My puppy drinks his pee in his crate. Is it dehydration or anxiety?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The increased urination you describe could be due to a urinary tract infection, urinary stones, metabolic condition, a tumor, among other possibilities. I agree with you that if this is something relatively new, it may be due to a medical reason. I recommend that you have Opie evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further diagnostics would include abdominal imaging and lab work. Treatment would be based on findings. Good luck and have a great day!

There can be many reasons that dogs or puppies might drink urine. This can happen if the puppy is very thirsty, either because there is no other water source available, or because he has a medical condition that makes him abnormally thirsty all the time. Certain illnesses like diabetes or a urinary tract infection can also make the urine smell or taste different, causing some dogs to want to lick or drink it. It can also be a strictly behavioral problem related to stress or anxiety, or an attention-seeking behavior. I would recommend taking your puppy to the vet for an exam to see if there is a medical reason for this behavior. The vet can do a urinalysis as well as blood work or other testing if needed to check for any problems that may be causing it.

Hi there. It's often easier for puppies to "hold it" during the night when they would normally be sleeping, vs. during the day when they're more likely to be awake - so this could be the reason she's having accidents. It's also possible that she has separation anxiety, which often causes dogs to have potty accidents while the owner is away. I would recommend having a neighbor or dog sitter come by once or twice during the day to take her out for potty breaks as a first step. If this resolves the problem, then it's likely that she just can't hold her bladder for that long during the day just yet. If the accidents continue, then I would be very concerned that she may be anxious and upset when you're gone. In that case, I would recommend talking to your veterinarian about anti-anxiety medication and a training plan to address her anxiety.

This could just be related to his significant anxiety, or it could be early signs of illness, especially parvo virus if he hasn’t been fully vaccinated. You can try offering a bland diet of chicken breast and cooked white rice to encourage him to eat (you can add a little extra broth for hydration). But if he isn’t doing better tomorrow, he needs to see a vet to determine if there is a medical cause for the change.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If she manages to lick up her urine, it will not harm her. There is really no way you can tell for sure other than setting up a video camera. This is likely a phase she will outgrow though. You can try spraying bitter apple to urine on the ground to try and deter her. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi there! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is not that uncommon. Sometimes dogs do this as part of letting us know that they are unhappy with whatever their situation is at that time. For example, my own dog will do that if I walk my other dog outside first for whatever reason. It is important to recognize the triggers and avoid them. In this case, if may be leaving him in the kennel while you are not around. I recommend that you take Timber outside before to urinate before you leave and to actually try him out of his kennel. Try to not leave for too long at the beginning and increase the amount of time you are not around slowly. Everytime he does not urinate anywhere, make sure to praise him and reward him with treats when you get home. In no time he is likely to understand that he will be rewarded if he does not do that undesired behavior. The key is going to be to proceed slowly. For example, leave him alone only for 1-2 hours first, and then increase the amount of time slowly until you reach that amount of time you actually need. Good luck!

Hello, sorry to hear about Savannah. In dogs, signs of abnormal urinations may indicate that they may have a urinary tract infection. This can be ruled out by submitting a urine sample to be checked for bacteria. UTIs in addition to making pets pee in abnormal locations, may also cause them to be lethargic, anxious, panting, and have a decreased appetite. If she continues to do this, or if her urine color becomes red tinged, then have her evaluated by her veterinarian for a UTI. Hope this helps and best of luck.