When a dog or cat is urinating in inappropriate places at home, it is important to differentiate whether it is a behavioral or a medical problem. Medical problems that may cause this behavior are often the result of a need to urinate more frequently. Urinary tract infections, bladder stones and urinary incontinence from underlying neurological problems can all cause an increased urge to urinate.
Diseases such as diabetes, Cushing’s disease, liver disease and renal disease can cause both increased drinking and urinating. Geriatric animals may also urinate in inappropriate locations if they are painful from arthritis and are unable to move to their normal location. You can learn more about these diseases on our website.
It’s necessary to rule out medical causes before treating for a behavioral problem. A thorough physical and neurological exam is essential. Diagnostic tests include a full blood panel to evaluate organ function and signs of disease, and a urinalysis to evaluate kidney function and signs of infection or inflammation in the urinary tract.
Radiographs may be needed to evaluate the urinary tract for any bladder stones, to detect abnormal organs, and to visualize the spine for any abnormalities that may lead to neurological dysfunction. Further tests may be needed, depending on the findings. If no medical problems are identified, a behavioral problem may be causing inappropriate urination.
Both dogs and cats have an instinct to mark territory with urine. In dogs, this urge is more common in unneutered males. Unfortunately, male dogs that were neutered later in life might retain the habit of urine marking. Cats often engage in territorial urine marking in an environment with other cats. Even if there is no other cat in the household, your cat can become territorial if there are outdoor cats that frequent your home. Non-feline animals can also cause your cat to become territorial.
Cats are often particular about their litter boxes. A cat may not urinate inside the litter box if the type of litter, height of the box and location of the box is not appropriate for him or her. This requires experimenting with different products and locations for the box. Cats also may not want to use the litter box if it has not been cleaned.
Stress in cats can lead to not only inappropriate urination but also feline lower urinary tract disease, which can cause bloody urine and urinary blockage. As such, minimizing environmental stress is essential, including providing an adequate number of litter boxes for all cats and having a regular feeding schedule. There is a food called Feline C/D Multicare Feline Stress to help alleviate this problem; ask your veterinarian if there is any type of feline diet that he or she would prescribe.
Dogs that have not been properly house-trained may occasionally urinate in the home. However, even a properly house-trained dog will urinate in the home if left there for an unrealistic length of time. Dogs may urinate inappropriately if they are overly excited or anxious. During stressful times—for example, Fourth of July fireworks—it might be necessary to give your pet a mild sedative.
Drugs are sometimes used when the behavioral problem is progressing and medical causes have been ruled out. We’re conservative in this type of treatment because it’s hard to know exactly what effect it will have on your pet and we prefer behavioral modification as the primary mode of treatment.
Our website has several sections on training puppies from 6 to 16 weeks of age. When you give them a proper start in life with this training, you will have minimal chance of a behavioral problem regarding inappropriate urination.