Peeing on my bed... :(

[Jamilupine]

Twice this week Lucy has peed on my bed - where she also sleeps. she doesn't do it during the night, in the morning the bed is dry. But, sometime during the day she gets on the bed and pees. I've never caught her in the act, but I doubt it's the cats since it doesn't have that cat pee smell....

So...I took her in for a UTI test to rule that out. Also, she is no longer allowed on my bed without me watching her.

This is the ONLY place she's peed in the house (other than one day in her crate, but that was totally due to too much water and me being held over at work) for the last month. She's only been sleeping out of the crate for about a week and a half, and she started peeing on the bed about a week after she started sleeping out of the crate.

Oh, another thing, she was just spayed three weeks ago. The doctor suggested that there might be some inflamation around the "neck" of the bladder that cuases strong urges to go. (He gave us some meds for that.) The inflamation he suspects is due to the stitches dissloving (she has internal stitches). he also said that it might be sphincter weakness due to the spay, in which case she is just leaking. I've been checking where she sleeps, and it isn't wet or smelly, so I don't think that is the case.

So, we are waiting on the cultures, and if I don't hear anything by Monday I can rule out UTI.

Just wondering what your opinons are: do you think it is most likley UTI? If it is that she is just not fully potty trained, why is she suddenly chosing to go on the bed? Just wanting some other opinions.

[iloveamlet]

i'm sorry i can't give you much insight, but you may know that amlet has done that on my bed as well. he just jumps up and pees and then jumps off. he's done it like three times in my bed and twice on my boyfriend's bed. i have no idea why he does it but i think it's just because he's still not fully potty trained. i've heard other people with that problem and they said it was to get attention.
i know how frustrating it is!

[flyndog]

I agree with no bed priveleges for now and wait and see what the vet says. Are there any other issues?

[sharona1973]

Jami, I hope that Lucy is okay. If it is indeed what the vet thinks it is (sphincter weakness and leakeage), maybe Lucy is peeing on the bed because she just happens to be there and has sudden urge to go and goes there?

I don't know if females mark, but males do and I'm convinced that Mocha was marking when he peed on all the doggie beds and on the couch......those were all areas where either the other dog has been or the cats usually sleep.

Also, Mocha was totally wigged out with potty training the first day he came home after being neutered....peed without asking to be let out.

I hope you can figure it out. Mocha has been sleeping on the bed for almost 1 month now and hasn't peed on the bed yet...but I'm just waiting.

[Jamilupine]

Originally Posted by flyndog

I agree with no bed priveleges for now and wait and see what the vet says. Are there any other issues?

No, there aren't any other issues. She reguarly rings the bell to go out to pee, and even jumps off the bed during the night and rings the bell to go out! (All of the accidents happened during the day becuase in the mornings the bed was dry.) I'd actually say she is pretty well house broken, besides the bed incidents. Training is coming along well, she's never destroyed any of my stuff and knows pretty well what's hers to put her mouth on and whats not. For some reason, during the day she went on the bed, then just moved to the other end of the bed and went back to sleep, as far as I can tell. Oh, and all of the bedding in her crate has stayed dry when she is in there. She stayed in my car the other night for a couple hours while I was in class and she didn't destroy or pee on anything. So, I just don't know!

Yesterday and today she has not been on the bed unless I'm sleeping in it or I'm in the room supervising, and there haven't been any accidents. Of course, she is also on the anti-inflamatory meds, so that might have something to do with it. I still haven't heard from the vet about the cultures, which means that nothing is growing on them...I'll call Monday just to be sure.

I don't know?! Oh, I natures mircaled everything, washed my sheets and blankets, and the comforter is being dry cleaned, so hopefully that will all help some.

[sharona1973]

Jami, any word on the cultures? I hope that Lucy is doing better. Sounds like she hasn't had anymore incidents since last week. I've always thought of Lucy as a very well-trained, well-adjusted doggie. I hope things have been better.

I think it's awesome that she rings that bell....Mocha still isn't getting that bell!!!! I don't know what's up. He does try to paw at it when I ask him to ring the bell....sometimes he paws at it so hard it flips over...maybe I should go back to the jingle bells....he still sits by the door, but that doesn't help me "hear" him!

[MAJOR'S MOMMA]

Just an idea but could it be some thing to do with your bedspread? The reason I ask is that Major has done that one time and it was on my Son's bed. After thinking it through I put a different spread on his bed and Major never went there again. I think it was just that bed spread that inspired Major for some odd reason. I do hope Lucy is okay tho it is tough when they are sick.

[Jamilupine]

Yeah, I heard from the doc today - nothing. They sounded a little perplexed about the whole reason for the incidents. I've been keeping her off the bed unless I'm sleeping in it or am in the room, and nothing so far.

As for the bedspread, I have a down comforter with a duvet on it. I hadn't washed either for a while, but since she peed on them (!!!) I had to wash the duvet and dry clean the comforter. I sprayed both of them with natures miracle where she'd gone...so hopefully both of those measures will help stop the behavior! Also, just preventing her from being on the bed may be the key until she really gets that my bed is her bed. You know? She's only been sleeping there for a couple weeks now. Maybe she just needs more time to understand that this is HER bed too. We'll see. Other than peeing in the bed those two times, she's been accident free for over a month now!
Thanks for your follow ups!

[sharona1973]

Well, on the one hand, it's a relief to know that Lucy is okay and on the other hand, it doesn't help you understand why she peed on your bed. I had wondered aloud if females mark their areas but no one has chimed in on that one.

[Kade]

My very first impression is that it's marking behavior. All of a sudden she's allowed up on the wonderful place where the top dogs sleep, and she may feel like something of a top dog, too. She might be telling the world, "This is Lucy's bed now, too!"

I think limiting her bed access is very smart. She should only be allowed up by invitation, and only when she's going to be supervised. Any inappropriate behaviors should mean a bounce off the bed (not a literal bounce, LOL).

[flyndog]

Yes, females mark. (She chimed)

[Jamilupine]

Originally Posted by flyndog

Yes, females mark. (She chimed)

Do you think it is likely that the peeing was marking then? Will she get over this or will I always need to put restrictions on bed access? I don't mind if she sleeps there whenever, but I do mind if that means she's gonna pee everywhere!

[sharona1973]

Originally Posted by flyndog

Yes, females mark. (She chimed)

Loved that!

Jami, Mocha was marking on every bedding surface (hasn't done it on the bed yet.....cross my fingers and toes) but he hasn't done it more than once. I'm guessing that if Lucy was marking your bed, it should hopefully be done by now.

[Jamilupine]

Good! Thanks Sharona!