If your dog is peeing a lot more than usual, it’s easy for pet owners to get concerned. Frequent urination can be caused by various things, ranging from benign issues like changes in diet or environment to more serious health issues.

Understanding the root cause of excessive urination and knowing when to see the vet can help prevent conditions from worsening and determine the appropriate treatment for their circumstance. Here’s what pet owners need to know about treating excessive urination in dogs.

Frequent urination can often signal serious medical issues such as kidney disease, a urinary tract infection (UTI), hormonal imbalances, bladder cancer, endocrine disorders (like Cushing’s or diabetes), or liver disease. If your dog’s excessive peeing is accompanied by any of the symptoms below, seek professional veterinary care as soon as possible.

• Blood in the urine. The most obvious and alarming sign for many owners is blood in their dog’s urine (hematuria). This may signify bladder or kidney infections, diabetes, and more serious internal ailments. Bloody urine is an especially concerning red flag that should always warrant an immediate vet visit.
• Unusual odor. Most owners can recognize the normal, common smell of dog urine. If, however, there’s a noticeable change in the odor of your dog’s urine, it may signify an infection or other serious issues.
• Excessive drinking. Dogs may drink more water from time to time on hot days or after strenuous activity. If the excessive drinking Trusted Source This is an approved Trusted Source for betterpet. Learn more about Trusted Sources  becomes regular and sustained, there’s likely an underlying medical or behavioral cause. Monitor their water intake to determine what’s normal and what isn’t.
• Straining to pee. Difficulty urinating or pain while peeing is a sure sign of trouble. Straining to pee is often a symptom of an underlying condition like a UTI, bladder stones, urethral obstruction, or a partial obstruction from a mass or clot.

Sometimes, the reason your dog is peeing a lot can be simple to pinpoint. These might include a rise in temperature or activity, leading your dog to drink more water. However, excessive urination may also be a symptom of several serious medical conditions.

Frequent urination isn’t always due to a medical condition. Many times, non-medical factors like age, level of physical activity, environment, hydration, or diet can impact urination habits.

• Age. Age plays a role in how much and how often your dog urinates. Puppies and senior dogs often urinate more frequently due to various age-related behaviors or conditions.
• Heat. Naturally, in warmer weather, dogs drink more water to stay hydrated and cool. This can lead to more frequent urination as a result of drinking more. As temperatures increase outside, always make sure your pet has access to clean, fresh water at all times to avoid heat stroke and exhaustion.
• Activity level. Physical activity can cause a dog to feel thirsty and drink more fluids since they are naturally losing water through panting and sweating through their paw pads. An increase in water intake will usually cause them to urinate more.
• Diet. Certain diets that have low amounts of protein or high levels of salt can cause increased urination in dogs. Both of these diet types affect the kidneys, causing dogs to drink more water.
• Dehydration. As dogs lose fluid, they may drink more to compensate. Dehydration Trusted Source This is an approved Trusted Source for betterpet. Learn more about Trusted Sources occurs when your dog doesn’t drink enough water, which can be due to not wanting to drink or not having access to adequate water resources.
• Improper potty training. Learning the “acceptable” places to pee isn’t a natural instinct for dogs. When we welcome pets into our home, especially puppies, we attempt to teach them the rules, often through crate training. But, crate training is a process, and accidents should be expected until puppies (or grown dogs) are fully trained.
• Anxiety. Separation anxiety in dogs can manifest in many ways, including excessive peeing or pooping. Anxious dogs will often get so overworked that they may poop in the house, even if they’ve been successfully potty trained. This can be super frustrating for pet parents.
• Marking. Marking is a natural instinct in many dogs, especially among unneutered males. Dogs may mark territory to attract mates and communicate dog-to-dog using pheromones. A change in environment or stimulation levels can also increase urination via marking.
• Side effects of medications. Diuretic medications, seizure drugs, and corticosteroids can cause side effects like increased thirst and frequent urination. These drugs influence the fluid and balance of electrolytes within the body.

What’s normal for your dog will depend on their hydration levels, medical conditions, and age. Typically, healthy adult dogs can hold their pee for 6-8 hours, but this can vary significantly with age and individual dogs.

Puppies — Puppies tend to pee more than adult dogs when they’re still potty training because their bodies need more water to keep them from becoming dehydrated. Take your puppy out to pee every 2 to 6 hours, depending on their age. Generally, they should be able to hold their urine for the same number of hours as their age in months.

Adult dogs — Healthy adult dogs can hold their urine for 6 to 8 hours. Most produce between 0.31 to 0.61 ounces of urine per pound of body weight every 24 hours.

Senior dogs — Older dogs may also need to urinate more frequently than healthy adult dogs due to underlying medical conditions. Some senior dogs also suffer from cognitive dysfunction, which can cause them to forget they’ve already urinated or that they should only be urinating outside.

In the case of frequent or excessive urination, there are a number of medical or behavioral causes that are simply impossible to diagnose with the naked eye. That’s why it’s a good idea to take your dog to the vet any time you feel frequent urination may be a sign of an underlying issue.

Not only will they be able to give your dog a thorough physical examination, but they can also order a comprehensive urinalysis to determine the levels of protein, blood, crystals, white blood cells, and bacteria in your dog’s urine.

Other common tests used to diagnose problems associated with frequent urination in dogs include:

• Urine culture tests. These tests are used to check for bacterial growth in the urine.
• Abdominal X-rays. Veterinarians use radiographs to look for any stones or tumors in the urethra or bladder.
• Abdominal ultrasounds. Ultrasounds allow vets to examine the rest of the urinary tract, including the kidneys, bladder, ureters, liver, prostate (in male dogs), uterus (in unspayed female dogs), and adrenal glands.

Treatment for frequent urination will differ depending on the diagnosis. In the case of a bladder or kidney infection, a vet may prescribe antibiotics, fluid therapy, and sometimes hospitalization. Dietary changes and regular insulin injections may be required for more serious conditions like diabetes, while cancer is commonly treated using a combination of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.

The cost of veterinary care can be expensive. However, most pet parents would agree that cost is secondary to their furry friends’ quality of life. Help your dog avoid potentially life-threatening issues by trusting your vet throughout the process. Simple as it may seem, frequent urination may sometimes require complex diagnosis and treatment.

Excessive urination can be a sign of an underlying health problem. If you notice your dog urinating frequently, watch for other symptoms and consider changes in their diet, activity, environment, or stress levels. If urination changes persist, speak with your veterinarian. They can help rule out any serious issues or prevent any conditions from worsening.