How Long Can A Great Dane Hold Their Bladder?
Great Danes can hold their bladders for up to 15 hours before they inevitably have to relieve themselves. Each dog breed can hold it for approximately the same time. All dogs vary according to bladder size and individual composition, directly influencing how long they can hold their bladder.
Most dogs can go between 10 and 15 hours while holding their pee.
Great Danes are large dogs and generally have large bladders, putting them at the upper end of the spectrum. The working principle is that the larger the dog, the larger its bladder, and most Great Danes can hold their pee for the maximum time expected without any relief.
While they can hold their pee for up to 15 hours, it isn’t advised or ideal. Each Great Dane is different, with some able to hold it longer than others. The longer your Great Dane goes without peeing, the greater the chances of permanent damage, something you will want to avoid.
At What Age Can A Dog Hold Its Bladder For 8 hours?
A dog can hold its bladder for up to eight hours once it reaches adulthood. Dogs can hold their bladders for different durations at the various stages of development.
The older a dog gets, the longer it can hold its bladder. Once it reaches adulthood, a dog can hold its bladder for its longest period, eight hours. While some dogs can hold their longer still, it isn’t advisable.
Some Dogs mature faster than others and can mature in this regard from around six months. In most cases, a dog reaches the eight-hour mark when they reach one year old.
This maturity age comes with other changes, like sexual maturity and the ability to reproduce. Only when your dog is at this point can you consider letting it hold its bladder for eight hours.
Eight hours is the recommended time limit for a dog to hold its bladder. Never allow your dog to hold its bladder longer than this, making time for it to relieve itself. While they can hold their bladders longer than this where necessary, it isn’t recommended and may cause health problems.
How Frequently Should A Great Dane Relieve Its Bladder?
A Great Dane should relieve its bladder at least once in six hours. A Great Dane should be allowed to relieve itself as frequently as needed. Where your Great Dane hasn’t urinated in a few hours, it may cause concern.
You can make your Great Dane urinate, either on command or following a set routine.
As each Great Dane is different, yours may have a steady bathroom routine. Observe how frequently your dog urinates, and only when there is a deviation should you be concerned.
You must establish your Great Danes pattern as soon as possible, creating a baseline. Potty training should start as soon as the dog can pick up cues and follow commands.
The Frequency of Great Dane pee will normally be proportional to how much water it drinks. Take yours out or command it to pee once it has drunk water. It only takes a few minutes after a dog has drunk water before it feels like peeing. Waiting too long creates the risk of your dog peeing indoors.
Do Great Danes Have Weak Bladders?
No, Great Danes have relatively strong bladders, and their large size means their bladders are bigger than the average dogs. A Larger bladder equals greater bladder control and urine retention capacity.
Thus, a Great Dane won’t need to urinate as frequently as a smaller dog. Each one is unique, and its bladder will behave differently from the next, but the average Great Dane will have a strong bladder.
As they age, Great Danes may lose bladder control and urinate wherever they are. The condition is known as Urinary Incontinence and is prominent in several dog breeds.
Once a dog is past its physical prime (maturity), they are at risk of urinary incontinence. Great Daneson and several other large dog breeds are especially susceptible to this condition.
While there is no proof, many believe holding in urine contributes to urinary incontinence. The more a dog holds its pee, the greater the chances it will suffer incontinence.
What Happens If My Dog Holds Its Bladder For Too Long?
Holding its bladder for too long can cause several problems for a dog. While a healthy adult dog can hold its bladder for several hours, it poses a problem, especially when done frequently. Unless there is a genuine reason for your dog to hold its urine, it should relieve its bladder multiple times daily.
Some of the problems associated with a dog holding its bladder for too long include:
Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections aren’t common amongst dogs, but one way to contact them is by holding their bladder. There are many possible urinary tract infections, all of which are distinct possibilities when your dog holds its bladder.
