How long can dogs hold their pee?
The most well-known factor affecting how long a dog can go between toilet breaks was their age. Younger dogs, particularly pups that have not yet been properly toilet trained, will not be able to hold their urine for as long as most older dogs. This is due in part to their bladders & urinary tract systems being small and underdeveloped.
There’s more to it than just holding capacity. It takes time for the muscles that contract to retain & release the bladder to grow. As a result, some puppies require more frequent potty breaks than others. Helping puppies strengthen these muscles & learn to manage their bladder is an integral part of potty training.
As dogs get older, they may begin to lose muscular control. Muscle wasting, inflammation, mobility issues, and kidney and liver function can all lead to more frequent toilet visits.
Factors That Influence How Often A Dog Needs To Pee
One of the most important factors affecting a dog’s capacity to hold it or not is its age.
As you undoubtedly know, puppies and teenage dogs are less able to contain their urine than older dogs.
Puppies are also still learning to listen to their body and recognize when a tingling sensation signals it’s time to go. And once they do, it’ll be a long journey back to regulating the muscle contractions in urine retention.
It may be difficult for puppies and young dogs to learn to contain their pee, which is why so many animal owners struggle to educate them.
As a general rule, you may anticipate a dog to be capable of holding their pee for one hour for each, and every month they are old, up until they are eight months old.
Adult dogs should be able to retain their urine for 6-8 hours on average. Some pets may be able to go as high as 10 – 12, but any more than that puts your dog at risk of significant adverse effects.
When your dog reaches the age of ten, it will begin to exhibit indications of aging. When this occurs varies, especially across breeds of different sizes.
However, dogs are considered “senior” when they reach the age of 8-10 years, with smaller types approaching ten and bigger breeds coming 8.
It’s ideal for offering elderly dogs more frequent bathroom breaks since no one wants them to feel uncomfortable or strain to hold in their urine. If possible, try to do it every 3-4 hours (6 to 8 times a day).
How Frequently Do Dogs Have to Urinate?
Smaller dog breeds and puppies require significantly more frequent grooming than other dog breeds. The average healthy dog will generate 15 – 20 ml of pee per pound of body weight.
By maturity, the frequency of urine should have stabilized at three to five times per day; however, this can be influenced by factors such as nutrition, general health, age, body type, & sex. All dogs should keep a healthy degree of hydration, otherwise, they will lose their desire to go to the bathroom.
If you’re concerned about your dog’s lack of urine, start by keeping track of how much water they drink and placing numerous bowls of water around to make drinking easier. On the other hand, this behavior is unusual unless you’ve been distracted and left your dog without water.
Even though skipping a water container for several hours isn’t harmful, it can’t be done regularly.
Why Is It Bad to Make Dogs Hold Their Pee?
When a dog’s bladder is forced to hold pee for an extended period, it gets swollen. This implies that when they get older, they’ll need to go to the bathroom more frequently, which will cause a slew of additional issues.
In dogs who are compelled to retain their urine, urinary tract infections are common. The most prevalent infection is urinary tract infection, characterized by an increased desire to pee and a high number of ‘accidents.’ When trying to relieve itself, a dog may show signs of pain or discomfort.
Due to the masses of germs maintained by an untreated urinary infection, serious problems such as urinary stones might develop. Carcinogenic chemicals can cause cancer over lengthy periods.
In as little as ten months, an untreated infection can be deadly. Antibiotics can cure an illness in a few weeks. If you believe your pet has a UTI, take him to the doctor for urinalysis as part of a physical examination.
Every dog is unique, just as every human is the unique-your father can travel the whole length of a road trip without stopping to urinate, while your grandma insists on stopping at every rest stop, petrol station, as well as fast food restaurant along the highway for a brief “pit stop”-and every dog is unique. There are a number of variables that can reduce the length of time your dog spends between potty sessions, including:
- Size
- Diet
- Age
- Breed
It’s critical to keep a close eye on your pet’s habits. You should allow your pet out every six hours if they are wiggling excessively after Six hours at home or even in the crate. Know that if you have to be gone from home for 10-12 hours, your dog can go without needing to go? You can extend your walk times a little bit, but remember that holding for far too long or too often might raise your risk of bladder, kidneys, & urinary tract infections.
Bathroom Breaks and Age
Puppies, like human infants, have many accidents. As a general guideline, expect your puppy to hold it for 1 hour plus the number of months they have been alive. As a result, a six-month-old puppy is getting considerably closer to an adult-sized urine capacity than one or two months old! Taking a pup out at every hour throughout the day, on the other hand, is an excellent method to guarantee that your dog receives the necessary training and attention. Puppies or dogs are also more likely to go to the toilet after eating or drinking within fifteen minutes. If you’ve recently fed your puppy or saw its drinking water, try to take it out within 10 minutes & walk until it discharges itself. As a result, the puppy will learn to link going to the potty with being outside, which you want as a pet parent.
Senior dogs, like pups, do not have the same capacity to retain their bladders for lengthy periods. Many pet parents are disappointed when their dog’s ability to recall to go outside deteriorates as they get older, but this is usually not due to disobedience on the dog’s part. Every 4-6 hours, senior dogs require a restroom break. That, however, may vary depending on the dog’s breed, weight, and other health concerns, among other factors. Some elderly dogs may require more frequent peeing.
If you cannot take your dog out because you are unable to be at home, getting a pet sitter is one alternative for keeping animals healthy and happy. Paper training your dog or providing them with pee pads may also be beneficial, so they’ll have a “safe” location to urinate even if you’re not there to take them out if they, like their human friends, can’t make it.
What makes this situation unique?
Larger purebred puppies are more prone than smaller breed dogs to suffer bladder problems. On the other hand, smaller breeds have a smaller functional capacity on average, which means they’ll have to urinate more frequently if they’re gulping water. Your dog may also need to go potty more often if:
- They are fat or overweight.
- They’re taking drugs that induce or promote frequent urination. They have a medical condition, such as diabetes.
- They went outside earlier in the day than average and consumed more water than usual.
- When should I contact the veterinarian?
In dogs, frequent urine isn’t necessarily a sign of a problem. Your dog’s urge to go out more frequently than usual might be influenced by age, weight, as well as other variables. However, several warning signals indicate you should take your dog to a vet right away, including:
- Urination squeezing or pain
- Urine that has changed color, especially to an extremely dark or crimson tone.
- A sudden and noticeable rise in the number of instances your dog has to go out daily, especially if it isn’t linked to any other indications
The comfort of your pet comes first! Make sure you consider your dog’s particular requirements while creating arrangements for them.
Conclusion
Puppies & younger dogs may require hourly walks at first. You can increase one hour each month of the dog’s age as the puppy grows older. Senior dogs may generally go between visits outside for 4-6 hours. Adult dogs should be taken out every 6-8 hrs at the very least.
Crate-trained dogs or whose pet owners are gone for extended periods may be capable of holding for up to 10-12 hours. This is, however, unusual and not something you should expect from your dog.
The more you get to know your pet, the better you’ll be able to determine how often they need to be brought outside. You’ll be able to recognize the difference between a desire to play and a genuine need to go outdoors as you learn to give heed to your pet’s signs. Regularly letting your dog out, on the other hand, will improve their comfort and minimize the number of messes in your home.
