Dog Leaking Urine When Lying Down – Top 3 Reasons Why

It’s definitely concerning if you have recently noticed your dog leaking urine when he is lying down or sleeping. Here are some of the most common reasons that can cause the urine leaking. We strongly suggesting calling a vet for advice as the leaking could be a symptom of a more serious health condition, especially if your dog is doing so lying down.

1. Weak Sphincter Muscle

The sphincter muscles around the urethra control the exit of the urine from the urinary bladder. The weakening of these muscles could be caused by a number of factors such as aging, presence of an infection, and issues like obesity. The more lack of control your dog has with the sphincter muscles, the more likely it is for your dog to leak urine in unexpected situations, such as when he is lying down and sleeping.

In some cases, the vet may be able to prescribe your dog with medication or antibiotics to help the sphincter muscles regain strength, but this will largely depend on the underlying cause of the urinary incontinence.

2. Urinary Tract Infection

Infections like UTI can also cause dogs to leak pee while lying down. In addition to these accidents, dogs with urinary tract infection may also display symptoms like bloody or cloudy urine, frequent licking of the dog’s private part, and signs of whimpering while peeing.

You should definitely call the vet as soon as possible in this case. In addition to prescribed medications, your vet may also suggest making changes to your dog’s diet.

3. Presence of Bladder or Kidney Stones

The leaking urine could also be caused by the presence of bladder or kidney stones in the dog’s body. Like when a dog has a urinary tract infection, common symptoms of bladder stones include bloody urine and straining while urinating. Bladder stones can develop due to poor diet control or due to the effects of previous diseases that affected the dog’s bladder. They will generally take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to form.

The treatment for removing the bladder stone will depend on how small the stone is. Small stones could be treated by the vet via non-surgical methods or by feeding your dog a special diet that helps dissolve the stones. Big stones, unfortunately, may require surgical treatment.