The pressure buildup doesn’t create the problem, but the bladder’s exposure to urine. While the bladder is built to hold urine, its acidity can be harmful after prolonged exposure.
Each time your dog holds its urine, it further risks contracting a urinary tract infection. Depending on the nature of the urinary tract infection, your dog may be in pain or have trouble urinating subsequently.
Urinary Incontinence
Urinary Incontinence isn’t a problem the dog will have to deal with immediately, but it is inevitable. The pressure buildup from holding urine will eventually compromise the bladder, causing the dog to lose control of it.
The older a dog gets, the greater the risk of urinary Incontinence. Great Danes age pretty quickly, with some showing signs of aging from 5 years. Those at risk of urinary Incontinence l, brought about by holding their bladders, will likely start displaying the condition.
There isn’t a known cure for urinary Incontinence; the condition is merely managed or dealt with as is.
Urinary Crystals
Urinary crystals are solids found in some dogs’ urine and sometimes hurt them to pass. Urinary crystals are formed by accumulating certain minerals, which can occur while a dog is holding its bladder.
Urinary crystals are often considered a side effect of some urinary tract infections, but they also appear in the urine of healthy dogs. The longer urine spends in the bladder without being expelled, the greater the chances of crystals forming.
Not all Great Danes are at risk of urinary crystals, although it is pretty when the dog holds its bladder for long periods.
What Causes Dogs to Urinate Frequently?
A Dog will urinate more than usual, indicating some problem or change to the norm. Any major changes a dog makes will often be in response to some internal or external stimuli.
While it isn’t always negative, understanding why a dog’s urine frequency increases can help identify potential health risks. Some of the possible reasons for a dog to urinate frequently includes:
Fluid Consumption
The most common cause of a dog urinating frequently is excessive fluid consumption. The more fluids a dog consumes, the more it will urinate. Several factors govern how much a dog’s fluid consumption contributes to urination frequency.
With Great Danes being notably large, they possess large bladders giving them greater control over how frequently they urinate. In the end, however, fluid levels can overcome size and restraint, forcing even the largest dogs to urinate frequently. Dogs tend to regulate their fluid consumption and are rarely overwhelmed by it.
You will have to deal with a dog urinating only when over-watered frequently.
Age
Age brings about two crucial problems when dealing with urination frequency: urinary incontinence and less tolerance for fluids. Most consider urinary incontinence a disease, causing dogs to lose all bladder control.
Not all dogs have to worry about this condition, but age is the defining factor. One of the possible causes of urinary incontinence is holding a full bladder for hours.
The other issue that comes with age is a lesser tolerance for fluids. The older a dog gets, the lower its threshold for fluids. Quantities it could comfortably regulate in the past will seemingly become more challenging.
Side Effects Of Medication
Some medications cause a few side effects, which may sometimes include frequent urination. There aren’t many medications in this category, but they usually come with a warning.
If your dog has recently started a new medication, it is the most likely cause of the new urination frequency. It isn’t much you can do to revert the dog to its previous ways except wait out the effects of the medication. The dog will sometimes return to its normal schedule once it adapts to the new medication.
Alternatively, you can take it off the medication or allow it to run its course.
Kidney Failure
The kidney is the organ responsible for regulating and passing urine in the body. Any impairments to the kidney will alter its regular pattern resulting in a change in urination frequency. Kidney failure is often accompanied by several other signs, including urine discoloration.
Kidney failure can work in either direction of urination frequency, causing a slowdown or speeding up. Kidney failure may be treatable, but the more likely option is that the Great Dane will require surgery. Once the kidney has restored normalcy, your dog should resume its normal urination frequency.
Conclusion: How Long Can A Great Dane Hold Their Bladder?
A Great Dane can hold its urine for up to 15 hours before relieving itself, though that isn’t advised. If possible, a Great Dane should urinate as much as six times a day or as often as it needs to.
While not often associated with health, the ability to urinate frequently can be a good indication that your Great Dane is healthy.
