Dog parenting is full-time work. You have to care for them all day long, even when they are sleeping (or you are sleeping). If your dog pees in his sleep for once, what does it mean? Why did it happen? Is it normal or a cause of concern? Let’s discuss.
Why my dog peed in his sleep once?
If your dog peed in his sleep for once only, it shouldn’t be a cause of concern. It may have happened for any reason. Consistent bed-wetting is something alarming.
However, you cannot leave it like this. You must clean up the urine properly with an enzyme cleaner and make sure to learn for the future. Otherwise, the smell (or presence) of urine may cause your dog to pee there again, which can eventually lead to potty training regression.
An adult (potty trained) dog can sleep through the night without peeing.
Why did your dog pee in his sleep for once? It might have happened for the following reasons:
- He drank more water before going to bed
- He didn’t get a toilet break before bed
- The schedule was off
- He did not completely empty his bladder in the last toilet break.
- It just happened.
If your dog keeps peeing during sleep, it can be urinary incontinence or a UTI. Contacting a vet is the best option.
What to do?
Dogs have very predictable peeing and pooping schedules. They will do the business at a specific time after eating, drinking, or doing any physical activity.
Make sure that your dog is on a schedule. Always follow it. Remove his water bowl at least 2 hours before bed and give him a toilet break right before he goes to sleep.
Get your dog to empty his bladder. Find out how to get a dog to pee all at once.
Why did my puppy pee in his sleep once?
If your puppy (not a dog and not fully potty trained) peed in his sleep once, it can be a different scenario. Puppies need nighttime potty breaks according to their age.
Your puppy peed in his sleep because you may have missed the nighttime potty break or just delayed it. (in addition to all the reasons above).
A puppy can hold his bladder for one hour for every month of his age. For example, a 4-month-old puppy may be able to hold his bladder for 4 hours. So you have to set your alarm as per your puppy schedule. Get up and take him to the potty spot in time. (it’s just a general rule, your puppy may have his own schedule)
Here’s more information for you.
What to do when the puppy or dog peed in his sleep?
It just happened once, so it shouldn’t be a cause of concern. However, what should you do when your puppy or dog pees in his sleep?
1- Clean up right away:
Dog urine smell is not only horrible. It’s so hard to remove it from any stuff. So, clean it as soon as possible (before it dries).
Remove your dog’s bedding and get an enzyme cleaner that is suitable for the fabric (or whatever surface the bedding has). OUT! Advanced Stain and Odor Remover is the best enzyme cleaner for beddings.
If the dog urine is still not completely absorbed in the bedding, clean it with a paper towel first. Then use the mist nozzle of OUT! Enzyme cleaner. Generously spray it on the urine stain. Let it sit for at least 5 minutes and blot it with a paper towel.
If the urine is absorbed already, use the foam or stream nozzle. Gently apply the enzyme cleaner covering a double area (around the mess) to ensure no odor is left. Let it sit, and then blot it with a paper towel.
Allow the area to dry naturally, and then vacuum.
2- Check with a UV flashlight:
Now is the time to ensure that the urine stain is completely gone and that it will not cause your dog to pee there again.
Turn off the lights, turn on the UV Flashlight, and check the dog bedding (where there were urine stains). If there are any stains left, clean them again.
3- Get a water-proof sheet for your dog bed:
When you have kids or dogs at home, you must have a water-proof sheet for every bed, including the dog bed.
Cleaning mattress and foam is super hard when your dog pees on it. With the waterproof sheet, you can simply clean it with a paper towel first and soak it in the enzyme cleaner in a bucket.
You can get a water-resistant dog bed liner or try the petmaker waterproof dog-bed collection.
Best enzyme cleaner for dog urine:
I recommend OUT! Advance pet stain and odor remover for any kind of fabric or bedding. It’s good for carpets and rugs too. It is certified by the carpet and rug institute.
OUT! Enzyme formula is great for deep cleaning the pet mess as it destroys the odor-causing bacteria. You can use it for urine, feces, vomit, or other such things.
The bottle of OUT! Enzyme cleaner has 3 different types of nozzles, so you can adjust them according to your requirements.
Best UV Flashlight to detect dog urine:
I always recommend pet owners keep a UV flashlight in their home. Even if your dog didn’t pee, you must check your house with a UV flashlight once in a while.
Escolite UV Flashlight Black Light is good. But you can get any company’s flashlight.
Conclusion:
If your dog peed in his sleep just for once, it is not usually a cause of concern. Just getting off of a schedule or not emptying his bladder in the last toilet break may have caused it. All you have to do is clean up the space properly and make sure to put your dog on a schedule.
However, you must get your dog checked with a vet if the problem persists.
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