The Rosco - Water - Pee Experiment

[Adina P]

I started cutting off Rosco's water supply at 7pm (give or take 10-15 min) 4 days ago:

Day 1 (New Year's Eve) -- last potty break at midnight -- no potty in the middle of the night -- success!

Day 2 -- last potty break around 10pm -- He woke us up in the middle of the night for potty -- fail!

Day 3 -- last potty break...10-11? -- We were up VERY late and when something else woke him up we sent him out so don't know if he would have gotten up or not.

Day 4 -- tonite. Left the house at 5:30-ish after they were fed. Left full water bowl. Returned 2 hours later and found a voluminous pee accident on the carpet. My fault for leaving water out...but seriously...2 hours is too much for an almost 3 year old dog!!!??? Thank heavens for my recently purchased steam cleaner!

Background on this problem: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/pulling-out-my-hair-hereneed

[Adina P]

One possibility is that he naps most of his day away. He's in a lazy, sleepy, chill mood. Gets VERY excited come food time and afterward can wipe out the entire buddy bowl in one continuous drink. The dogs were JUST fed and watered and now they are all collapsed and happy with full bellies. He'll continue to drink here and there through the night if I let him. SAME amount of food at breakfast and supper. Why more water at night I have NO idea!! See part 2 of this saga ... my next blog.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree that he's not doing it for spite...especially because he also wakes you to go out when you're home. A physical problem such as a bladder deformity still wouldn't address this issue of only at night...what is the reason for the extra water consumption at night? That's the part I can't figure out.

[Adina P]

No...I don't believe dogs do 'revengeful' things like that. Plus it's ONLY at night and ONLY after he drinks a lot (which is only at night). If he were crated during that time he would wet his crate if nobody let him out. I'm sure it's a matter of excessive volume IN = excessive volume out. But whether or not it's excessive because he has some bladder deformity ... or something else wrong...I don't know!

[Adina P]

No UTI...unfortunately Rosco has been this way for 2 years at least and the same in or out of the crate. He's otherwise house broken and ALWAYS asks to go out if we are home and can hold it 6-8 hours during the day because he doesn't drink! Here's the discussion that sparked this experiment: http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/pulling-out-my-hair-hereneed

[Terri]

I wonder if maybe he has a teensy weensy bladder.....
Kelsey is 4 and Stomper is 2 and Max is a year old.
They go in their crates at 10p.m. and they go till 6-7 the next morning.
Is he in a crate at night?
We can go out thruout the day/evening and leave them for several hours and all 3 are fine....
Never any accidents and we leave water out all the time.
I'd be getting him checked if I were you I think.
Frustrating, huh?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Adina, something just doesn't seem right about this. Jackdoodle is now on prednisone, and drinking about 4 times his normal amount of water round the clock, and he can still go for many hours without urinating. I know all dogs are different, but you're right...2 hours for a healthy, large adult dog shouldn't be any kind of problem at all. I don't have any ideas as to what the problem could be, but something just isn't right. Poor Rosco, and poor you!