrain itself and constant leakage begins. The course of antibiotics prescribed by the veterinarian must be completed to the end, otherwise the disease will recur, and stronger drugs will be required to stop the inflammation again.

Polydipsia

Sometimes this occurs due to excessive thirst - polydipsia. Polydipsia in dogs is not a disease, but it can be a very worrying symptom. Often it indicates that the dog has a serious illness, characterized by an imbalance of water balance in the body:

• kidney infections and injuries;
• liver failure;
• diabetes mellitus;
• hypercalcemia;
• pyometra (uterine infections);
• lesions of the thyroid gland;
• increased activity of the adrenal glands.

The cause of polydipsia with frequent urination may also be a hereditary defect: the dog’s body produces insufficient amounts of antidiuretic hormone, which retains water in the body, constricts blood vessels and regulates the volume of urine.

Spinal injuries

Spinal injuries lead to damage or pinching of nerve endings and trauma to the spinal cord. All this causes severe pain. Paralysis of the limbs, loss of sensation in the lower part of the body and, as a result, urinary incontinence are possible. Dogs with long bodies, such as dachshunds and basset hounds, are especially susceptible to this problem.

Consequences of sterilization

Spaying or neutering some dogs can cause complications such as urinary leakage or incontinence. This is a feature of their physiology. The reason for such complications is a sharp change in hormonal levels, and, as a result, a decrease in sphincter tone. Complications are corrected with the help of drugs that increase sphincter tone or hormonal agents.

Urolithiasis disease

To find out why your dog is urinating frequently, you need to get tested for urolithiasis. This is a chronic disease characterized by changes in the chemical composition of urine and the formation of salt or calcium stones in the bladder. Periodically, the disease worsens with urination disorders and severe pain. Urine at this time may contain inclusions of pus and blood.

False incontinence

Many congenital pathologies lead to false incontinence: hypospadias (pathological location of the opening) of the urethra, exstrophy (outward turning) of the bladder, ectopia of the ureteric orifice, when the ureter is not directly connected to the bladder, but to another organ (intestine, vagina or uterus). These pathologies are treated exclusively surgically. There are also acquired pathologies that cause false incontinence. These are traumatic or postoperative fistulas of the bladder.

Treatment of the disease

Treatment for urinary incontinence begins only after a thorough examination and an accurate diagnosis. The nature of the therapy is selected by the veterinarian, taking into account what disease caused the frequent urge to urinate:

1. For inflammatory diseases of the urinary system, it is recommended to undergo a course of antibiotic therapy;
2. In stressful situations, sedatives may be prescribed.
3. For polydipsia, the treatment method depends on what disease caused the symptom;
4. The consequences of spinal injuries, as well as false incontinence, are proposed to be treated mainly surgically;
5. If there are complications of sterilization, there are several treatment regimens depending on the severity of the condition. A course of hormone replacement therapy is prescribed, which helps restore the body's hormonal balance. When drugs are introduced into the bladder through a special probe from the abdominal cavity endoscopically, the effect occurs directly on the affected area. It is more effective and has fewer side effects. In severe cases, surgical intervention may be used, during which the muscles of the urethra and bladder are sutured.
6. Treatment of urolithiasis begins with determining the type of stones formed in the bladder. A special diet is prescribed, which consists of high-quality medicinal feed with additives that dissolve a certain type of stone. Treatment is usually long-term and lasts several months. If there is a blockage in the urinary tract, the only way to save the dog is urgent surgical intervention.

From all of the above, we see that there can be many reasons for urinary incontinence and the ways to eliminate them are very different. But in all cases, you must be guided by the following rule: if a puppy or dog begins to pee often, you should never scold your pet. There is always some reason behind any deviation, and it can be very serious. You should carefully understand it, and then take all possible measures to eliminate it, carefully following the recommendations of your doctor.

Dog incontinence, although often thought to be a sign of poor training, is a symptom of disorders and serious pathologies. In some cases, this is a feature of the pet’s character or a temporary phenomenon. This is an unpleasant phenomenon that brings negativity to the owner of the animal. Even if you temporarily move the dog outside, this will not solve the problem, but will only delay the solution to all problems. It is necessary to visit a veterinarian to understand the reason (the nature of the pet, disruption of the urinary system). What to do if a dog has urinary incontinence, what measures to take?

Unbearable character or pathology

If you notice that your dog is urinating in the room, then you need to pay attention to how he does it. With pathological incontinence, the pet experiences pain and has frequent urges. This may be a sign of an oncological tumor, an inflammatory process in the bladder or ureters, or kidney stones. The amount of urine decreases, and the urge increases, the dog sits down, but urination is not possible.

