Frequent urination in dogs can be quite a disturbing issue, particularly when your dog needs to go out every now and then to urinate. Your dog may even pass out urine on your upholstery or rug, which can be very unpleasant. The medical term for frequent urination in dogs is called pollakiuria.

In this article, we discussed the causes of frequent urination in dogs and what you should do when you notice your dog urinating more frequently than normal.

Causes of Frequent Urination in Dogs

The cause of frequent urination in dogs may be anomalies within the lower urinary tract. The lower urinary tract is made up of the bladder and urethra and diseases affecting these parts often causes frequent and urgent need for dogs to urinate, even when the bladder is barely full. Dogs may urinate frequently, but in small quantities per time.

The causes of frequent urination in dogs may include:

Bacterial infection within bladder
Presence of stones in bladder or urethra
Tumors or polyps within bladder or urethra

Apart from the factors listed above, another cause of frequent urination in dogs may be increased thirst, which may cause dogs to drink excess water. In this case, the bladder gets filled up fast and the quantity of the urine may be much.

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Since increased thirst is one cause of frequent urination in dogs, some factors may be responsible for causing a dog to lap water excessively. These include:

Urinary tract infection
Older age
Marking
Canine diabetes
Overheating and increased thirst
Spay incontinence

1. Urinary tract infection (UTI)

One major cause of frequent urination in dogs is urinary tract infection. Though male dogs are also affected by UTI, but the condition commonly affects older female dogs. Apart from frequent urination, other symptoms of UTI in dogs may include:

Blood in urine
Squatting for long before urine flows out
Whining indicating pain as they pass out urine

Urinary tract infection in dogs may be caused by the presence of bacteria in the urethra of the affected dog. Usually, a vet can prescribe antibiotics to treat UTI in dogs.

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Age

Though the bladder size of dogs vary from one dog to another, but a healthy dog is expected to urinate once in every 4-6 hours. However, the frequency may be much for puppies under 5 months due to the fact they are still young and lack proper control of their bladder. However, as they grow older, they exercise better bladder control.

Though frequent urination, also called polyuria, can affect a dog as they begin to advance in age.

3. Marking

Marking is also included among the causes for frequent urination in dogs. Dogs are territorial animals, so your dog urinating frequenting, particular in a new environment, may be to establish a claim over the territory, using their urine of course. Most people cannot tell the difference between a urine marking and normal frequent urination. Urine marking or territoriality is short passing of urine for every few steps, while the urine flow for normal frequent urination is long and sustained.

4. Canine Diabetes

Among the causes of frequent urination in dogs is diabetes, precisely diabetes mellitus. Diabetes in dogs is caused by inability of the digestive system to properly convert food to energy. The dog has to consume more food because of low energy. Dogs with diabetes mellitus also tends to drink more water and urinate in same amount. Just like human diabetes, diabetes in dogs has no cure, but can be controlled with medication, diet, and exercise.

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5. Overheating or increased thirst

Dogs tend to drink water excessively due to overheating, particularly when they stay outside for long during sunny period of the year. Overheating and increased thirst also causes frequent urination in dogs. Dogs don’t sweat like human, but they have sweat gland underneath their feet. Panting helps dogs to regulate their temperature, and they have to drink water to make up for fluid content lost via sweating. However, they will urinate frequently if they drink lots of water during cold weather or when they are in a climate-controlled environment.

6. Spay incontinence

Spay incontinence is medically known as urethral sphincter incompetence. It occurs when a spayed female dog has problems with controlling its bladder. Spay incontinence is another cause for frequent urination in dogs. When a dog’s back is stretched during the neutering, it may affect their bladder control later in life. Dogs sustaining back injuries can lead issues with bladder control.

Other causes of frequent urination in dogs include:

Kidney diseases such as chronic kidney disease or kidney infection
Hormonal imbalances
Older age
Diuretics
Liver disease
Pyometra: Infection of the uterus that affects dogs and cats
Certain medications including anti-seizure drugs
Products containing Cortisone
Diagnosing Frequent Urination in Dogs

To recognize signs of frequent urination in dogs, you would have to put your dog on close surveillance to watch out for signs like:

Always refilling water bowl more than normal
Bedside urine puddle when you wake in the morning
Frequent urge to urinate during walks
Your dog always waking you up at night to go outside for a pee.

It is advisable to consult your vet immediately you notice symptoms of frequent urination in your dog. The vet may need to get a sample of your dog’s urine for testing.

Bottom line

It is considered normal for a dog to urinate at least every 4 to 6 hours. However, it becomes an issue if your dog has to urinate every now and then. If you aren’t sure of what is causing frequent urination in your dog, do well to carefully observe the number of times your dog urinates in a day and take note of the time difference between each urination. Also take note of the colour of your dog’s urine and note if it whines when urinating. Note also any changes in its eating habits. Doing this would help the vet carry out a proper diagnosis so the right medication can be administered.

Source: https://healthdiary365.com/causes-of-frequent-urination-in-dogs/