My dog, Budda, does a lot of crazy stuff.
The craziest thing I’ve ever seen him do? Drink pee!
Yep my dog drank pee out of the toilet. I caught him just a couple of days ago with his head stuck in the toilet. It wasn’t until I heard the lapping sound that my suspicions were confirmed.
Let me get something straight before I move on: Budda has access to fresh water at all times. I’m continually refilling his bowl with water so he has nothing to complain about.
Clearly, urine tastes more interesting!
But seriously, it did get me questioning why my dog drank human urine. Is it normal? Do other peoples’ dogs do it? Or was I just blessed with a funky dog that does things his way?
Thankfully *gushes with relief* I’m not alone. Dogs drinking urine is more common than you’d think…
A Few Reasons Your Dog’s Drinking Urine
He’s Thirsty
Your dog should always have access to clean, drinking water. If he doesn’t, he’s going to start looking elsewhere for hydration – and that just might mean your toilet bowl. Ugh..
So if you’re noticing your dog lapping away at toilet water (or urine in there), it could simply be that he’s thirsty.
That’s definitely not the case with my darling Budda. There’s got to be another reason for his bizarre behavior…
What You Can Do
Always ensure your dog has access to clean water. Ideally, you should be changing your dog’s water at least twice per day.
If you’re like me and you regularly change your dog’s water, you may want to consider getting him checked out at the vet’s. It could be that he’s suffering from dehydration due to underlying conditions like diabetes or kidney problems.
He’s Got a Urinary Tract Infection
When Budda started drinking pee from the toilet, I took him straight to the veterinarian to get him checked out and see if everything was normal. Because what he was doing definitely wasn’t normal.
According to the doc, he had a urine infection – apparently, urine drinking is a common symptom of urine infections in dogs.
He prescribed Budda some medication and within a few days, he was back to his normal, happy, crazy but not overly crazy self. Phew!
What You Can Do
First of all, if you suspect your dog has a urine infection, get him to the vets asap to acquire the right medication to clear it up. Unleft UTI’s in dogs can lead to a more severe infection. It’s always best to act quickly if you think your dog has an infection.
Other symptoms to look for include dripping urine, urine with a strong odor, or straining when he urinates. All of these could be signs your dog is suffering from a UTI and needs to be treated straight away.
He’s Nutrient Deficient
A common reason your dog is drinking pee could be a protein deficiency in his diet.
When a dog is missing certain nutrients, he may turn to drinking urine. That doesn’t mean you’re a bad owner! It just means he could be lacking in something that’s triggering this strange habit.
What You Can Do
Take him to the vet’s for a blood test to see how his levels look. The vet should be able to tell you whether or not he’s got a deficiency and how you can treat it in the best way.
In the meantime, make sure you give your pooch a well-balanced, nutrient-loaded diet so he stays in optimal health and doesn’t get this problem again.
Once again, ask the vet for advice on dietary choices for your dog. Alternatively, request a special diet plan to follow to ensure he stays fit and healthy.
He’s Bored
Negative repeated behavior like urine drinking may signal boredom in your furry friend. It’s a habit often seen in dogs that spend a lot of time penned and a learned behavior associated with boredom.
You’ll often see this habit in dogs from puppy mills. It’s learned behavior triggered from being penned up and neglected.
What You Can Do
Keep him active. Take him on plenty of long walks, play ball with him, and give him lots of attention. He’ll appreciate it and quickly quit his bad urine drinking habit.
I always take Budda on long walks two or three times a day, but on those days that I go out and leave him alone for a couple of hours or more I always notice that’s when he gets up to no good.
I come back home and find him doing something he shouldn’t be doing. Now I know it was probably because he was bored and longing for my company. Bless him!
How Bad is it that My Dog Drank My Pee?
Well, it’s certainly not a safe and healthy habit.
When your dog drinks urine, regardless of the species that produces it, he is instantly exposing himself to numerous potential diseases such as leptospirosis. In fact, some of these diseases can be passed on through urine being sniffed. So you can imagine just how terrible it is if it’s being licked!
If he’s drinking straight from your toilet, that can also be dangerous not just because of the urine inside of it, but because of the cleaning products he may consume. Cleaning products contain a lot of harmful chemicals that could potentially be life-threatening to your poor pooch.
In other words, keep him away from your toilet at all costs!
How to Stop Your Dog From Drinking Your Pee?
If you want to immediately stop your dog from drinking urine, try to distract him whenever he does it by yelling or clapping.
When he looks up and stops what he’s doing (in this case, getting ready to lap up a urine beverage), praise him and give him a small treat. Trust me, he’ll be far more interested in your praise and treats than he will your urine.