In behavioral situations, a pet may release urine in portions when it sees its owner, is petted, or meets other pets. This is an instinctive sign of obedience. Often, in addition to this sign, the dog uses falling on its back or sitting on its paws. The same mechanism works as with the habit of marking territory. With behavioral instinct, the dog easily controls the ongoing process. During the inflammatory process, urination does not depend on the pet’s desire.

The process of normal urination

Urine is formed in the renal corpuscles, accumulates in the renal pelvis, and then travels to the bladder. The process is continuous and repeats every 20 seconds. Fluid accumulates and does not flow out of the bladder, being held by the sphincter.

As soon as the signal from the brain passes, the pet’s sphincter relaxes and urine flows out of the bladder. The process is repeated again with new filling.

Why does my dog ​​have urinary incontinence?

Urinary incontinence in pets can occur due to several reasons. True incontinence. This is a situation where there is constant leakage or involuntary discharge.

• Emotional stress. With strong emotions (joy, fear), the animal makes a puddle.
• Natural uncleanliness. The dog was not trained in time and was not raised properly, so it simply does not know how to ask to go to the toilet correctly.
• Marker of nearby territory. This is inherent in nature and often animals that are not sterilized mark the space around them.
• Incontinence associated with aging animals. His reflexes are weakened.
• Intentional urination indoors. It is done to spite the owner for its own reasons, in order to annoy its owner.
• Urinary incontinence as a sign of pathology

Uncontrolled urination in dogs can be a sign of inflammation. It is imperative to use diagnostics to identify the causes of the disease. But the prerequisites for this phenomenon are difficult to identify, and even diagnosis occurs by exclusion.

In order to correctly diagnose the disease, you should explain to the doctor all the features of the dog’s diet, nutrition, and the events that happened to it. The more information the owner provides, the easier it will be to understand this pathology or temporary condition of the animal.

Cystitis

To identify it, it is necessary to submit the animal’s urine for analysis. Often the cause of urine leakage is cystitis. If the inflammatory process is very strong, then the dog may have urinary incontinence during sleep.

Cystitis is caused by two main factors: severe cooling of the body and infection of the genitourinary system. It should be treated with a course of antibiotics; a noticeable improvement occurs on the 4th day after taking the medication. If there is no treatment, then urination begins with an admixture of blood, the dog whines in pain, and difficulties arise in excreting urine.

Advice: You should not drown out the symptoms by taking several tablets; you must complete the entire course of treatment.

If the inflammatory process is not completely cured, the disease returns in 60% of cases, and a repeated course of antibiotics does not give a good effective result.

Polydipsia

Due to constant thirst, the animal exceeds the amount of fluid consumed. In female dogs, this is a symptom in which the owner should urgently take the pet for an ultrasound. If treatment is not done in a timely manner, the uterus may need to be removed. Do not self-medicate; take your dog to the veterinarian to prescribe treatment for your pet. Constant thirst in a dog often indicates the development of diabetes mellitus, serious problems with genitourinary function and blood vessels, and kidney problems.

Spinal injury

Urinary incontinence can occur due to pinched nerve fibers or spinal cord injury. The pain is poorly controlled and incontinence often depends on the anatomical structure of the dog. Dachshunds and other breeds with long spines often experience problems with bowel movements and incontinence after injury. This predisposition manifests itself especially strongly at the age when the dog grows old.

Pinched nerve endings

This phenomenon often occurs during or after childbirth. The dog's limbs become numb and painful. The bitch refuses puppies. Diagnosis of the disease occurs only after a comprehensive examination of the pet. There are several treatment options; in extreme cases, the doctor will prescribe surgery.

Nerve disorder

Occurs due to stressful situations, due to fear. Doctors recommend therapy with sedatives, which have a relaxing effect on the dog’s muscles.

Congenital pathologies

Incontinence may be a sign of ectopia. In this disease, the ureter is immediately connected to the intestine or vagina, and urine bypasses the bladder. Often seen in dogs born with one kidney. Usually detected at an early age. It can only be treated surgically.

Incontinence can be caused by weak urethral muscles. Pathology develops due to decreased sensitivity of the sphincter. In addition, excess weight, age of the pet, and hormonal medications can affect urinary incontinence.

Important: If there is constant wetness on the back legs and under the tail of the dog, then it is necessary to urgently take the dog to the veterinary clinic.

Sterilization and its side effects

There are two types of operations aimed at stopping reproductive function. When a female dog is spayed, her uterus and ovaries are left behind, while castration threatens to remove all of the animal’s reproductive organs.

