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Frequent urination in puppy.

Species: Dog
Breed: bullmastiff
Age: Less than 3 mon
Dr. Marie,
We have a brand new 7 week old bullmastiff female, named June...I have noticed that she urinates what seems like all the time. For example, she may go outside 3 or 4 times in one sitting (one long void and then a few small dribbles) then come in the house, get a small bit of water and, almost immediately, go on the carpet. Her urine is not concentrated or foul smelling at all. She does drink a good bit of water, but not an excess I wouldn't think. She is on Iams Large Breed puppy food, 3/4 cup, 3x a day...her health history is non-complicated. She had her new puppy vet check this past week and all was fine, however, he did have to reworm her for both round and tapeworms on her fecal smear. I am a Peds ICU nurse, so naturally, I am overly observant, but just want to make sure we do not have a uti or diabetes or something that we need to be really concerned about. I was hoping to chalk it up to an immature bladder. She is still getting up once during the night. Sometimes, she has gone in her crate..sometimes not...please help!
Thanks!
A Worried New Puppy Mommy


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi, and thanks for your question. I love the name June for a puppy...very sweet.

What you are describing may or may not be normal. It is relatively uncommon for a puppy to have a bladder issue at this age, but I have seen it happen.

It would be a great idea to take a urine sample in to your vet and have them run a urinalysis just to be sure of what is going on. What you are describing could be a UTI. There aren't always external signs such as a foul smell. Sometimes frequent urination is the only symptom.

I have also seen some puppies that have crystalluria which is a buildup of crystals (usually struvite) in the urine. The crystals can cause bladder irritation and this can cause the frequent urination.

Another possibility is an uncommon condition called a pelvic bladder. This is where the bladder is positioned a little too far to the back of the dog and is constrained within the pelvis. If this happens then it can only hold a small amount of urine.

However, there is a good chance that she is still learning her housetraining and that everything is normal. The vast majority of the time when I see symptoms like this we do the urinalysis and find nothing. It's still a good idea to go ahead with the urine test though.

Hope all is well!

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

Thank you! I will do that! I have never raised a female puppy so I just wasnt' sure. We also have an 18 month old pug (his name is Cash, hence..June:)and I just didn't have these issues with him...but, he's a weirdo, so may just be a breed thing. I will take a sample in the morning...can I refrigerate it overnight or does it need to be a fresh sample?


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

LOL at Cash being a weirdo! I have a few "weirdos" in my practice but usually they are the coolest dogs.

Ideally the best sample to take to the vet's is the first sample in the morning. This one is the most concentrated and so any abnormalities are more likely to be apparent.

What I would recommend is to get a sample tonight and keep it in the fridge. Then, try again in the morning. If you get a morning sample take that one but otherwise the refrigerated sample will be just fine.

Dr. Marie.



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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.