Urinating While Asleep, Like A Bedwetter

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    • Gold Top Dog

    Urinating While Asleep, Like A Bedwetter

     I have a 2-year old male Vizsla who I think of as housetrained. He's *very* fastidious about where he will pee, to the point of holding it for an absurdly long time if he doesn't see his specific substrate (he likes grass).

     Last night, though, he  wet the bed *twice* while asleep, and he did this a couple of months ago as well!

     To clarify: this is not getting up in the middle of the night and peeing. It's finding him laying in a big puddle of his own pee, still fast asleep. Of course, the first time it happened we got much more serious about making sure the dog pees right before bed.

    In the past, I have always been the first person to say that if a dog is peeing inside, then the dog is simply not housetrained. But I don't know what to make of the dog peeing while asleep.

    Some factors I am considering, I don't know whether or not they are relevant:

    1. I got a new job in a very industrial neighborhood and he comes to work with me. He' s had a hard time getting himself to pee on cement, despite my coaxing and will sometimes hold it for like 10 hours, even though he's going out every 2 hours for a walk with lots of me telling him to pee. Otherwise his urine is normal. Could he have a UTI?

    2. He did a really strange thing a few weeks ago where he acted like he was going to have a seizure--walking around scared and stiff with big dilated pupils and smelling everything and acting like the ground was made of liquid for about an hour. But nothing ever came of it. It went away. Called the vet about it and they said that unless it was part of a pattern they didn't know what to make of it. Could he have some kind of neurological problem?

     3. I spend a lot of time with my dog, and I care about him and I might just be putting hypochondria on him. Do I not know something about how to housetrain a sleeping dog? Could that be possible?
     


     

    • Gold Top Dog

    fisher6000
    Could he have a UTI? 

    Yes!  Bladder stones could also be an issue.

    fisher6000
    Do I not know something about how to housetrain a sleeping dog? Could that be possible?

    No, sleep incontinence is a medical problem in all dogs - except for maybe small pups. 

    Frankly, I don't know much of anything that you can teach a dog to do while asleep. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    fisher6000

    Could he have a UTI?

    Could be urinary incontinence (UI) easily treated with PPA (for the dog's lifetime).  One of my foster has UI and without her pill she would bedwet during sleep. 

    http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/dincont.html#Incontinence

     

    • Gold Top Dog

    fisher6000
    2. He did a really strange thing a few weeks ago where he acted like he was going to have a seizure

    I think you should consider the possibility that what you saw WAS a seizure. And dogs can have seizures in their sleep and experience urinary incontinence. A lot of dogs can have one seizure and then never again, so that's a possibility. And if he does start having regular seizures, it can be treated.

    If I were in your position, I would do something about getting him to a good place to pee during the day. Just once in the middle of the day, maybe when you have lunch you could drive somewhere.

    I would also start keeping records of when he pees in the night. Record the happenings of the previous day. See if you can find a pattern. If you see him have another seizure, try to record it to show the vet.

    Canine Epilepsy 

    (I have lived with a seizure condition for nearly 40 years, so don't fret about it.) Smile 

    • Gold Top Dog

    UI while sleeping is incredibly unusual in males.  Especially neutered males (it's the opposite of females, where you have potential problems in females that were neutered before the urinary spincter was mature, around the time of first heat).   Intact males can have prostate problems that lead to continence issues, because an enlarge prostate interferes with complete emptying of the bladder.  But neutered males, though they CAN have stones and UTIs that lead to this sort of thing, it's most often in the form of conscious incontinence.  Those conditions cause an "urge" to go, and you can't perform on an "urge" whiile you are asleep.

    Which leads me to be concerned about the potential seizure activity.  There's nothing you can do until you "catch him in the act."  But keep a close eye on him and be sure to take him to have him checked to eliminate the possibility of other health issues first. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    All of the above = VET. 

    First of all, holding urine too long can certainly cause a UTI. 

     Yes, it could be neurological -- I've certainly had males who are drinking to compensate for a UTI wet in their sleep.  In fact, that would be my first guess. 

    However, you don't want to ignore the possible seizure component, but take the dog to the vet and TRY seeing if there is even a mild UTI first.  Then continue to monitor.  PLEASE ... *don't* just ask the vet to put this dog on seizure meds "in case".  They have really severe side effects long-term and seizure meds **are** for life usually.

    However, I have also seen incredible results with TCVM for dogs with seizure activity (I have one, in fact).  Kee's seizures were obsessive in nature and were nearly constant, and at this point we are successfully controlling them completely with a couple of mild herbs and acupuncture once a month. 

    This isn't weirdo "out there" stuff -- several state vet schools are beginning to teach acupuncture because it has such great advantages in neuro stuff without the side effects.

    http://www.tcvm.com has a locator on the left that will show you a reputable vet in your area. 

    Given that you saw what sounds very like a small seizure, it's definitely not your imagination.  But I'd pursue the UTI avenue first because that surely could be caused by holding his urine too long. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    Maybe this is TMI, but my husband has had seizures in his sleep and wets himself (he has "grand mal" seizures, passes out and totally loses control of his body).  So, if you *thought* the dog had a seizure and now find him wetting himself in his sleep, I'd definitely look into that as well has just a UTI or other urinary problem. 

    • Gold Top Dog

    If I suspected seizures, I would immediately look at the dog's diet.  Yes, seizures and diet can be related.

    See this post for details and more links.

    • Gold Top Dog

    janet_rose

    If I suspected seizures, I would immediately look at the dog's diet.  Yes, seizures and diet can be related.

    See this post for details and more links.

     

     

    Seizures can be related to urinary/kidney problems, too.  All of which spells "talk to your vet". 

    • Gold Top Dog

    spiritdogs
    All of which spells "talk to your vet". 

    Amen!!

    • Bronze

    One of my dogs had two or three incidences of "bedwetting" when he was around two years old.  Each incident occurred following very vigorous exercise sessions and when he had consumed a larger amount of water than normal (due to the exercising).  The only thing I could figure out was that he had really worn himself out, and just didn't wake up when he needed to "go".

    However, he never exhibited any other worrisome symptoms.  In your situation, I think a vet visit would be wise.

    • Gold Top Dog

    This isn't weirdo "out there" stuff -- several state vet schools are beginning to teach acupuncture because it has such great advantages in neuro stuff without the side effects

     
    Yep, we have several small and large animal vets here at school who do certified acupuncture. It's really coming more into the norm, and has been a GREAT help for a lot of neurological issues.