Do Dogs Pee In Their Sleep? (Know It All)

You’ve probably been wondering, do dogs pee in their sleep? You’ve probably offered him all the necessary training and you have created the perfect routine allowing him to empty his bladder just before you tuck in for the evening; but each time you wake up, you end up facing the same challenge. A wet floor or wet bedding.

What could be the cause of all this? Is it what you are feeding him? Could it be due to medical reasons?

These are some critical questions that could be lingering in your mind. Well, today we address all of them and clear any doubt that you may have had in the past.

Let’s get to it.

Do Dogs Pee In Their Sleep?

Dogs peeing in their sleep is a normal behavior even with all the precautionary action taken. The reason for this incontinence is mostly associated with medical reasons such as diabetes, urinary tract infection (UTI), kidney disease, or bladder stones. Another key reason could also be old age, as this behavior has been observed more on older dogs than younger ones.

Most dogs will wake up to urinate and indicate that they need to be let outside. There is a difference between a dog that is deliberately peeing in the house and a dog that is not waking up, so establish which you are dealing with before you proceed. We’ll focus on the latter.

So, why might a dog pee in its sleep?

There are a number of reasons that could be leading to your dog peeing while sleeping. Below we look at some of the most common reasons.

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Medical Reasons

Pretty much anything which causes a dog to pee in its sleep can be linked to a medical cause. Even a little incontinence should be looked out for and dealt with, as it can both indicate and lead to other health problems. Don’t ignore it; get in touch with your veterinarian and pinpoint the cause.

There are a number of medical conditions that could be leading your fur friend to pee in her sleep. Diseases such as diabetes in dogs are quite common and could be characterized by excessive thirst from your dog leading them to take lots of liquids throughout the day.

This leads to excessive urination throughout the day and could lead to him peeing during their sleep from the excessive water intake.

Below are some of the key medical reasons.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

This is an inflammatory condition that can prevent your dog from feeling that it is peeing. It is also likely to make your dog drink more, exacerbating the problem. Chronic urinary tract infections can lead to other health complications, such as kidney infections, so if you suspect a UTI, get it dealt with promptly.

Dogs with urinary tract infections (UTI) generally tend to urinate more frequently whenever they go outside. They may also be observed struggling to urinate, whine or even cry out if it’s painful. In severe cases, blood has sometimes been observed in their urine.

Pay close attention to such symptoms and make sure to get the dog checked by your local vet.

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Hormone Imbalance

Older female dogs are more prone to sleep incontinence, frequently due to hormone imbalances. Fortunately, although this has multiple causes, it’s easy to deal with using a medication, so take your dog to a vet and you should be on the road to recovery.

A common reason for hormone imbalance is spaying/neutering, particularly in females, where estrogen levels will drop dramatically, and the dog’s sphincter muscles are affected. If you have recently had your dog spayed or neutered, look out for nighttime incontinence.

This could be the reason why nighttime incontinence is recorded in female dogs compared to their male counterparts.

Spinal Diseases

One of the more serious reasons to get sleep incontinence checked out swiftly is that it can be a sign of a degenerative spinal disease. Because this kind of disease can cause a reduced sensation, the dog will not necessarily realize when it is peeing, which could lead to accidents at night.

This condition is commonly experienced in older dogs. Dogs older than 8 years have in the past been known to suffer this condition the most.

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Kidney Disease

Kidney problems can cause weakness or disorientation in dogs, so if your dog suffering from kidney disease, it may be starting to get confused or struggle to wake up from sleep as promptly.

The muscle weakness may cause issues with it holding its bladder, and one of the symptoms of kidney disease is increased drinking of water, which will exacerbate the bladder issue, particularly at night when the dog’s muscles are fully relaxed.

Kidney disease in dogs is mostly associated with aging. This could start from the ages of ten to fourteen especially for small dogs.

Do older dogs pee in their sleep? Have you seen this from your 10 years plus old dog? You can easily associate this with chronic kidney disease in dogs.

Never work with any assumptions – reach out to your vet and find what exactly could be the cause of this.

Bladder Stones

A build-up of bladder stones will cause urination problems and can result in muscle damage and worsened incontinence if it goes untreated. Urinary accidents, both at night and in the day, are commonly associated with bladder stones, and as they are extremely painful, you will need to take your dog to see a veterinarian swiftly.

Straining to urinate due to bladder stones could lead to your dog experiencing instances where you might notice blood in their urine. Straining is the leading cause of muscle damage; leading to nighttime incontinence.

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Conclusion

Night-time incontinence is a serious problem that you need to attend to, even if it’s just a little bit. They are a number of medical reasons that could lead to nighttime incontinence; ranging from urinary tract infections (UTI), kidney disease, hormonal imbalance & bladder stones.

It’s important to get assistance from your local vet to help you identify the key reasons why your dog could be peeing in their sleep and help you diagnose the key reasons.

Contact your veterinarian promptly and discuss possible causes and treatments to avoid bigger issues arising later.