Westie wetting floor at night only

Sully

Hey,
We have a west highland terrier who is about six years old. Lately she has started to wet the sitting room floor (a wooden floor) when she rarely would have done it before. She gets left out every night before we all go to bed and again early the next morning. It started when a new rug came, but we removed the rug and it still happens. Shes fine during the day and it seems to only happen at night.

Any ideas?!

Toulouse

First of all you need to clean the area properly by using a biological washing powder paste or solution, this will remove the smell. Secondly where does she sleep at night, I take it she's not crated? If not you might want to look into getting her crate trained. There's loads of threads about it here.

We had a dog that started wetting at night and it turned out to be a UTI so I'd also get a sample to the vets to rule anything out.

Sully

Toulouse wrote: »

First of all you need to clean the area properly by using a biological washing powder paste or solution, this will remove the smell. Secondly where does she sleep at night, I take it she's not crated? If not you might want to look into getting her crate trained. There's loads of threads about it here.

We had a dog that started wetting at night and it turned out to be a UTI so I'd also get a sample to the vets to rule anything out.

She sleeps on the couch generally, as she always has. She moves around a bit. She has never been a problem in the past six years so I don't think training is suddenly the problem!

Toulouse

Well then I'd be off to the vet as it's most likely an infection. You will still need to clean the area properly too to prevent any reoccurances.

DBB

Sully wrote: »

She sleeps on the couch generally, as she always has. She moves around a bit. She has never been a problem in the past six years so I don't think training is suddenly the problem!

Hi Sully,
When a dog suddenly changes in behaviour, and particularly when a usually reliably housetrained dog suddenly starts to pee or poop inside, it's strongly indicative of an infection or medical problem.
Toulouse is quite right to advise that you go to the vet, but whilst it's most likely, if it is medical, that it's a UTI, be aware that any source of pain or discomfort can affect housetraining. So, it is possible that a dog with toothache will pee outside of the normal pattern! Be aware that westies are very prone to kidney and liver problems as they get older... not that 6 is old for a Westie, but just be aware of it;)
My point is, don't rule anything out medically, and get your vet to really check her thoroughly in the event that a UTI is not evident.
Let us know how you get on, won't you?:)

toadfly

Hi OP, I have had the same as this with my dog the last 2 weeks. She pees at night and during the day if boyfriend doesnt make it home during work hours. She is a year old and was spayed a month ago. Was told a week ago she has cystitis but antibiotics haven't cleared it so she's in vets overnight tonight to get bloods taken and they are taking a urine sample direct from her bladder in the morning. Hoping it's not too serious.

Let us know how your dog gets on.

tk123

A tip OP if you go to the vet bring along a urine sample to save time My guy wet himself a few months ago - like he was just lying there and weeing anyhoos I took him to the vet with a sample and she could tell straight away something he was eating was more than likely the cause. Sure enough i'd been mixing some wet food in with his dry and once we cut that out she tested a sample a few days later and it was back to normal.

Sully

Didn't seem to do anything last night. How exactly do you take a urine sample from a dog anyway considering she wont let me know when shes going to the toilet?

tk123

Sully wrote: »

Didn't seem to do anything last night. How exactly do you take a urine sample from a dog anyway considering she wont let me know when shes going to the toilet?

I used a carefully positioned plastic take away container lol! He usually goes in the same spot so i just hung around until he went and swopped in.

Sigma Force

What I did when getting a sample from my collie I cleaned their lino in their house ..she doesn't pee outside she likes to pee in her shed if she's caught short so it was easy enough. I got a sterile container and syringe from the vets then the next morning left them in a little longer than normal to make sure she pees on the floor and then let them out and just took the sample from the clean floor. It was the only way I could do it coz she's move off it I tried to go behind her when she pees. Had the test done just because she's an older dog to was just a routine test and it came back clear.

No harm in having the pooch checked. Some have attached containers to a long stick or tongs and put it under the dog when they pee. It can take a few days to get a sample though. If she has an infection she might have a temperature which would be another indicator so perhaps the vet will give you a better idea before you have to chase her around with a plastic container.

Not looking forward to trying to get a sample from my other dog she's so much fur on her butt it's gonna be hard to get a sample plus she doesn't wee in her house only in the run or garden.