Why Is My Dog Peeing So Much? Frequent Urination In Dogs
Written By Kevin Hughes
Published: 12/28/2015Updated: 11/20/2024
Veterinary reviewed by Michele K.
Why Is My Dog Peeing So Much - Frequent Urination In Dogs
Why is my dog peeing so much all of a sudden?
Just like humans, dogs need to urinate regularly — just one of the reasons it’s important to take your pup for walks during the day. But, if your dog is starting to urinate more frequently than usual, it could be a sign of a potential health problem.
If you’re concerned that your dog is peeing a lot, don’t ignore the issue. You may need to consult your vet for further advice, especially if it’s starting to happen a lot over a period of time.

Excessive urination in dogs
With a dog, frequent urination can be divided into two categories — an incessant need to urinate which can be a sign of other diseases, and incontinence, which is more of a lack of awareness of urination.

While incontinence can be the result of other diseases, it’s also an affliction itself, and maybe a sign of other problems in the body such as bladder infections, urethral blockage, or even natural aging. If you notice your pet urinating in abnormal places or at abnormal times, it may be incontinence.
Frequent urination can be the sign of many other diseases or an indicator of urinary incontinence in your pet. If there are other accompanying signs, it’s possible that frequent urination could be a sign of diseases such as cancers, kidney diseases, or systemic disease like Diabetes Mellitus.

Depending on what other signs your pet is exhibiting, it can be determined if the frequent urination is a sign of the actual disease.
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Symptoms of Frequent Urination in Dogs
If your dog is peeing a lot — a lot more than usual, that is — then the symptoms are typically obvious and unsurprising. The main symptom, believe it or not, is… peeing a lot!

Peeing frequently
In all seriousness though, this may be evident in different ways. One is that your dog may be ‘asking’ you to go outdoors much more than normal, showing a need to pee. This may be different to the type of behavior you’ll see on your daily dog walks, as many canines typically urinate often en route. This is known as ‘marking’.

A dog’s need to urinate changes depending on age. Puppies will need to pee often (just as they need to eat often), but an adult dog may only need to urinate every six to eight hours. Senior dogs usually need to urinate more frequently than adult dogs.

So, bear those ‘urination guidelines’ in mind when judging whether your dog’s behavior has changed, and whether he or she is peeing more frequently.

Incontinence
Another symptom of a potential health problem is incontinence. Urinary incontinence is involuntary urination. When your dog is experiencing urinary incontinence, they are likely to have accidents in the house.

This may happen when your dog is sleeping or when they’re moving around the house. It’s important to meet with the veterinarian to determine if the incontinence is just that or if it is the sign of another illness. Incontinence can be caused by a number of different factors, including stress, over-exercise, diabetes or neurological issues.
Causes of Frequent Urination in Dogs
Let’s deal with incontinence first. These are the main causes of urinary incontinence:

  • Urinary incontinence caused by ectopic ureters
    An ectopic ureter is an abnormal urethral opening. This is most common in female dogs, and the following breeds are particularly susceptible: Miniature Poodle, Collie, Welsh Corgi, Fox Wire-haired Fox Terrier, West Highland White Terrier, Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Siberian Husky, Newfoundland and English Bulldog. Urinary tract infections are common with this form of urinary incontinence.
  • Urinary incontinence caused by decreased urethral closure pressure
    Typically the result of neurological problems, a thorough neurological exam is required. The urinary incontinence will vary in occurrence, duration, and intensity.
  • Bladder infection
    Though a bladder infection isn’t true incontinence (the pet is aware of urination), it presents in a very similar fashion. A bladder infection increases your pet’s urge to urinate or scars the bladder (when long standing) so that it cannot hold urine. This may cause urination in abnormal locations or frequent urination.
  • Blockage of urethra
    If the dog is unable to completely empty their bladder because of the blockage, the built up pressure may force leaking.
  • Hormone-responsive incontinence
    This occurs most commonly in female dogs though it can occur in male neutered dogs as well. This happens after the pet is neutered and may occur months or years after the actual procedure. It is more common in larger breeds of dogs.
  • Age-related incontinence
    This is a more natural form of incontinence as it results from normal aging. This can result from a weakening of muscles or an overall susceptibility to disease that younger pets don’t have. Older pets can also become senile and not realize that they are urinating. 

