Dog peeing while sound asleep

[Karen Kramer]

Hey everybody,

 

I have a doggie health related question.  Our 1.75 year old spayed female F1 labradoodle has been peeing while in a deep sleep leaving behind a puddle where she lays.  She doesn't even know that she has gone until well after she gets up and then notices that her bottom is all wet.  This has happened about 3 times now within a 4 month time frame and it seems to be when she is super exhausted.  She doesn't seem to have any other sypmtoms.  Is this just like when a child wets the bed at night?  Part of it could be our fault...after she plays we do not demand her to "go potty" like we used to before she was house trained. so then she just goes inside and flops down.  I have read a few different things.  Could be a UTI or urinary stones?  I have also seen some comments (not really from any reputable source) that too much protein in her diet could be the cause.  We currently do have her on a high protein diet (by accident) and are working to switch her to a new dog food that is not such.  I have also seen that it could be hormonal and due to her being spayed (she was spayed at 6 months) in which case she would have to be on meds for the rest of her life :(    If anybody has had this issue with their dog and/or has any advice, it would be greatly appreciated!  If it happens one more time, I am taking her to the vet.

 

Thanks,

Karen 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I'm sorry to hear that your dog is having this problem. The only one of your questions I can address is the one about protein. I can assure you this is not the result of your dog getting too much protein; unless she has kidney disease, it would be extremely difficult to feed a dog any kind of diet that was too high in protein, even if you tried.

I'd discuss it with the vet. Hope you can get an answer and it's something easily treated.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I don't think it is a UTI because it has only happened 3x in 4 months. Our Peri is 2 1/2 and she went through a period a few months ago where she pooped (ugh) in the middle of the night - right next to her bed, just a little bit.  It was so weird!  It's like she had a dream or something.

Re: protein in diet - nonsense. Check out food group on that one.  What food are you feeding though that is "high protein"?  If it's something grain free like Orijen, you should not have issues with that.

Is she eating okay?  I think you need to make SURE she potties one last time before bed time.  Try that for a while and see if it happens.

[Karen Kramer]

That's exactly what it is like....it seems like she is having a dream that she is playing in water or something!

 

We currently feed her the grain free Canidae food...which we didn't realize was grain free until after we started feeding it to her.  But we are currently switching her over. She is eating normally.  Making sure she goes potty before we go inside I think might resolve the issue....it has been happening in the evening...not even bedtime because we do make her go potty before bed.  But we will just have to make sure she goes potty after playing too I suppose.  Thanks for your help!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Canidae's grain-free line (which is called Pure) has four different formulas, and the protein content ranges from 25% (which is low) to 40%, depending on which formula you're feeding. These are pretty standard numbers, even in foods that do contain grains. None of these formulas is "too high" in protein.

Dogs require more protein and less carbohydrate than humans do.

There are only three macronutrients from which metabolic energy can be obtained: protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Even at 40% protein, that means that 60% of the energy (calories) is coming from fat and carbohydrate. At 25% protein, a dog would be getting 75% of it's metabolic energy from fat and carbohydrate.

 

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

If I were you, I would really make sure she potties after playing - we still use "peepee time" as a cue for Peri when we go outside and I have had multiple people comment on how great it is that she goes on command.  If that doesn't work, take her in to the vet just to be safe. 

Canidae is a good food - what are you switching her over to?  I invite you to come join the Food Group; it's really helpful for diet questions (but I don't think your issue is one that is diet related).

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I have to "remind" Jackdoodle to go peepee before we go to bed, and he's almost 7 years old. I take him out to eliminate at regulate intervals, whether he lets me know he has to go or not. Dogs don't always realize that they have to go, and they for sure don't know they should empty their bladders before they fall asleep.  

 

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

The food you are feeding is a good food and not too high in protein

 

I doubt its a UTI or it would be happening more frequently

 

If it was due to her being sayed then it would have happened right after the surgery, not a year later

 

I would assume its just because she needs to go pee, and maybe shes dreaming. I have to remind Cooper to go potty or she would only pee once a day!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree with you 100%.

Cooper is like JD, he waits for me to tell him he needs to go!

[Karen Kramer]

Thanks for all your replies...it's helpful to know that it's most likely a problem on our end (by not reminding her to go potty) rather than a health or food problem.  We are switching her to the standard Canidae food for all life stages...it's what we initially wanted to buy, but accidentally got the completely grain free--she LOVES both!  We will just have to tell her to go potty each and every time we go inside....she is good about going on command when on a leash, but not so good when off the leash--too easily distracted!  Hopefully this solves the problem.  Thanks again for your help!

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

id stick with the grain free - its a much better product

[Taina, Trassel and Toffee]

I had a Beardie bitch which was spayed  and she had the same problem as your dog. It was due to the fact that she had been spayed which caused her incontinence. Bladder sphincter  dysfunction is caused by a lack of  hormones due to this medical procedure.she was given progesterone tablets and the problem disappeared. She did not have to eat them constantly, but a two week period at a time.

If I would be you  I would take her to the vet for a check!

[Karen Kramer]

How do they test for bladder sphincter dysfunction?  I would hate to give her oral hormones if that truly wasn't the problem.  However, if that is the problem, I really don't want to wait any longer to get her treated.