Incontinence or natural causes
Owners often use the term "incontinence" to describe inappropriate urination, such as puddles left on the floor overnight. But if your puppy urinated consciously, for example, could not wait until the morning, this is not a pathology.
In approximately 80% of cases, true urinary incontinence occurs due to improper functioning of the urethral sphincter. Leakage occurs involuntarily when increased pressure is applied to the sphincter.
Causes
There are several possible explanations for why your dog is peeing in his sleep. When you take the time to learn about these explanations, you will likely be able to figure out why your dog is doing this.
Diabetes
If your dog has diabetes, he may have trouble urinating while he sleeps. Dogs with this condition tend to urinate a lot more than usual, which can lead to accidents. Diabetes is a very serious disease for both humans and dogs.
Some of the other symptoms of diabetes in dogs to look out for include:
- Lethargic behavior
- Increased thirst
- Weight loss
- Increased appetite
There are effective treatments for dogs with diabetes, but you need to get a diagnosis as soon as possible. This condition can usually be managed well over a long period of time.
Bad dream
It's even possible that your dog was peeing in his sleep due to a particularly bad dream. Behaviorists have all but confirmed that dogs dream just like humans do. If your dog is really excited in his sleep, he may pee.
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Kidney disease
Your dog's kidney problems may also be causing this behavior. Dogs with this condition usually drink a lot of water and may sometimes urinate in the house. If you notice your dog exhibiting muscle weakness or confusion in addition to peeing in his sleep, he may have kidney disease.
Although there is no cure for kidney disease, it can be managed with medication. Your veterinarian will likely want to run some blood tests to diagnose this condition and find out how advanced it is.
The dog has recently been spayed or neutered
If you recently spayed or neutered your dog, he may urinate in the house for the first few days after the procedure. As annoying as this may be, it is completely normal under the circumstances.
A spayed or neutered dog may develop problems with its sphincter muscles, which may also cause it to defecate in the house. Although this problem is usually temporary, it can last for years if complications arise during surgery.
Urinary tract infection
A urinary tract infection, or UTI, is often the reason why dogs urinate in their sleep. While this is not one of the most serious infections your dog can get, it still needs to be treated promptly.
It's normal for dogs with UTIs to drink a lot more water than usual, so it's not uncommon for them to pee in their sleep. If your dog wakes up with a full bladder, he may have an accident on the bed or on the floor.
Some of the other symptoms of UTI in dogs include:
- Blood in urine
- Cloudy urine
- Licking near the urinary opening
- Fever (if infection progresses)
- Frequent urination
You should take your dog to the vet immediately if he exhibits these symptoms. It is very important to treat this infection as soon as possible. If the infection progresses, it can cause serious damage to your dog's kidneys.
Neurological problems
In some cases, a dog may urinate in its sleep due to neurological/brain problems. This could be anything from dementia to spinal cord conditions. These conditions are very serious and difficult to treat. If a certain part of your pet's brain is affected, he may develop urinary incontinence.
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Some of the other symptoms of neurological problems in dogs include:
- Convulsions
- Changing your dog's gait
- Lack of coordination
- Indifferent behavior
- Excessive drooling
How urinary incontinence relates to relapse
Until about 4 months of age, puppies may pee involuntarily. This is not incontinence, the baby simply does not realize that when he feels the urge to urinate, he needs to go to the diaper, outside, etc. This problem will be solved when you toilet train your puppy.
Quite often, urinary incontinence “begins” in middle age, depending on the size and breed, at 4–6 years. It is known that there is a hereditary tendency for:
- Cocker Spaniels.
- Dobermans.
- Some shepherd dogs.
Note! In many cases, the first sign of urinary incontinence is wet spots on the lounger after a night's sleep.
Why does a dog urinate at night?
If your dog periodically or constantly urinates at night or relieves himself in the wrong place, to solve this problem, here are the most common causes of uncleanliness:
- Marking the territory. As a rule, dogs, especially males, can crap in houses, marking their territory during the rutting period. This behavior is also possible if another animal or new objects appear in the house. By leaving his marks, the dog thus indicates his social status. And this can be done not only during the day, but also at night, when the owners are sleeping and cannot scold the pet.