If it’s not incontinence, why is my dog peeing so much?
If your dog isn’t suffering from incontinence but is still peeing a lot — you’ll no doubt be asking why. Why is my dog peeing so much all of a sudden? There are other potential causes, including:


There are other, less worrying, reasons why your dog might be peeing more frequently, too. In higher temperatures and warmer weather, your dog is likely to drink more water, which increases the need to urinate. Dogs also drink more after exercising, especially if that exercise has been intense — such as a long run or a swim.

Still, with so many potential causes, if your dog has suddenly begun to urinate noticeably more than usual, don’t guess the issue. This will need your veterinarian to make a diagnosis as part of the process of treating the problem.
Diagnosis of Frequent Urination in Dogs
There are a variety of tests that can aid in the diagnosis of incontinence or another condition that could be causing your dog to urinate frequently. What test is used will depend on what signs are present and other health factors, such as the age of your pet.

Some tests used by vets in diagnosis might include:

  • Blood and urine testing
  • X-rays
  • Ultrasound 
  • Urine cultures
  • Cystoscopy (endoscopy of the urinary bladder through the urethra)
  • Helical computed tomography (CT scan) 

All being well, your vet will conclude a diagnosis to answer your question of ‘why is my dog peeing so much?’ and recommend a course of treatment to resolve the problem.
Treatment for a dog with frequent urination
Treatment for a dog that’s peeing a lot will vary depending on the cause.
Some common treatments include:
  • Surgery
  • Medications – which drugs are prescribed depends on the cause. If no specific cause is determined, the veterinarian will likely prescribe drugs in trial periods and monitor results to determine if the treatment is successful
  • Hormone replacement therapy
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Recovery for a dog with frequent urination
The post-treatment recovery and management period following a case of excessive urination in dogs will largely depend on the course of treatment administered.

Clearly, if your dog has medication to treat the issue the recovery period will be short, providing the course of medication has been completed and there are no side effects.

Surgery has a longer recovery timeframe, with a post-surgery period that may include follow-up appointments with the veterinarian. Should pharmaceuticals or hormones be administered, you will likely need to monitor effectiveness and try multiple treatment options to find something that works.

In all courses of treatment, you will need to monitor your pet’s urination frequency, duration and severity to determine the effectiveness of the treatment. Do contact your vet if, at any stage, you have concerns about your pet’s recovery.
Why Is My Dog Peeing So Much? Frequent Urination In Dogs Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals
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Australian Shepherd
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Five Months
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2 found this helpful

