My dog squats but won't pee outside in the wet. Is it a UTI?

This could be due to a severe urinary tract infection. She may have bladder stones. She may be beginning a uterine infection since she is not spayed. It is very hard to say without having some urine testing done. I suggest you get her to your vet for an exam and some testing. This is not likely to be something you can treat at home.

Pepper's symptoms could be due to a urinary tract infection, crystals in the urine, stones in the urinary tract, a mass, or toxin ingestion. It is important that you have Pepper seen by a veterinarian to help determine the cause of the signs and to start treatment. If you notice her straining to urinate/unable to produce urine, this is a medical emergency and can be life threatening. She may be avoiding going outside due to pain/discomfort associated with urinating, or she may be unable to go, indicating a potential emergency situation.

Is she trying to urinate but can’t? If so this could be an emergency and she should be seen immediately. It is also possible that she is dehydrated and doesn’t have much urine to produce. Either way I do think that this is concerning and she should be evaluated as soon as possible. Best of luck and I hope she improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

This is actually normal with a painful UTI. She probably does not want to urinate voluntarily because it hurts, So she just holds the urine. The urinary bladder has a safety system with pressure receptors. Once the bladder gets too full, there is a pressure build up and that activates those receptors which then make the bladder sphincter muscles relax and urine can leave the bladder before it bursts. So as soon as Carmen lies down the pressure increases, the urine flows. This should stop when there will be less pain when the inflammation goes away. This may take a few days. In the meantime , I am afraid it means wiping pee. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

The straining to urinate along with the increased thirst may indeed indicate a developing UTI. You would need to have Zo physically examined by your veterinarian for confirmation. A sterile urine sample should be collected and submitted for urinalysis and urine culture/sensitivity. This may identify the organism responsible as well as the best antibiotic to use in treatment. Your vet may recommend abdominal x-rays or ultrasound to rule out kidney or bladder stones. Given current events, you may need to drop her off at the clinic then wait for the doctor to call you to discuss exam findings and treatment options.

While I’m not quite sure what posture you’re describing, any change in urinary habits could be a sign of cystitis or (rarely) a urinary tract infection. If Portifoy seems painful when he’s standing on his rear legs and urinating you may want to recheck with your vet so they can take a urine sample.

She may indeed have a UTI, but also a slipped disc in her spine could make urination painful, or bladder stones. Since not being able to urinate can be a life threatening condition and cause kidney damage, it is very important that you take Leeloo to your veterinarian ASAP, ie this is an emergency. Please call your vet now.