Peeing In Bed

[winnie]

We adopted our 5 y/o galgo Encarna in late-July. She had been in a foster home for a few months, so we were hoping to not deal with all the same housebreaking issues we had with galgo Beatrix. Encarna is a super Velcro dog - always snuggled up next to us on the couch and likes to sleep in bed with us.

 

In October, while I was away on work travel, DH went to bed and found that it had been peed on. Thank goodness for waterproof mattress covers! We had another incident a couple of weeks later. Since we never had an issue with our two other dogs, we figured it must have been Encarna. We even wondered if she had urinary incontinence (two of our previous greyhounds were on Proin). We kept waiting to see if there was another incident, but there were none.

 

Fast forward to last night... Encarna is snuggled in bed with me. DH was downstairs watching TV. I'm woken up at midnight by Encarna squatting and peeing in bed mere inches from my face. EWWW. We stripped the bed - thank goodness for waterproof mattress pads (again!) and having a spare! I walked her in my cheetah PJs, but she had already emptied her bladder.

 

Encarna isn't drinking or peeing any more than usual. So, I'm thinking this is likely a behavior issue and not medical. She is due to go to the vet, so we'll mention it to her anyway. In the meantime, any advice? Why would a dog that loves to share our bed pee in it?

[RaineysMom]

I would guess she might have urinary incontinence possibly? we successfully treated Rainey for years with DES (NOT Proin)...

[winnie]

I would guess she might have urinary incontinence possibly? we successfully treated Rainey for years with DES (NOT Proin)...

That's what we thought too, but our two greyhounds with that issue would just leak in their sleep. I caught Encarna in the act of squatting and peeing on the bed last night.

[MaryJane]

Check the medical first - do a urinalysis (first catch) and a culture to rule out a bacterial infection as that can sometimes make them not know they are going or either not have enough time to get to the proper place. You also want to do a blood work check as maybe there is some other issue that is not obvious.

 

I would also suggest that if you do end up using an incontinence drug that you use DES rather than Proin (can cause problems in greyhounds).

 

Also, even though your routines may have worked well before, I would suggest taking her out a bit later for her last pee and making sure that she goes.

 

Good Luck

[robinw]

Iker has done the same on my mom's bed (my mom doesn't particularly like him; she says that she can't love a dog that she feels sorry for ). Turned out he had a UTI. Now he wears disposable belly bands when I visit her, just to be safe.

Edited December 28, 2016 by robinw

[winnie]

Well, I'd like to think that Encarna likes us. She has to be touching one of us at all times whenever we are home. I'll have her checked for a UTI. I was thinking it was some behavior issue since the incidents have been few and far between, but it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.

[sobesmom]

It doesn't sound medical to me. She's not leaking in her sleep - she's intentionally squatting and peeing there. But - it's only happened a couple times. Could it be the she woke up, had to go, and couldn't get out? Of course I don't know your situation. Honestly I'd be a bit freaked out (nobody wants to be peed on) but just make sure she goes before bed and see what happens. It could be an anomaly.

 

Or - she has a UTI - and woke up and had to go RIGHT NOW. And peed the bed.

[winnie]

FYI, Encarna's last walk of the night was about an 1 to 1.5 hours before this happened. She peed on that walk too. This is the third incidence of her peeing in our bed over a two month span, but the first time she was caught in the act. I no longer suspect urinary incontinence since I saw her squatting and peeing.

[Jerilyn]

Does she normally tell you when she has to go out? Just wondering if because you're all asleep in bed, she doesn't know how to tell you she needs to go out.

[winnie]

Does she normally tell you when she has to go out? Just wondering if because you're all asleep in bed, she doesn't know how to tell you she needs to go out.

 

Good question. No, not really. Encarna is pretty good about holding it until our regular walks. She has had accidents in the house before - other than on our bed - and doesn't give any warning (or, most likely, the signs are so subtle that we miss them).

 

On our walk this morning, it took her two blocks to go pee. This is par for the course on walks. We'll get her tested for a UTI, but I would think that she'd need to go immediately as soon as she goes outside if she had one.

[Banjoman]

There seem to be times when my rescue lurcher Nutmeg just suddenly needs to do a wee and will just squat and do one. Even when we are out on a walk and she has done several after sniffing around and finding the right spot she can still suddenly stop when walking a do wee right there! She does it indoors even though she has just been out in the garden and even when I've seen her do one out in the garden a short while before. She can and does often bark to let me know when she needs to go out but there are still these sudden "Oh, I gotta go!" moments.

[XTRAWLD]

I can only guess at a possible UTI. Cringe at the squatting beside your head image though.