When you notice something unusual in your dog, it can cause anxiety. For example, if a dog only pees once or twice a day, it can be considered abnormal, even if your dog is in good health.
Here is why your dog might only pee once/twice a day.
A dog may pee once or twice a day due to dehydration, nervousness, adjusting to new surroundings, increased potassium in the body, former life habits, urinary issues such as UTI and urinary stones, or they may just be good at holding it. Some solutions include monitoring water consumption, exercising control, and consulting a veterinarian.
Once you’ve identified abnormal behavior in your dog, it’s critical to investigate the possible causes. It might not be as bad as you think. After that, the healing process will be much easier.
Reasons A Dog Might Urinate Only Once/Twice A Day
Thank you for being such an excellent owner. If you notice your dog going to the bathroom less frequently, the reason could be normal; however, they are usually due to unusual circumstances.
Knowing the possible reasons and the precise cause is critical. So, let’s go over each reason one by one.
1. Dehydration
Although it may seem obvious, dehydration could be one of the main reasons your dog pees once or twice a day.
It makes no difference whether your dog is house-trained or not; you must always supervise its water intake.
Dehydration is more common in small breeds, nursing dogs, young dogs, and older dogs.
Here are some of the causes of dehydration:
- Lack of water or food intake
- Heavy breathing
- Vomiting
- Signs of fever
- Excessive panting.
- Some illnesses like diabetes, several types of cancers, kidney issues
- Overheating
2. Your Dog Has a Urinary Problem
When dogs have urinary tract infections or stones, they pee less frequently, perhaps once or twice a day.
Urinary tract infections are common in senior female dogs and diabetic dogs. However, when it comes to urinary stones, the most common location is within the bladder.
This is beyond the scope of this article and needs to be discussed with your veterinarian.
By the way, here is why your dog may pee upstairs.
3. Adjusting To New Surroundings and Feeling Nervous
If your dog only pees once or twice a day, it will go to the potty every 12-24 hours. Honestly, it’s a long time to keep it in their bladder, so something strange is happening here.
Examine whether it urinates excessively whenever the dog agrees to go outside and is at ease with peeing.
If that’s the case, I have a question for you. Have you recently purchased a new home? If you answered “YES,” your dog’s urine frequency may be affected by nervousness or stress due to this new environment.
Note It will take several days for them to adjust to their new surroundings because they cannot hold the bladder indefinitely until it bursts. So, the dog will do its business, or you can assist by taking it outside and letting it explore its new surroundings.
4. Increased Potassium in the Body
If your dog only pees once or twice a day, a potassium increase in its body is most likely to blame.
As a result, increased potassium levels in their bodies can cause electrolyte changes, resulting in a water imbalance because electrolytes maintain hydration.
5. It Might be a Normal Situation
If a dog pees once or twice a day for several days, it’s not a big deal to be concerned about because it means the dog’s kidneys are working properly.
However, when their kidneys aren’t working properly, they produce excessive urine and eventually pee numerous times daily.
However, holding for an extended period is not good for their health in the long run. So, after considering all the reasons for abnormal behaviors, let’s discuss some normal reasons in greater depth.
6. They are Good at Holding it
Some dogs can hold their urine for a long time and only urinate once or twice a day.
Some dogs’ bladders are larger and stretchier than others, especially in adult and larger breeds. Furthermore, the two muscles known as the “urethral sphincter,” which control urine exit, influence peeing frequency.
The stronger the urethral sphincter, the longer it can be held open.
Although holding the pee for about 12 hours is acceptable, holding it for more than 16-18 hours is not good for your dog.
7. Because of a Former Life Habit
Is your dog a rescue? If this is the case, the dog may have developed a routine in its previous home that allows him to pee only once or twice a day. So, even if the dog can urinate several times per day, the trait may persist.
If the dog was adopted from a shelter, this is to be expected because most shelters take their dogs out once a day for exercise and potty.
So, if the dog lives in a pen and knows that these people only let him out once a day, he may drink less water because he doesn’t need to urinate where he lives.
Here are some reasons why some dogs pee outside but poop inside.