Doctors note that the complication of urine leakage after castration is less common than during sterilization. It is easier to control with hormonal drugs. Why are sterilization and incontinence related? Doctors do not find a single answer to this question. According to generally accepted opinion, hormonal changes after surgery negatively affect the sensitivity of the sphincter and muscles.

After diagnosis, the doctor prescribes one of the treatment methods:

• Hormonal medications are prescribed for urinary incontinence in dogs
• Endoscopic punctures and insertion of a special probe into the abdominal cavity. While watching through a camera, the doctor injects medications into the urethra and bladder. This is a more gentle effect on the body than abdominal surgery. In addition, inserting a probe through a puncture has less negative effects on the pet’s body. A dog recovers much faster after endoscopy.
• Abdominal surgery. The doctor works to restore muscles by suturing the muscles and introducing collagen fibers. Sometimes the doctor changes the position of the bladder.

Treatment of urinary incontinence in dogs

The course of treatment prescribed by your veterinarian depends on the cause of the incontinence.

1. It is often recommended to take a course of hormonal medications.
2. For inflammation, doctors prescribe antibiotic treatment for a week.
3. For incontinence after stressful situations, the doctor prescribes sedatives for the pet.
4. If the animal is sterilized and cannot control the process of urinary incontinence, then doctors prescribe constant use of propalin for the rest of its life.

Most medications have a very strong effect on your pet's body, causing many side effects. They are prescribed only on the recommendation of a doctor. If incontinence occurs due to spinal injuries with damage to the spinal cord, then returning the dog to a full-fledged existence will not be easy. Incontinence will be cured only when all the consequences of the injury, including prostatitis, are completely eliminated.

What do you prefer to feed your pets?

Poll Options are limited because JavaScript is disabled in your browser.

One of the most important physiological acts performed by a dog’s body is urination. Toxic metabolic products leave the body with liquid secretions. When this process is disrupted and the dog has difficulty urinating, many serious problems arise. Many of them are fatal, so your pet needs to be taken to the vet immediately.

Dogs are not cats. In most cases, they pee on the street, and therefore many owners notice that something wrong is happening to their pet at the very last moment. So if this is exactly the case in your case, do not delay - contact your veterinarian immediately. You should hurry if you observe any of these symptoms in your dog:

• Urine is released in streams, as if in fits and starts. The dog may squat, grunt, or otherwise express discomfort.

• Frequent attempts to urinate(which constantly end without apparent success).

• When a dog tries to pee, his entire posture and behavior express extreme degree of tension.

• Spontaneous leakage of urine. Occurs when fluid begins to flow out of a fully filled bladder under pressure.

• The animal is constantly licks the genital area.

• Noticeably appetite decreases.

• The abdominal cavity is very tense on palpation.

• Apathetic state.

• In the most severe cases, when it comes to uremia, it is possible neurological ending

Read also: Leukemia in dogs - an overview of the insidious disease

What are the reasons for this? There are quite a lot of them, but we will list those that Most often encountered in everyday veterinary practice:

• Urethral obstruction. Simply put, when the urethra is pinched by something. In the most severe cases, entire “thickets” of uric acid salts. Every time the animal urinates, it experiences terrible pain, which is why the urine comes out in spurts.

• For any bladder infections or urinary tract Problems with urination are common.

• Congenital or acquired anatomical pathologies excretory system. This often happens with injuries, in bitches - after unsuccessful childbirth.

• Spinal cord injury, spinal diseases, in which the normal course of the urination process is disrupted.

• Damage to the nerve roots of the spinal cord in the lumbar region.

• Vegetative dystonia. This is a neurological disease also known as Kay-Gaskell syndrome.

• Taking certain medications can cause temporary problems with the urination process.

• Disease.

Diagnostics

After arriving at the clinic or calling a veterinarian at home, you need to tell the specialist in as much detail as possible about the symptoms that you observed in your dog. Typically, the veterinarian will start with a complete examination and collection of urine from the animal, if possible. This is very important, since in cases where poor urination is due to the presence of an infection, its causative agent must be identified and destroyed as soon as possible.

Read also: Do dogs have lice?

But first you need to treat the urethra with an anesthetic, give the dog sedatives if necessary, and try to insert catheter into the cavity of the urethra. This way you can diagnose its blockage.

