Normal Urinary Frequency in Dogs

Urinary frequency in dogs depends on various factors such as the diet, health, age and size of the dog. Urinary frequency can indicate the health of your pet and can alert you of any adverse changes that could be a cause of concern. It's important to monitor your dog's behavior to ensure that he lives a normal life, free of any urinary problems.

Urination

Urination is the process by which liquid waste, known as urine, is expelled from the dog's body from the bladder, through the urethra. Not only does urination serve to cleanse the body of waste products, it also helps dogs to mark their territory. Dogs also urinate when excited or when they are feeling submissive to new circumstances or behavior.

Normal Urination

In normal circumstances, dogs can go for 8 to 10 hours without urinating. However, all dogs need to be taken out after a meal or a drink, upon waking up and after a period of play. Generally, a dog passes 20 ml of urine for every pound of its weight.

Size

Larger dogs have larger bladder capacity in comparison to smaller dogs and can go without urinating through the entire night. Smaller dogs need to be taken out more frequently, but in most circumstances, they can also go through the night without urinating.

Age

An adult dog has a well developed urinary system and can remain continent for longer periods of time as compared to puppies that need to be taken out more frequently, in order to prevent accidents inside the house.

Diet

The frequency of urination in dogs is dependent on the amount of water the pet drinks. Besides water, the intake of sodium and glucose can also affect urinary frequency.

Health

A healthy adult dog of moderate size and age needs to urinate every 8 to 10 hours. However, poor health can affect the urinary frequency in dogs. Some diseases can either increase or decrease canine urinary frequency.

Reasons for Frequent Urination in Dogs:

Reasons for Infrequent Urination in Dogs

Dogs with kidney or bladder stones can have blockages and pass urine less frequently and in lesser amounts. However, proper treatment and removal of the stones can restore health in such dogs.

Maintaining Optimum Urinary Health in Dogs

You can ensure that your dog enjoys optimum health  and doesn't suffer from urinary problems by feeding him a nutritious diet consisting of raw and unprocessed food, exercising him regularly and giving him plenty of fresh water. If your adult house-trained dog exhibits changes in urinary frequency, you should observe him and note the changes. If the changes continue for more than a couple of days, it's best to seek medical help. Increased or decreased urinary frequency might either be temporary and not a cause for concern, or it might indicate some health problem that needs to be treated quickly.

 

Comments