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2 found this helpful

My pet has the following symptoms:
Frequent Urination
In the past hour my puppy has peed 7-8 times and she just peed in the house right after bringing her in from outside where she peed twice.
Aug. 7, 2020
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
2 Recommendations
Thank you for your question. From your description, it sounds like she may have a bladder infection, and that is something that it would be best to have looked at by a veterinarian as soon as possible. They will be able to examine her, see what might be going on, test her urine if needed, and get medication so that she feels better and is back to normal. I hope that all goes well for your
Aug. 8, 2020
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Shih Tzu
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Grace
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7 Years
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My pet has the following symptoms:
Urinary Frequency And Incontinence.
My 7 year old female Shi-tzu - has probably had Cushing's disease since I rescued her 3 years ago. She has ALWAYS had urinary frequency and incontinence... The vet just ran a special hormone test - and she is extrememly positive - for Cushing's.. I was wondering - can I consider any medications or supplements - to treat the urinary symptoms? I have to keep pads All Over my living room - as when I am away and cannot take her out - she goes on the pads or even other places. Your advice would be GREATLY APPRECIATED!
Sept. 5, 2018
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American bully
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Sampson
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6 Months
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My pet has the following symptoms:
Frequent Urination After Repaired Urethra
Prolapse And Castration
Hi. 5 days ago we had to have our almost 7 month old bluenose bully neutered as a way to correct his extreme urethra prolapse. He was bleeding uncontrollably. Now he seems to be exhibiting signs of a possible UTI. Frequent urination in the house, in his kennel, outside. It's seemed to increase the passed couple of days. Sometimes it's just dribbles. He now pees multiple times rather then his big one at the beginning. He's on antibiotics and ibuprofen for dogs. He has a post op appt on Thursday but was hoping to get some advice. I have cleaned up so much, too much pee today.
July 4, 2018
0 Recommendations
You never mentioned a timeline so it is difficult to know whether it is some expected inflammation, infection or due to another cause; if Sampson is continuing to dribble you should visit your Veterinarian for an examination to ensure that the current treatment (antibiotics and anti inflammatories) are the right course of action. Your Veterinarian will also take a urine sample to check for the basics to rule out any infections. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM
July 4, 2018
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terrier
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Cholo
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11 Years
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My pet has the following symptoms:
Excessive Urination
I have an 11 year old terrier mix. He's about a 45 lb. dog. I walk him twice a day, up to 2 miles, morning and evening. We had to build him a pee proof kenneled area because of the peeing problem. It is quite a large area (15 X 20 ft) of the house while we are away. My problem is: He drinks water constantly, and is literally "flooding" his area with urine all day and all night. No exaggeration. I have never seen so much pee out of such a small dog! And it is constant, even on our walks, he pees for quite a while each time we stop. He's never had any health problems, he is neutered, good appetite. He's a VERY high energy dog despite his age and I have often thought that maybe that is why he started doing this, but it has gotten so bad, I really need some help.
May 7, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
There are many reasons that dogs will start to drlink and urinate more. Kidney disease and diabetes happen more commonly in older dogs, as do urinary tract infections. it would be a good idea to have Chulo seen by your veteinarian and have some lab work done, checking his blood and urine for abnormalities. Many problems are controllable if caught early. i hope that everything goes well for him.
May 8, 2018
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Bichonpoo
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Frodo
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4 Years
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My pet has the following symptoms:
Frequent Urination
Frodo normally gets taken out about every 2-3 hours to go pee, and poops normally twice a day. But lately he is wanting to go out to pee a lot more. Today is the worst. He goes out to pee and only about a tablespoon (if that) comes out. Literally about 20 minutes later he is barking, and won't stop, as he wants to go pee & the same thing happens. He isn't drinking any more than normal. The pee was a darker yellow this evening. This morning is was a very pale yellow to clear & around lunchtime too. He does have a 'brother' that is 2yrs old & also a bichonpoo, they are both neutered. They have both had UTI problems before, so vet recommended a prescription diet for urine issues! Help!!!
April 18, 2018
Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM
0 Recommendations
If Frodo is showing signs of a urinary issue, and has a history of urinary issues, it would be best to have him seen by your veterinarian to have an examination and see if he is having problems with an infection, or otherwise. They'll be able to examine him, determine what is going on with him, and see what treatment he may need. The behavior that you describe isn't normal for him, and would be best to be examined. I hope that all goes well for him.
April 19, 2018
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Shih Tzu
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Diamond
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8 Weeks
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My pet has the following symptoms:
Urinating In House
I am getting ready to take on shih tzu that was from one of my litters. She is 8 years old. Through a divorce they’re both wanting to give her up due to busy work schedule. She has been having urinating continuously all of her life in the house and they have not found out the true reason. They’ve complained about having just taken her outside and brought her back inside but she will pee within 5 minutes. I’m not sure since it’s been an ongoing problem it’s medical or if habit now. Would it be wise to try working with her since I do have her mother and her uncle left , and they have a routine here. Other dogs I’ve trained have followed the routine as mine. I house broke my liters before I let them go as well at 10 weeks being a respectful person. This was also done by routine. Just curious as to what you would suggest, thanks!
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Chihuahua
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Cuzco
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7 Years
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My pet has the following symptoms:
Frequent Urination
Not Drinking Water
My 7 year old male chihuahua has been the epitome of good health up until a few weeks ago when he just stopped drinking water. I took him to the vet, he got subcutaneous fluids, and they did some blood tests. He tested negative for everything, and peed more frequently (sometimes in the house) due to the subcutaneous fluids. The vet told me to give him boiled chicken and rice for a few days to help his tummy, and then he got diarrhea for three days. His diarrhea has since stopped, but he refuses to drink water. I’m giving him wet food, and putting water in that same dish, to make sure that he stays somewhat hydrated. His personality has come back for the most part, but he yelps when I pick them up, and today he’s gone back to having frequent urination. I plan on taking him back to the vet, but what is the next best step?
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