Your dog has just woken up from her nap on the bed when you notice a suspicious wet spot where she was laying. Running your hand through the spot followed by a tentative sniff of your fingers reveals that the wet spot is urine. After tossing the bedding in the washing machine, you are left wondering why your otherwise house-trained female dog is peeing on your bed in her sleep. There are several reasons for a female dog to start peeing in her sleep.
Reasons your dog might be peeing in her sleep
Any condition that alters a dog’s ability to completely empty her bladder can cause her to urinate while she sleeps. These conditions include urinary tract infections, bladder stones, tumors of the bladder or urethra, and congenital malformations of the bladder.
Arthritis and senility in older dogs may cause urine leakage while sleeping. Dogs with arthritic hips and knees may find it difficult to maintain their urination posture long enough to completely empty their bladder. Canine senility may impair a dog’s ability to remember when to go outside and urinate. Both conditions can lead to a dog falling asleep with a bladder that isn’t empty and potentially cause urine to leak out while they sleep.
Any medical condition that causes increased thirst and urination may lead to nap time urine leakage. These conditions include (but are not limited to) diabetes, kidney disease, and hyperadrenocorticism (Cushing’s syndrome).
Spay incontinence (also known as urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence) is caused by decreased muscle tone of the urethral sphincter. The urethral sphincter is the muscular valve the keeps urine in the bladder until a dog is ready to pee. As the name suggests, this is a condition that affects primarily spayed female dogs (although a small percentage of neutered male dogs can also be affected).
What to do when your dog pees in her sleep
If your dog is peeing in her sleep, make an appointment with her veterinarian. (While you’re waiting for an appointment, you may want to order some dog diapers. There are disposable and washable/reusable products especially for female dogs available online.)
The vet may want to collect a sterile urine sample for urinalysis and a bacterial urine culture. Radiographs (X-rays) may be recommended to look for bladder stones or tumors and to screen the hips and knees for arthritis. Bloodwork may also be recommended to look for causes of increased thirst and urination. If no underlying problem is found, a medication trial for treating spay incontinence may be prescribed.
Don’t overreact to a wet spot! Stray urine isn’t normal, but if you work with your veterinarian to determine the cause, chances are strong that a solution will follow.