- Insufficient walk in the evening. You need to walk your dog several times a day, morning and evening. The minimum walking time is 30-40 minutes. One of the walks should take at least 1.5-2 hours. Walking time depends on the dog’s physiology, age, health, and weather conditions. At the same time, during a walk, the pet should not only run and frolic with its relatives, but also go to the toilet.
- To attract attention . Cynologists and animal psychologists explain a dog's uncleanliness by saying that the dog does not receive enough attention from its owners and thus attracts attention.
- Phobias, fears, stress. A dog may urinate at night due to simple fear, under the influence of any strong stimuli (fireworks, firecrackers, thunderstorms). Uncleanliness can be caused by the fact that the dog has suffered severe stress and emotional arousal.
- Health problems. This is one of the most common reasons why dogs pee at night, during sleep or during the day. Cystitis, urolithiasis, inflammatory processes, acute and chronic renal failure are diseases that explain your dog’s uncleanliness.
- Rough treatment. If you constantly shout, hit your dog, or use physical violence in the process of training, do not be surprised that puddles or piles will appear in the house from time to time.
- Problems in education. Perhaps the owner made mistakes in training the dog or the dog is simply spoiled.
Symptoms of urinary incontinence
Incontinence can appear suddenly, but in most cases the “phenomenon” goes away along with the disease that caused it. You should contact your veterinarian if you observe the following signs:
- There are wet spots under the dog when he gets up, especially after a night's sleep.
- Wet fur in the riding breeches area, especially in adult dogs.
- The dog is constantly licking itself.
- Irritation of the skin in the genital area, visually similar to a mild burn.
- There is a smell of urine in the home, especially near the dog’s bed.
Stages of dog sleep
The phases of a dog's sleep are identical to that of a human. The electrical activity of our brains has much in common not only with dogs, but also with other mammals and even with some invertebrates. This fact was proven by scientists from the University of British Columbia, who compared the EEG results of humans and six English pointers.
Most of a dog's dreams occur in the superficial, or rapid phase. Dreams in the slow or deep phase are also possible, but they are always inferior in length and emotionality.
Fast
The dog's REM phase of sleep occurs immediately after the deep phase. Brain activity at this moment is close to the state of wakefulness, so even a slight rustle is enough to awaken.
About 20 minutes after falling asleep, the dog has its first dream, which lasts up to 5 minutes. Upon completion, the cycle repeats. The fast phase turns into a deep phase, and then the fast phase is observed again. With each cycle, the duration of the fast phase increases. It is easily recognized by the active movement of the eyeballs.
Deep
A dog's deep sleep phase is necessary to restore strength. It is accompanied by measured breathing, decreased muscle tone and complete immobility of the eyeballs.
Dog sleep in this phase, like human sleep, is less emotional and very rare. When suddenly awakened, the animal needs time to assess the situation and come to its senses.
Causes of urinary incontinence in dogs
Solving the problem starts with identifying the root cause:
- Cystitis.
- Inflammation of the urethra.
- Kidney diseases.
- Spinal and neurological disorders.
- Individual reaction to medications.
- Hormonal disbalance.
- Severe stress or overexcitement.
In all cases, except for age-related incontinence, there are treatment options. An older dog cannot be cured because incontinence is a natural sign of aging. However, your pet’s body, including muscle tone, can be maintained with medication.
Answer
To understand why a dog begins to urinate during sleep, let’s understand the normal indicators.
Urine formation occurs in the glomeruli of the kidneys. Next, the liquid enters the pyelocaliceal system. Collecting and accumulating in the pelvis, urine gradually flows into the cavity of the bladder.
The cycle is repeated several times per minute. The products of the body's activity accumulate in the cavity of the bladder and are held inside with the help of a powerful sphincter. Due to muscle contraction, fluid is not released out.
A nerve signal comes from the dog's brain, leading to relaxation of the sphincter muscles. Urine flows out through the lumen of the urethra.
As soon as the bladder is empty, the sphincter closes. The urinary system is divided into two sections: the upper level is formed by the glomeruli and tubules and ureters. The lower level forms the bladder and urethra.
