How often do dogs need to pee? Imagine coping with a dog that just won’t stop diddling in the house! You simply can’t seem to let him outside enough. Or maybe you’re greeted with a fresh puddle every time you arrive home from work.
Is this normal, or does your dog have a problem? Let’s discuss this in more detail below!
How Often Do Dogs Need to Pee?
Dogs have bladders just like we humans do, and they will need to urinate just like we do. Smaller dogs will have smaller bladders, and young Puppies will have bladders that aren’t completely developed.
Their bathroom needs are similar to ours, in this respect.
How Often Will Puppies Need to Pee
Imagine bringing a squirming little 8-week-old pup home. You soon find out you won’t be getting much sleep, since the little one wakes up several times through the night!
As a general rule of thumb, a puppy can hold his/her bladder for 1 hour per month of age. This means a 2 month/8-week-old pup will need to pee every two hours, a 3 month/12-week-old pup will have to go outside once every three hours, and a 4 month/16-week old pup can hold his business for 4 hours.
As your puppy ages, however, this rule will begin to taper off. After all, you should never force any dog to wait 11 hours in between potty breaks!
How Often Do Adult Dogs Need to Pee?
Most medium to large breed adult dogs could probably go for 8-10 hours between potty breaks. Of course this will depend on the dog’s age, size and overall health. Older dogs tend to have to go more often and may lose bladder control (just like ageing humans).
It isn’t healthy to force any dog to wait that long in between potty breaks. If you drink the recommended 8 8 oz. Cups of water daily, we can guarantee you never wait that long.
If you ask your veterinarian how often do dogs need to pee, he will recommend you never ask your tog to wait longer than 6-8 hours at the most to pee. A healthy dog might go outside 3-5 times a day! Smaller breeds may have to pee more often.
What About an 8 Hour Workday?
Hundreds of thousands of Americans (possibly millions) work 8 hours a day, and with travel time are gone at least nine. Many of those people are dog owners! So, how do they do it?
- Let the dog out on lunch break
- Doggy door to fenced in backyard
- Ask neighbours or family members to let the dog out
The Potty Pad
These are normally reserved for puppies during potty training or until their bladder develops, but the same idea can work with adult dogs. Pad training instructions are very simple, and normally come directly on the packaging!
You just may end up with a larger puddle. These might work better with small breeds and may not be enough for your larger fellows.
How Long Can Dogs Go Without Peeing?
Now that you know how often your dog should be allowed potty breaks, how often can they possibly go without peeing? Like we said, most adult dogs could go for 8-10hours, or possibly even more.
Constantly holding their business can have consequences though! Since your dog can’t remove those toxins from his body in time, they may begin to build up. You could end up seeing urinary tract infections, stones and urinary crystals.
The bladder can even rupture, spilling into the abdominal cavity!
If that sounds bad, you’re thinking along the right track. Poisons filling the abdominal cavity could cause your dog to become septic and die, if not treated. This is more likely to happen if your dog’s urethra is obstructed, and he physically can’t urinate.
Urinary stones, possibly caused by forcing a dog to hold his or her business, can cause urethral obstructions.
What if My Dog Hasn’t Peed in Over a Day?
If your dog isn’t peeing, there is a medical problem, and he needs to be seen by a veterinarian asap! This isn’t something you want to wait and make an appointment for. Get him or her seen today!
The veterinarian might perform several tests, like:
- Complete Blood Count
- Urinalysis
- Urine Culture
- Abdominal Ultrasound
- Abdominal X-rays
- CT Scan
If your dog is drinking normally, it’s not normal for him/her not topee in 24 hours or more. This is called urinary retention, and there are several conditions that might cause it. These can range from infections and obstructions (i.e. urine stone) and infections to cancer or neurological conditions.
Any condition causing urinary retention is drastic!
What are the Symptoms of Urinary Retention?
How can you tell if a dog isn’t urinating as often as he should be? Besides the fact that your dog isn’t peeing, you might see several other signs there is a problem. Any of these on their own could mean there is a major issue going on!
Distended Bladder
You might notice your dog’s bladder area is distended or bloated to your touch. You could see abdominal bloating.
Dog Struggling
Is your dog struggling to pee, but nothing is coming out? Is your dog’s stream very weak or interrupted?
Frequent Urination Attempts
Does your dog constantly want to go outside, but nothing happens? You might see your pup struggling or squatting frequently. In the end, there isn’t much success.
Vomiting or Refusal to Eat
A distended bladder, or the condition causing it (i.e. infection) could cause vomiting. Your dog might refuse to eat if he’s suffering this much discomfort.
Blood in the Urine
Blood in the urine, or hematuria, means there is probably an issue somewhere along the urinary tract. This could be a sign of a urinary tract infection, kidney infection, a bladder or kidney stone, kidney disease, cancer, or several other issues.
No matter the cause, pinkish or red urine means your dog needs to be examined right away because this condition will impact how often do dogs need to pee!
How Often Do Dogs Need to Pee? Final Thoughts
Peeing habits in dogs may be affected by physical or health conditions but also may stem from behavior issues. Some dog owners bring up questions on forums such as a dog peeing on his blanket, his bed or even the masyer’s bed.
These are behavioral questions that require a different approach and solution. Check out the following guide for further information: Why does my dog pee on my bed?