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My new puppy hasn't peed since I brought him home. Is this normal?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Chinese Crested Powder Puff | Male | neutered | 3 months and 24 days old | 14 lbs

I just bought a 16 week old Chinese Crested powder puff this morning, and as far as I know, he hasn't urinated since I picked him up at 11:30 this morning. Should I be concerned?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Vanessa Yeager DVM MPH

Veterinarian

Published on September 2nd, 2017

Hello and thank you for your question!

If she has not had much to drink, then that would help explain the lack of urination. Sometimes it takes a few days for new dogs to adjust to new surroundings and may not eat or drink as much temporarily. This is normal.

However, it has been more than 1 day and he has not urinated at all, then that would be a red flag and cause for concern and would warrant a visit to your veterinarian.

Offer fresh water and a good quality food for him to eat.

I hope this has helped and try not to worry too much unless he has gone a full 24 hours without urinating.

Best wishes to you and your new pup!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on March 7th, 2017
Congrats on your new dog, but I'm sorry it seems like Poppy isn't doing well! It can be concerned that a dog hasn't urinated in a while, but given that she is eating, drinking, and behaving normally, I'm not as concerned as I would be if she wasn't eating or drinking, and acting quite lethargic. Not peeing can be a sign of a medical illness such as bladder stones, but if her urethra was blocked by one, I would expect her to be very ill, meaning quite lethargic, not wanting to eat or drink, and making noises of distress when she tried to urinate. I would monitor her for now, and even if she is still eating and drinking normally in the morning, I would have her seen by a vet in the morning if she still hasn't urinated. It could be that she hasn't drunk enough today to urinate. Overnight, if she is making multiple attempts to pee without success, becomes very lethargic, stops eating and drinking, or cries when she tries to pee, I would have her seen by an ER vet or find a vet on call to see her immediately. I hope this helps and Poppy is ok!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on April 26th, 2019
If she also seems to be posturing or straining to urinate you should see a vet since she could have a urinary obstruction. If she has not been eating and drinking normally she could be dehydrated. It’s possible that this is behavioral but if she hasn’t urinated in 24 hours it would be best to rule out a medical problem first.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 1st, 2019
Oh my. This sounds emergent. I would highly consider taking Chloe to your local ER vet if she is attempting to urinate but nothing is coming out. This indicates that she likely has a blockage, which is often the result of a urinary stone. It is not common for this to occur in female dogs however, so I would make sure that you are seeing things correctly here. Try letting her go on a pee pad so that you can visualize if there are any drops coming out at all. If there are only a few drops coming out, and she is trying to go more than once every 15 mins, then a blockage is highly likely, which is considered an emergency.

However, if she is posturing once every 30 mins-1 hr, and some pee is actually coming out, then she likely isn't blocked but has a really bad urinary tract infection, which should be ok to wait until morning to treat for. With that said, an ER vet visit should still be highly considered to get some immediate relief. The ER vet can also check her out to ensure the infection has not spread to her kidneys, which can be a more serious condition that just a simple UTI.

I do hope that Chloe will be ok moving forward. Best wishes and take care.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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