My Dog's Not Peeing, What Should I Do? (Vet Answer)

Has it been a while since you noticed your dog urinating very much or even at all? If this is the case, there is a possibility that your dog could be experiencing a urinary tract obstruction, also referred to as a urinary tract blockage. A urinary obstruction is considered a medical emergency and requires immediate action from the dog owner.

In this article, we’ll discuss this condition in more detail, what to do if you suspect your dog has this condition, and some things you may be able to expect at the veterinary office if your dog has a urinary tract obstruction.

What to Do

If you suspect your dog is not urinating very much or think you haven’t seen them urinate at all, try the following steps:

Normal Urinary Tract System Vs a Urinary Obstruction

In a normal dog’s urinary tract system, each kidney makes urine which then funnels into a respective ureter; the ureter allows this fluid to travel from the kidney to a temporary holding place, the bladder. Then, when the fluid is ready to be relieved, the urine travels from the bladder to the genitals to be expelled outside the body via the urethra. If at any point in this process, there is either a partial or full obstruction, the end result will be a lack of urine.

A urinary tract obstruction can be partial, which may make the affected individual urinate very little (such as a few drops), or complete, which would prohibit them from urinating at all. An obstruction can occur anywhere within the urinary tract system, but the most common areas in a dog’s case are within the bladder and/or the urethra.

Urinary Tract Obstruction

Without help and relief from the obstruction, the urine will have nowhere to go and will build up within the body. In some cases, the bladder can rupture, which then releases urine into the abdominal cavity and can result in a dog becoming extremely ill. Regardless of whether a bladder ruptures or not, when a dog cannot expel urine, their urinary waste products (such as potassium) build up within the body.

These high levels of waste products can cause other health problems such as abnormal heart rhythms, further adding to their conundrum. Overall, if untreated and not quickly relieved, a full urinary obstruction will lead to eventual death within a few days.

Male vs Female

This medical condition can occur in both male and female dogs, although it is more commonly seen in males due to their unique anatomy. Male dogs have a longer and narrower urethra (the tubed passageway that brings urine from the bladder to the outside world) that also travels through the os penis bone (baculum). In contrast, female dogs have a wider and shorter urethra which allows more room for the urine to flow out.

They also do not have an os penis bone, which in male dogs often serves as a bottleneck that can restrict urine blockage in the urethra even easier than with females.

Urinary Obstruction Signs

What can you expect to see if your dog has a urinary obstruction? It may depend on whether there is a partial or full urinary obstruction as well as the location of the obstruction. If your dog is affected, here are some signs you may observe:

Coupled with the above signs, when pets continue to become ill, there may be some systemic signs, such as:

What Are the Causes?

There are various potential causes for urinary tract obstruction, including:

What to Expect at the Veterinary Office

Diagnosis

To start, a full history and a complete physical exam will be completed by the veterinarian. For a dog unable to urinate, there may be a hard, full, and painful bladder that they are able to feel (palpate). Bloodwork to evaluate kidney damage and electrolyte changes, such as potassium values, is key to determining where a dog is at in the severity of their illness.

In addition, imaging is used to help determine what and where the cause might be. Radiographs (X-rays), sometimes with contrast, can be helpful in showing certain kinds of stones, while ultrasound imaging may be more helpful in showing stones that don’t show up on X-rays, blood clots, or tumors. An electrocardiogram (ECG) that measures the electrical activity of the heart can be important since high levels of potassium can cause irregular beating of the heart.

In addition, sampling the urine with various tests such as looking for an infection or crystals with a urinalysis and urinary culture is very important.

Treatment

The sooner treatment begins, the better chance of recovery and survival your dog will have. Once diagnosed, stabilization would include intravenous (IV) fluids to help with dehydration, kidney function, and electrolyte abnormalities. Because this is a painful medical condition to endure, pain medication is also given for relief. If an infection is found, antibiotics will be administered to resolve this.

Sometimes medication for inflammation, electrolyte changes, etc. will also be needed. In some cases, with a full bladder, decompressing it to relieve extra pressure via cystocentesis (a technique used to obtain urine with a needle and syringe directly from the bladder through the body wall) may be attempted.

Once stabilization is underway, the urinary obstruction should be relieved. The method for relief will depend upon the exact cause and location of the blockage. In some cases, this may be achieved with a technique called retrograde urohydropropulsion, which consists of flushing fluid into the ureter with specialized placement of the affected dog. Other times, placing a urinary catheter (placing a specialized tube into the urethra that extends to the bladder and is sutured in place) allows urine to be collected into a bag while they are healing.

Surgery

In some cases, the removal of the inciting blockage may need to be surgical. Hospitalization of the affected dog may take several days with repeat lab work to help evaluate improvement.

As mentioned, for dogs, stones are the most likely cause of urinary obstruction. If stones are responsible, depending on the kind as well as each individual dog’s situation, they may need to be surgically removed or they may be attempted to be dissolved with a specialized medical diet.

Prevention

Even after the initial incident is resolved, some kinds of stones can also be prevented by feeding a special medical diet going forward. In those with tumors, surgery, and an oncology consultation may be the next step towards treatment. For male dogs with prostate disease, if they are not already neutered, this would be the next step forward to help the prostate’s size decrease.

Regardless of the urinary obstruction cause, monitoring for future urinary obstructive episodes with routine checkups, lab work, and imaging are likely to be even more important for your dog’s health.

Conclusion

If your dog is urinating very little or not at all, there are various reasons this could be occurring. However, regardless of the underlying reason for the blockage, it is a medical emergency. If you suspect your dog is not urinating normally, be sure to contact a veterinary professional right away to have the best chance of helping your beloved canine friend.

• See also: My Dog Won’t Pee in the Rain, What Do I Do? 4 Solutions That Can Help

Featured Image Credit: Utku Demirsoy, Shutterstock