Why the Horrible Habit?
Dogs drinking pee is a common and natural behaviour in the canine world. This behaviour is often seen as a way for dogs to gather information about their surroundings, establish dominance, or get extra nutrients. However, it is essential to note that in some cases, this behaviour could be a sign of a medical issue or a lack of proper hydration, so it’s always best to consult with a veterinarian.”
Common reasons include:
Dehydration
Dehydrated dogs will find liquid anywhere they can, including their own pee. While we turn up our noses at the thought of drinking urine, it doesn’t taste bad to your dog.
Humans and dogs have different senses, so dogs see urine as a source of hydration when they can’t access water.
Shame
If you have a housetrained dog who is forced to pee inside the house for one reason or another, they might lick up the pee to cover up the accident.
Licking pee out of shame often happens for dogs who don’t have accidents. They are reliably housetrained but are forced to pee inside due to an illness or having been left at home too long.
Sometimes, a previously housetrained dog pees inside because of an underlying medical condition. Incontinence in senior dogs is a common reason for dogs to lick up their pee.
Cushing’s Syndrome
While Cushing’s is an uncommon diagnosis in dogs, it does happen. It’s also a reason your dog might be drinking pee. Frequent urination and excessive thirst are often the first symptoms of the illness. Since your dog needs to pee more often, Cushing’s also increases the likelihood of them having an accident inside, compounding the pee-licking problem.
If your dog has started having accidents, is overly thirsty, or suddenly starts to drink its pee, there may be an underlying medical issue. Consider taking them to the vet for a checkup to rule out or diagnose any problems.
Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections can cause urinary frequency and urgency. These infections also leave your dog thirstier than normal, which can, in turn, lead to drinking pee.
Other symptoms that your dog may have a urinary tract infection are
- Blood in the urine
- Fever
- Urinary accidents
- Cloudy or smelly urine
Pica
Pica is an illness that occurs in both humans and dogs. It is a blanket term used to describe a compulsive need to eat non-food items. When dogs develop pica, they may eat everything in sight or become obsessed with eating one particular item. Common targets are rocks, paper, wood, and plastic, but just about anything can become a target, including pee.
Some experts believe that pica develops as a result of stress or boredom, but the causes aren’t well understood. It may be caused by a nutritional imbalance that your dog’s body seeks to correct through the consumption of certain minerals in the environment.
The presence of pica can also be a symptom of other illnesses, like thyroid disorders, diabetes, or other endocrine system abnormalities. Sometimes pica is a symptom of a parasite infestation.
How To Stop Your Dog From Drinking Pee
Stopping your dog from drinking pee depends on the reason for drinking it in the first place. If your dog has an underlying medical condition, this should be treated first. Often dogs will stop exhibiting odd behaviours once they are healthy. Behavioural pee drinking will require training.
Regardless of the reason, it’s vital to know that your dog isn’t drinking pee to annoy you or misbehave. Your dog doesn’t see anything wrong with drinking pee, and there is a logical reason for doing it.
See Your Veterinarian
It’s best to have your dog checked over by a veterinarian to rule out any medical conditions that may be causing them to drink pee. The type of treatment your dog needs will depend on the diagnosis.
- Urinary tract infections can be treated with antibiotics
- Cushing’s disease may require surgery, radiation, or medications
- Pica is treated according to the cause by alleviating stress and boredom and ensuring your dog is eating a healthy diet.
Retraining Behavior
It’s not uncommon for dogs to require “refresher” training for housetraining. If your dog has started having accidents and you’ve ruled out a medical cause, this is a good place to start.
Since your dog is already housetrained, reinforcing good habits is much easier than initial training. Sometimes a little extra praise or a treat for asking to go outside is all they need.
Ensure Your Dog is Hydrated
Dogs should have free access to water at all times to ensure they stay hydrated. This may mean having multiple water bowls, outside and in, or even on multiple levels of the house. If your dog spends time in a crate, they should have water there too.
Is It Bad for Dogs to Drink Pee?
There isn’t anything bad about dogs drinking pee. In most cases, dogs don’t have access to a large enough volume of urine to cause them any health issues.
Since drinking pee can be a sign of a medical issue, it is worth seeing your vet rule out a problem. If your dog is healthy, there probably isn’t anything to worry about, especially if your dog is drinking their own pee.
If your dog is regularly drinking another dog’s urine, there can be some health risks. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection that is contracted through an infected animal’s urine. Most often, dogs come into contact with this bacteria through rodents.
Conclusion
Drinking pee may be one of the most bothersome dog behaviours. There are several reasons why your dog could be drinking pee, including a medical issue, stress, dehydration, or boredom. Stopping the behaviour involves finding the root cause. It’s important to keep in mind that even though we find the behaviour repulsive, your dog sees nothing wrong with it at all. This is socially acceptable behaviour in the canine world.
