Why has my dog started peeing overnight

[BreakHerOffAKitKat]

Hoping for some suggestions on likely cause and how to stop my dog peeing in the house overnight.

I have a 10.5 year old jack russell / chihuahua cross. For the last few months he has started peeing in the kitchen near the back door overnight occasionally pooping too. As it's overnight we don't catch him in the act to stop him.

He is walked daily and has free access to the garden right up until we go to bed around 11pm but when I come down in the morning at 6.30/7am I'm greeted with a large puddle.

It's caused damage to the cupboard doors, carcasses and kick boards and the smell where it's soaked through into the chipboard is horrendous. We've been planning a new kitchen but until we've resolved the peeing issue I'm reluctant to spend out on our dream kitchen if it will destroyed with dog pee.

He seems fit and healthy, ears well and there has been no change to our routine that might be causing him distress.

We don't currently use a crate but would consider it, but would this resolve the problem? He obviously can't make it through the night. He doesn't drink a huge amount and he's on a raw food diet. I don't think its incontinence as he's not leaving little trickles.

Any suggestions on how to handle this?

[BreakHerOffAKitKat]

That should say EATS well, not ears!!

[DramaAlpaca]

I'm probably asking the obvious, but has he been checked by the vet?

My 9 year old spaniel, who has always had a bladder of steel, started doing this recently and it turned out to be a UTI.

[BreakHerOffAKitKat]

I've not taken him to the vet yet but that's my next step, I did wonder if it could be a UTI

[DramaAlpaca]

My spaniel had no other symptoms and seemed very well in herself, but the urine sample suggested infection as did a blood test the vet did to rule out anything else.

[Wolfiefan]

Have you tried a last walk at night? Free access to the garden isn’t the same as being taken out to go. How often is he fed and at what times?

[inwood]

My dog has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, over night is a symptom. Is he excessively hungry and or thirsty / peeing more than normal at other times?

Could also be a uti, which a more common in dogs with diabetes.

[gamerchick]

A vet should be your first port of call OP. Do that and rule out illness.

[Sarahlou63]

Oh FFS! He's been incontinent for MONTHS and it hasn't occurred to you to take him to the vet? What is wrong with you????

[Schmoozer]

Vets !!! Needs an MOT !!

[Booboostwo]

Honestly what do you expect people to say?! Take your dog to the vets. I can’t believe you’ve left it for a few months.

[BreakHerOffAKitKat]

@Sarahlou63 thanks for the valuable input. As I said he seems fit and healthy. He's peeing once overnight not raging incontinence.

Thank you to everyone else for your helpful comments. I'll book him in for a check up first thing tomorrow to hopefully rule out UTI / diabetes etc

To answer some other questions. He has his meal at 6pm, he's got fresh water down all the time but doesn't drink very much - never has so this hasn't changed. His last walk is usually 6.30/7 ish but I'll start taking him for a pre bed walk too and see if there's any improvement and obviously see what the vet suggests

[Wolfiefan]

You could also try sleeping close to him. If he wants to go out and there is no one to let him out then he doesn’t really have any other option.

[Sarahlou63]

I have 7 dogs ranging from 13 years old to 30 months. They are all in bed by 10pm and are dry until 7am. If one of them was unable to go overnight without a pee/shit for more than 2 nights (yes, accidents happen) I would seek expert advice. Not wait for months.

Glad you have taken my, and others, input on board.

[bitheby]

This happened with my cat. Sudden incontinence that didn't resolve with antibiotics. After a scan the vet diagnosed a bladder tumour. Please get it seen by a vet.

[RedHelenB]

If there us nothing physically wrong then put down a puppy pad .