Can A Dog Hold Pee For 12 Hours Overnight?

Yes, most adult dogs can hold their bladders through the night, even up to 12 hours. Most dogs, however, don’t sleep 12 hours at night, but where they do, their bodies produce hormones that keep them from urinating.

You can help reduce the pressure on your dog by making sure they pee before bed.

Younger dogs will likely pee themselves or wake up during the night to release themselves. Whether a dog will need to pee at night will depend on how much water it drinks and its bladder size.

The hormones dogs secrete at night also help lower the frequency with which they need to urinate.

A dog will likely not need to pee through the night and sleep comfortably.

Dogs can only go 12 hours without peeing when it’s overnight. During the day, you should never let your dog go that long without relieving itself. At most, your dog can go a few hours a day holding its pee and should be relieved for about 5-6 days.

Is A Dog Suffering When Holding Its Pee Overnight?

No, dogs don’t suffer or aren’t suffering or in pain when holding their pee overnight. Like humans, dogs pee less frequently at night when sleeping, thanks to the hormones their bodies produce.

Younger dogs or those with small bladders may face discomfort or even pee overnight, especially when they have too much to drink. A dog will spend the night without incident, holding its pee overnight.

Most dogs will wake up if they need to pee instead of peeing themselves. Any tossing and turning you may observe from your dog while it will likely be from its dreaming, not from suffering.

Like humans, dogs have dreams, and sometimes their dreams can be scary, causing them to toss and turn.

If your dog is suffering when holding pee overnight or having trouble holding it in, it may suffer from Urinary Incontinence. Urinary Incontinence causes dogs to lose bladder control, and once you notice this from your dog, you should contact your vet.

What Damage Comes From A Dog Holding Pee Overnight?

There is no damage to dogs associated with holding their pee overnight. Most adult dogs rarely have to pee overnight thanks to the hormones they produce, but those that do can hold it till morning.

The only possible damage occurs when the dog must frequently hold the urine throughout the night.

You can eliminate the possibility of a prolonged wait to urinate by making sure the dog urinates before bed.

A dog peeing on the bed or pad in sleep is a bigger problem than holding its pee overnight. While it may be concerning for your dog to hold urine overnight, it is the healthier option. To be safe, you can wake your dog up after eight hours of sleep to urinate.

Interestingly, when your dog holds urine too long, it can lead to urinary tract infections. Your best option is to ensure your dog pees after drinking water each night, expressing the bladder if necessary.

Can a Dog’s Bladder Burst From Holding Pee For Too Long?

Yes, when a dog constantly holds its pee for too long, the bladder can burst, causing severe health problems. The urine meant to be expelled from the body will instead leak into the dog’s body and be reabsorbed.

Any dog can suffer this condition regardless of breed or gender; only personal practices determine it.

A burst bladder doesn’t happen spontaneously, requiring years of buildup, with the bladder walls weakening gradually. Only a dog that holds its urine consistently for years will face the possibility of a burst bladder.

You can monitor your dog regularly to avoid holding in urine, eliminating the possibility of a burst bladder.

A burst bladder can cause discomfort and infections; thus, it should be addressed immediately. The longer a burst bladder goes untreated, the more damage it will cause to a dog.

Observe your dogs for signs of a burst bladder and immediately rush it to the vet.

Signs Of A Burst Bladder

A burst bladder is largely uncomfortable and will be evident to the trained eye. As time is of the essence in addressing a burst bladder, it is important to detect the slightest signs.

Some of the common signs indicating a burst bladder in a dog include:

Reduced Urine Production

The most obvious sign of a burst bladder is reduced urine Production. The urine is produced but doesn’t reach the body and the appropriate channel. A dog that used to urinate 5-6 times daily will probably urinate once or twice in ephemeral streams.

There are a lot of possible causes of reduced urine production, so you shouldn’t be too hasty to conclude. In the case of a burst bladder, urine will spill out of the bladder, and you can detect it by feeling around. If you can’t detect it yourself, contact your vet and have them determine it.

Abdominal Distention

Abdominal distention will likely be the first thing you notice, indicating a burst bladder. Your dog’s abdomen will start to swell as the urine leaks and accumulates in the body instead of leaving.

Abdominal distention is usually accompanied by the smell of urine from the dog. Pressing the affected area doesn’t help solve the problem; instead, it causes further discomfort to the dog. The excess fluid will need to be drained for the dog to return to normal, meaning a vet’s help will be needed.

Reduced Water Consumption

A burst bladder leaks urine back into the bladder and is reabsorbed into the body. In turn, the body requires less water, prompting the dog to need less.

One theory is that the dog feels full, with excess liquids flowing around its body, and, in turn, doesn’t want anymore.

Regardless of the working principle, the outcome is the same; your dog will drink less water than normal. It is, therefore, important to observe your dog’s water consumption habits to detect such a change.

The more fluids leak out of the bladder, the less thirsty the dog will be and the less water it will consume.

Each symptom of a burst bladder isn’t sufficient to conclude on its own, but together, they are an indicator that can’t be ignored. The affected dog will also likely display several other symptoms associated with urinary tract infection.

Potty Training Your Dog

Potty training your dog needs to start as soon as the dog can comprehend commands. The earlier you potty train, the faster you can establish patterns, enabling early detection of deviations.

Potty training isn’t too difficult, and anyone can handle it easily. Some dog breeds are more difficult than others, but in the end, any dog can be potty trained using the same method.

Pick A Spot

Ideally, you want to potty train your dog to pee outside, so you should find one that is easily accessible.

Any training should be done here frequently until the dog knows to come there when it wants to pee. The chosen spot should also be easy to clean, or it will start to smell bad after a while.

No dog will instantly feel comfortable in the chosen spot, so it will need some time to get comfortable here. Patience is the key trait needed as the early days may prove frustrating.

After each meal or any water consumption, take the dog 9ut to this spot to relieve itself.

Give The Command

Once you have the dog in the chosen spot, you need a command to make it urinate. This command will prompt your dog to pee and may even work outside the assigned spot.

Before issuing the command, you can check to make sure your dog wants to pee.

Your dog will consistently associate this command with urinating and may even do so without being pressed. Ideally, you want a unique command that you don’t say or risk seeing your dog pee too frequently.

Once again, you will need patience, as the early days will be about familiarizing the dog with the chosen command.

Issue A Treat

Dogs love treats, and they have become a popular training aid, especially when potty training. Each dog has a favorite treat that would be best used specifically for training. Be careful not to misuse it, or it will lose its effect and become just a regular snack for the dog.

After each successful training session, reward the dog. Only feed it a treat when it urinates on your command, instead of rewarding it each time.

The goal is to get the dog to associate obeying your command with the reward. Don’t use negative reinforcement when the dog doesn’t obey; offer encouragement.

For potty training to be successful, you need consistency above all else.

Adults and puppies alike are all easy to train with the above techniques. Identifying when your dog wants to pee is handy to avoid picking up unwanted habits.

Each time your dog is fed or drinks fluids, take it out and practice its training until it is perfected. Once your dog is potty trained, it is easier to identify any changes to its urination habits.

Conclusion: Can A Dog Hold Pee For 12 Hours Overnight?

Adult dogs can hold their pee overnight, even up to 12 hours, though they shouldn’t always do so. Prolonged periods of holding in urine can cause your dog problems and should be avoided.

It is best to make your dog pee each night before bed, either with commands or by expressing its bladder.