Why Is My Dog Drinking Urine?

“Leave it alone!” cried out a homeless man’s voice.  He came out of a clump of trees, zipping himself up and looking worried.  My puppy Pony was bouncing all around him. 

I’d been looking for Pony since she’d slipped out of my tent and was glad to see her, but sighed as I saw the man’s face.  “What’s she done now?”

“She drank my pee as I was peeing. Is she sick or something?”

Medical Cause

If urine drinking is a new habit for your adult dog or house-trained puppy, get him to a vet just in case the dog is suffering from dehydration.  There are several conditions that can cause a dog to become so thirsty that he will drink urine – but only if water is not available.  Retired veterinarian James Glover notes that urinary tract infections can cause urine drinking.

I took Pony to the vet.  It turns out that Pony wasn’t sick.  It’s a common misconception that if a dog drinks urine or eats feces, she is always lacking in a nutrient that she’s not getting from her usual food.  Pony drank urine from people and dogs because she got into the habit of doing it.

Non-medical Causes

When I asked my veterinarian about Pony’s tendency to drink fresh urine from people or other dogs, the vet tried not to laugh (unsuccessfully.)  He assured me that Pony had picked up a particularly peculiar habit and would outgrow it.  It turns out he was right.  When she was older, she preferred water – even mud puddles – to fresh urine.

Some puppies are not so lucky.  Those in puppy mills are forced to spend their lives in small cages without adequate water.  In desperation, they drink their own urine.  Mike Richards, DVM writing for PetPalce.com notes that even after being rescued, puppies can continue to drink urine when thirsty.  Other rescue puppies or adult rescue dogs may have been trained to drink urine as part of urine therapy, a controversial alternative healing practice.  I discovered a description of such a “training” method in the book Water of Life by John W. Armstrong (Health Research Books; 2000.) 

Male dogs will often taste a female’s urine in order to determine if she is in season.  Even if a dog has been neutered, this instinct can still make a dog drink a female’s urine.  Some male dogs get really carriedaway with this practice. 

Breaking the Habit

It is not recommended to allow your dogs to drink urine – no matter what species produced the urine.  Some diseases such as leptospirosis can be passed on through urine being sniffed, let alone licked.  When Pony drank urine, I distracted her from the urine by yelling or clapping my hands.  When she looked up at me, I praised her and gave her a small treat.  Treats and praise interested her more than urine.

Keep water available at all times for your dog.  Set down at least two bowls of water for each dog in your home.  When given a choice, dogs prefer water.