Treatment of urinary incontinence in dogs
Treatment should be carried out by a veterinarian, since therapy directly depends on the causes of the disorder. To determine the cause, you will need to donate urine; it can be collected at home or “collected” using a catheter.
First of all, the veterinarian must ensure that incontinence is not caused by chronic or acute conditions that require immediate treatment:
- Infectious damage to tissues and/or organs.
- Acute and chronic kidney diseases.
- Diabetes.
- All diseases that cause polydipsia.
Important! Until the cause is established, the dog cannot be vaccinated or prevented from parasitic infestations.
Diagnosis is carried out within 3–4 days. An ultrasound and blood tests are usually prescribed. During the diagnostic process, standard supportive therapy is carried out: symptomatic treatment and immune stimulation.
Common reasons
A common pathology in dogs is inflammation of the bladder. More often, pathology is observed in females. To recognize the disorder, the veterinarian will recommend taking a urine sample for a general analysis. Bacteriological culture will be required to determine the flora and its sensitivity to antibacterial drugs. Based on the test results, the doctor will select the appropriate course of antibiotics for your pet.
Typically, the course of therapy lasts two weeks. Then a control examination of the animal is carried out. The symptom of night urination disappears within a couple of days after starting treatment with antibacterial drugs. The course of treatment will need to be completed. Termination is fraught with the development of serious complications.
Polydipsia is a pathological thirst in an animal, causing increased urine output. Constant unquenchable thirst is considered a symptom of a number of serious endocrinological diseases. To determine the diagnosis, the doctor will perform several functional tests.
What to do to prevent your dog from urinating in your home
To protect the skin from the harmful effects of urine, the lounger should be covered with moisture-absorbing diapers. If necessary, change the bed; it is important that the covers are removed from the crib. In veterinary pharmacies you can look for special pillows with hydrogel; they absorb urine and odor.
Frequent walking will help partially eliminate the problem. However, you should not limit your dog to water (unless prescribed by the attending physician), since incontinence has nothing to do with this, and dehydration is considered a more dangerous condition.
The problem is that even with a quick identification of the cause and ideally selected treatment, a visible positive result is noticeable only after 10–14 days. During this period, wearing a diaper and strict hygiene are recommended. It is extremely rare that if incontinence is due to improper positioning of the bladder or ducts, the problem is solved surgically.
Breed of dog
Information about the breed of the dog will also help you correctly decipher what you see. Here are some likely options and their interpretations:
- Shepherd - many difficult tasks are expected that will need to be completed urgently. You should be careful when trusting your secrets only to trusted friends. On the street, it is important to be extremely careful so as not to be easy prey for scammers. A trip to the country and relaxing in nature will bring positive emotions and allow you to rest your soul and relax. When making a difficult decision, you will need to seek advice from an influential person; only he can give a truly valuable recommendation.
- Dachshund - in the near future you will have to work very actively to bring your creative ideas to life. At work, you will need to explain your position to colleagues and management for a long time. The coming days threaten to be very troublesome. To achieve the desired result, you will have to take the initiative and make new proposals. Under no circumstances should you spoil your relationship with your employees; you may soon need their support and help.
- Collie - it will be difficult to achieve mutual understanding in the family, quarrels and conflicts are possible over trifles. You must try not to go to extremes. If the sleeper learns to manage his own emotions, he will be able to avoid a huge scandal with his soulmate. After a long and hard work, you can safely allow yourself small weaknesses. If you want to meet with friends, you definitely need to do this.
- Pekingese - there will be a lot of personal ambitions, you will want to show off, but instead you will have to do work in order to demonstrate your worth to others. Strength and energy will increase significantly. There is an urgent need to sort out household chores and family problems.
- Pug - to the need to relieve yourself of unnecessary things. You shouldn’t give up, everything will definitely work out in the end, because fortune is now on the side of the sleeper. In the coming days there will be a wonderful opportunity to significantly increase your income. It is possible that you will be able to find additional income that will allow you to improve your financial situation and reach a new level. It is recommended to pay attention to old problems; there are too many of them.