How To Cope With Your German Shepherd’s Frequent Urination
If your German Shepherd is urinating too often and spoiling your bed and carpet, do not get furious.
When a GS is urinating excessively, it simply means that it has a urinary infection. Do not assume it to be a housebreaking problem. Moreover, do not confuse it with submissive urination.
If your GS is urinating too often, get it checked.
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Why is My German Shepherd Urinating Excessively?
There might be two reasons behind your dog’s urinating problems; Cystitis or Urinary Tract Infection.
Many GSDs suffer from urinary infections and start to urinate too often. When the bacteria from the urinary opening enter the bladder, they cause abnormal urination. Urinary infections are also caused by consuming infected water, stale food, and kidney stones.
When a dog is suffering from a urinary infection, it might not be able to control its bladder. Hence, you will be noticing a lot of urine around the house.
Another reason for excessive urination is drinking too much water. When a dog is kept on a strict dry food diet, it consumes a lot of water as dry kibble doesn’t contain enough water. That’s why it is recommended that GS owners feed their dogs a combination of dry and wet food which keeps their system in perfect shape.
Other causes of excessive urination in GSDs are:
- Hormonal imbalance.
- Prostate disorders.
- Weak bladder.
- Spinal degeneration.
- Diabetes.
- Kidney disease.
- Liver disease.
- Cushing’s disease.
- Anatomic disorders.
- Side-effects of medication.
Can there be Other Reasons for Excessive Urination?
Many times dog owners confuse excessive urination with urinary infections. If you suspect urinary tract infection, get a confirmation test done by your vet. If it is not a urinary infection, there might be other reasons for your dog’s excessive urination. Below are some of the most common other reasons that might make your GS urinate too often.
Territorial Marking
Territorial marking is extremely normal in German Shepherds. These dogs are dominant by nature, which means that they will try to protect their land or area by urinating. Urinating in the corners of the home or outside the doors is a way of telling other dogs that this area belongs to them. Territorial marking is only done by dominant male GSs.
Attracting a Female GS
Many male GSs urinate and spray in different places when they see a female GS on the heat. This tactic is to attract females for mating.
Pregnancy
A female dog might urinate a lot when she is pregnant. During pregnancy, a female’s hormone levels elevate resulting in excessive urination.
Another reason for females to urinate too often is that the fetus takes up a lot of space and presses onto the bladder. This squeezed bladder cannot hold a lot of urine and as a result, a female GS urinates frequently.
Psychogenic Polydipsia
Many GS suffer from a behavioral problem in which they consume a lot of water. As a result, they need to pee a lot more often. The cause of this problem might be boredom or stress. In such cases, try to distract your GS from its mission. Most importantly, don’t let your GS get bored.
Prominent Signs to Note
Urinary infections in German Shepherds are common, but there are certain signs that will help you identify the problem at an earlier stage.
- If your GS is urinating inside your house or in inappropriate places.
- If your GS has a fever.
- If your GS passes blood with urine.
- If your GS doesn’t eat properly.
- If your GS starts to consume a lot of water.
- If your GS is feeling pain during urination.
- If your GS is urinating in small amounts.
- If your GS is urinating in high amounts.
- If your GS is lethargic or lazy.
- If your GS’s urine smells bad.
- If your GS’s lower stomach feels tender.
If you notice several of the above signs in your dog, take it to the vet. Your vet will conduct urine tests to confirm whether it is a urinary infection or not.
How to Fix the Problem?
Urinary infections and urination problems occur mostly in older dogs. If your GS is urinating too often and you notice signs of a urinary infection, visit a vet immediately.
Urinary infections can be life threatening for any dog.
When you take your GS to a vet, he/she will check your dog’s medical history to find out whether it has an underlying disease that causes the problem. He/she will then conduct a physical exam and recommend some tests usually done for urination problems in dogs.
A vet will also conduct a urinalysis which is a test for the analysis of the urine through a microscope, physical exam, or with the help of a chemical. This test allows the vet to find out bacteria and infections present in the urine of your dog.
If your GS has a bladder infection, it will be treated with the help of antibiotics. There are several other tests conducted by a vet that include blood work, urine culture, radiographs, and ultrasound. Those test can get expensive, and it would be a good idea to start thinking about the pet insurance.
Urinary infections and problems are treated with the help of a number of methods. Hormonal therapy is another way of treating excessive urination. The treatment method depends on the diagnosis of the problem.
If your GS’s bladder is weak, your vet might prescribe phenylpropanolamine, which strengthens the urethral sphincter. In worst cases, when medication doesn’t work, your vet might suggest surgical treatment. Collagen injections are also helpful in treating urinary problems in dogs.
Preventative Measures
Urinary infections can be caused due to a number of reasons. However, urinary infections and excessive urination problems can be fixed if you take proper preventative measures. Below are some tips for GS owners to protect their dogs from urinary problems.
- Take your GS for walks for up to 3 hours a day.
- Take your GS for a shower after exercise and swimming to make sure that no foreign particles enter its body.
- Appantiseptictic spray on your GS.
- Use a damp piece of cloth to clean your GS’s bladder exit and anal area.
- [easyazon_link identifier=”B0006N9J7G” locale=”US” nw=”y” nf=”y” tag=”shepped5-20″]Feed cranberry powder to your GS[/easyazon_link] which is helpful in fighting bacteria in the urinary tract.
- Keep your GS away from diving into stagnant water.
- Do not let your GS drink water from anywhere other than its bowl.
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