Is It Bad If Your Dog Pees Only Once/Twice A Day?
The consequences of urinating only once or twice a day can range from mild to severe.
If your dog pees twice daily, he must urinate every 12 hours. That could be due to dehydration effects, which can be resolved immediately by monitoring your dog’s water intake unless the situation has worsened.
When a dog pees only once a day, it pees every 20-24 hours, which is far too long.
Here are the problems with this …
The greater the stress on the kidneys from holding urine and being dehydrated, the harder the kidneys work, resulting in severe problems such as early kidney failure or urinary stones.
This is a multi-year process, and such a situation can emerge gradually.
Holding pee for an extended period may also result in urinary tract infection (UTI) conditions, leading to certain types of urinary cancer.
When a dog only pees once or twice a day, the first thing to do is to see if the dog is dehydrated.
Here's how to tell if your dog is dehydrated. First, gather some paper towels or wee-wee pads. Wee-wee pads, on the other hand, perform better. This lets you get a rough idea of its urine color before deciding. Follow these steps: ♦ Allow the dog to urinate outside and wait until it finishes. ♦ Then, put the wee-wee pads(or paper towels) you brought with you on the spot where the dog urinated, and step on it. ♦ The wee-wee pad or the paper towel will absorb the urine, indicating a color. ♦ The dog is dehydrated if the color is too dark. It may be necessary to perform blood tests. ♦ If it appears clear, the dog is hydrated, and the issue is with something else.
Besides that, here are the signs of dehydration in dogs:
- Unusual panting
- Exhaustion
- Loss of appetite
- Dry nose
- Less elasticity skin
- Vomiting
- Thick saliva
What To Do If Your Dog Pees Only Once/Twice A Day?
Let’s see how you can get the dog to urinate at least 3-5 times daily.
Visiting a veterinarian: If your dog urinates twice a day, he may eventually urinate several times a day. Peeing only once a day, on the other hand, is unusual. Therefore, the first step should be to consult with a veterinarian immediately.
Keep an eye on the water intake: Consuming less water may cause dehydration in the dog, resulting in various side effects. Every dog should drink about an ounce of water per pound per day. One ounce is roughly equivalent to 1/8 cup of water. For example, if the dog weighs 80 pounds, the daily water intake should be 80 ounces or 10 cups.
Taking care of urinary issues: Urinary problems, such as urinary tract infections and stones, can cause the dog to avoid urinating. Please consult your veterinarian if your dog is crying or urinating, causing discomfort.
Acquaint the dog with its surroundings: If you have recently moved to a new home, the dog may struggle to adjust to the new surroundings. Take the dog outside and spend some quality time with him.
Hydrate the dog: Mix in some water if the dog’s diet is extremely dry. If the dog is behaving normally, it means he is eating normally. However, being playful and enthusiastic may reduce water intake, resulting in your dog peeing once or twice a day.
Praising: If your dog urinates when you go outside, take advantage of the situation and reinforce the behavior by praising. Do this again. If the dog only pees once or twice daily, praise will encourage him to urinate more frequently.
This is why some dogs poop on their hind legs.
Things To Be Aware Of
You understand why a dog pees once or twice daily and possible solutions. However, more is needed. You should know a few other things to keep the dog happy and live longer.
- Never, ever skip a vet visit.
- Your dog may have an exercise routine, but sticking to the same routine all year is not acceptable because the number of calories that must be burned varies depending on the season. (This is only one factor) So, please consult your veterinarian to see what you can do about it.
- Trying to train the dog to pee on command is a good idea.
- If the dog is dehydrated, it is best to avoid highly salty foods.
- Consult your veterinarian about revising your dog’s diet.
- Maintain easy access to clean water at all times.
- Make time for outdoor activities regularly.
Conclusion
It’s heartbreaking for dog owners to see their dogs’ abnormalities. Urinating only once or twice a day is odd for dogs, though both normal and pathological causes exist. Even when there is nothing to worry about, erring on the side of caution and knowing the other causes are important for keeping the dog happy and healthy. We hope you found this helpful; have a nice day.