Often, if urine does not pass due to some small foreign body, it can be pushed out. True, this does not eliminate the need for its further removal. It is interesting to note that urethral obstruction most often occurs in males due to injury and as a consequence of infections affecting the penis. To accurately find out the cause of what is happening, resort to the following methods:

• Palpation of the abdominal cavity– if the bladder is empty, one can suspect severe damage to the kidneys, which themselves cannot synthesize urine.
• CT scan to assess the condition of the spine if a tumor is suspected.
• Myelography(examination to look for spinal cord injuries).
• Epidurography(a technique used to look for cysts in the spinal cord).
• abdominal cavity.
• Cystoscopy(examination of the lower urinary tract).

Therapeutic techniques

Treatment depends on the identified cause of difficulty urinating. If the dog experiences unbearable pain (bladder or prostate stones), Powerful drugs are used as first aid. The following methods can be used in treatment:

• For infection urinary tract will be prescribed antibiotics. They give only those drugs that are 90% or more excreted by the kidneys.

• In some(but not in all!) cases it is recommended increase the amount of fluid your dog receives.

• May be assigned alkalizing or acidifying drugs and food additives.

• Bladder catheterization. It is done up to three times a day.

• If the inability to urinate is due to spinal cord damage the veterinarian or the owner himself will have to regularly massage the area where the bladder is located, stimulating the natural process of urination.

• When urine does not pass due to urethral obstruction(adhesions, scars, etc.), you will have to resort to surgical intervention.

• The same applies to any other congenital or acquired anatomical defects.

• If the reason is inflammation of the prostate in a male dog and, if the inflammation does not respond to treatment, recommended .

06/01/2017 by Eugene

This problem occurs quite often among our smaller brothers. And not only among those who are of a respectable age, but also among young individuals, both male and female. There are many reasons why a dog began to pee frequently, and many solutions to this problem. We should also not forget that a dog is an emotional creature and is completely dependent on its instincts. For example, male dogs constantly mark their territory, showing their status. If this is not your case, it is worth understanding the problem deeper.

Causes of frequent urination

So, why does a dog urinate frequently, and how can it be treated? The most common causes of urinary incontinence in pets include:

• fear;
• pain;
• stress tension;
• feeling threatened;
• behavioral features.

If you think that the reason why your dog often urinates at home is one of the above, drug treatment will not help you.

It is necessary to either train the dog and work with the pet, accustoming it to the tray.

If the reason for this behavior of the animal is fear or stress, create an atmosphere that is comfortable and favorable for its existence. Make sure that the dog does not feel tension and pressure from the owners.

If the cause is pain in your pet, you need to consult a doctor who will find the source of the pain and relieve your pet of it.

Also, a dog may pee frequently due to its age, as mentioned earlier. This is due to weakening of the smooth muscle of the bladder. If your dog is already quite old, then frequent urination is natural, as it happens to almost every pet in old age - wear and tear of muscle tissue occurs. In order to control this process, the doctor may prescribe special medications for your pet that will maintain its condition.

It should be noted that a dog may urinate more often during heat, especially the first. The bitch sometimes tries to get rid of the additional pressure due to nagging pain by emptying her bladder. In this case, there is no need to scold your dog, since he understands that the situation does not bring you much pleasure, but he cannot help himself. The solution to the problem is quite simple: go for a walk with your girl more often.

Another reason that the dog began to pee often may be that it drinks a lot. It is worth adding that excessive thirst, like everything unnecessary, can be an indicator of some kind of disease.

When it's about health

Considering that this problem may be due to a health issue in your pet, let's take a look at the health-related causes of frequent urination. They are:

1. Cystitis. This is a widespread inflammation of the bladder, in which urine leaks almost constantly. It happens because the dog has a cold. Such hypothermia requires treatment with antibiotics. If treatment is not carried out on time, the pet may begin to urinate blood, and subsequently will not be able to relieve itself at all.
2. Polydipsia. In such a situation, your dog drinks a lot, much more than the daily fluid intake, and accordingly, is forced to empty its bladder more often. An ultrasound scan will be required here, since polydipsia can lead to diabetes mellitus, kidney failure and other even more serious diseases. Therefore, it is recommended to consult a doctor immediately.
3. Serious injuries. Damage to the spinal cord and nerve endings – most common in dogs with elongated spines. Also, during or after childbirth, a dog can experience pinched nerves, which sometimes leads to many problems, including frequent urination. Observe your pet's behavior; the animal may whine and worry.
4. Ectopia. A congenital disease that is characterized by the affected dog urinating more often. You can get rid of this problem only through surgery.

It should also be added that the dog may begin to urinate more often after sterilization, as this is a side effect of the procedure. Naturally, this does not happen all the time and not with every dog, but only with those that have any relapses or predisposition to bladder diseases.