9 Reasons Your Dog Might Pee After a Bath!

If your dog is often peeing after a bath and you’re wondering if such occurrences are worrisome or not, you’re at the right place! But before diving deep into this text, make sure you’ve been observant enough to notice your dog’s recent behavior; if they’re in pain and irritated, are they running and spinning out of excitement, or if anything abnormal has caught your eye. These observations can help you better understand and make better decisions for your fur baby.

There can be several reasons why your pooch is peeing after a bath, some of which are worrisome, and some are completely natural in dogs. In this post, we’ll discuss the top 9 reasons why a dog pees after a bath such that you can decide if or not whatever your dog is going through is normal.

While it’s not recommended to self-diagnose your dog, taking note of your dog’s weeing habit and educating yourself on possible causes that lead to peeing after baths is always helpful in determining the appropriate action plan. So, why does your dog pee after a bath? Let’s find out why!

Top 9 Reasons Why Dogs Might Pee After a Bath

Flight or fight:

A bath session is considered to be one of the common triggers for fight or flight in a dog, especially if your pooch is afraid of water or the bath itself. While it is quite common for dogs to dislike baths, a past traumatic incident associated with the bath can also trigger your dog to be extremely nervous.  

Such flight or fear response can also encourage your dog to wee. Especially if the bath was long, it is not uncommon for young dogs to want to pee as soon as the bath is over. However, if your dog has started peeing after bath only recently, you might want to dive deeper and rule out any other causes before concluding the behavior is normal.

Zoomies:

As we’ve discussed above, many dogs loathe baths, and as a celebration that the bath is over, dogs can act frenetic and pee in inappropriate places. The euphoric burst of energy you can often witness in dogs is called Frenetic Random Activity Period (FRAP) or zoomies.

What’s more, if your pooch surprisingly gets excited about their bathing session or if somebody they adore is bathing them, this can also trigger such excitement in them. Zoomies can stimulate your dog to act wild and pee in inappropriate places. However, such excitement-induced after-bath weeing is common among young pups, and most dogs learn to compose themselves with training and maturity.

Genital area irritation:

Sometimes, your pooch’s bathing products, including surfactants and soap, might be too harsh for them and irritate their wee area. The irritation that occurs when the chemicals come in contact with your dog’s urethra can encourage your dog to pee as soon as they get out of the bath.

Try using less soap and shampoo while bathing your dog, and if the frequency of indoor accidents reduces, urethral irritation is probably the reason why your dog is peeing after a bath.

Holding pee during the bath:

If your adorable pooch is too well-behaved, they might also hold off weeing until they are out of the bath. Experts say this is common among well-trained dogs, and you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

However, sometimes, your dog might not be able to make it to its potty and, thus, can end up peeing in inappropriate places indoors. In such cases, please be considerate with your pooch as it was just a silly accident, and they tried their best not to bother their human parents.

Urinary Tract Infection:

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) is common, especially in young dogs. As in humans, your dog will also frequently feel the need to urinate. They might keep asking you to take them outdoors or send you potty signals often throughout the day.

When the bath takes long, your dog suffering from UTI will probably want to pee right after the bath ends. If your puppy looks hurt and whines while peeing and you notice blood in the urine, it can be an indication of a UTI, and medical attention should be provided as soon as possible in such cases.

Incontinence:

If your dog is older and has been peeing after baths or just in general at inappropriate places, it can be a sign that they’re suffering from age-induced urinal incontinence. Having said that, there are a few more reasons why your dog might experience incontinence. For instance, an Ectopic ureter, a birth defect, is known to cause incontinence among young pups.

Once properly diagnosed, your pet’s vet might suggest you a medicative route or a surgery, depending upon the cause of the incontinence. However, sometimes, there’s nothing more you can do than manage the symptoms and make your pooch feel warm, comfortable, and loved.  

Behavioral issues:

If your dog is still young or hasn’t been properly potty trained yet, and it pees indoors after a bath, it can often be a behavioral issue. When your dog hasn’t learned that weeing indoors in places besides their potty and bathroom is wrong, they’re likely to have such accidents often. Especially if your dog has had an accident once and if the area hasn’t been thoroughly cleaned with an enzymatic cleaner, dogs can get attracted to the scent and confuse the area as their potty.

Drinking bath water:

Now, before figuring out why your dog is peeing after a bath, it is important to notice if or not your dog is drinking bath water. Dogs cannot perceive what water is healthy for them to drink and what is not; some dogs even drink out of the toilet if the lid is open. So, if they have a habit of drinking plenty of water during the bath, it is natural for them to feel the need to relieve themselves afterward.  

Drinking the bath water, as long as it doesn’t have harsh cleansers and detergent, shouldn’t cause much trouble to your fur baby. However, the situation becomes worrisome if the dog seems too thirsty or can never get enough drinking water. Such a symptom might indicate illness unless and until your dog is too active and the weather is extremely hot outside, which often leads to dehydration.

Other underlying health issues:

Once you rule out all the above causes, it might be time to consult with a vet for any undiagnosed health issue in your dog that might be causing them to urinate or lose their bladder control frequently. Diabetes, Cushing’s disease, and kidney disease are a few underlying health issues that accompany such symptoms.

Remember that symptoms of such diseases don’t worsen after a bath, and if your dog frequently pees right after a bath, the issue might be something else. Also, don’t rule out the fact that sometimes, warm water might be the actual trigger causing your dog to pee after a bath.

Is My Dog Peeing After a Bath Something to Worry About?

As we’ve discussed above, there can be plenty of underlying reasons that make your dog pee after a bath. Well, unless your dog is dribbling suddenly, peeing at an increased rate than usual, acting aggressive or irritated, or peeing wherever convenient, there’s no need to worry at all. And even if the situation demands serious medical attention, remember that panicking, self-diagnosing, and self-medicating is never the right approach. 

In a well-trained dog, frequently peeing indoors without any potty signal can signify incontinence or other medical issues. The condition should be medically diagnosed and dealt with as soon as possible. However, if your dog isn’t trained or is still in training, it can simply be a behavioral issue that will subside with enough training and maturity.

And, if the increased frequency is only evident right after the bath, it can be the zoomies taking a toll on your dog, which is entirely normal. Remember that although less frequently, old dogs can have zoomies too, and sometimes, you might witness the burst of energy right after a bath. But if the dog is showing some other symptoms of irritation around the wee area, you might want to be more attentive and sensitive while bathing your dog.  

What Can I Do to Stop My Dog from Peeing After Baths?

Before rushing to any conclusion and panicking, it is imperative you take note of your dog’s weeing habits after a bath and compare them with their day-to-day weeing habits. If the frequency of urination has generally increased, it might require medical attention and a proper plan of action. However, if your dog is peeing abnormally for a few hours after a bath, it isn’t worrisome unless they are peeing at furniture or other inappropriate areas indoors. 

If you suspect that there’s something internally wrong with your pooch, make an appointment with a vet as soon as possible. They should be able to provide you with the right treatment strategy and counsel you on how to handle the situation better. Furthermore, if the bathing products seem to irritate your pet, ensure you wash their genital area thoroughly with fresh water, switch to a gentler product, and use it as little as possible during their next bath.

However, if behavioral issues are encouraging your pet to pee, you should consider obedience training your dog. And, if the zoomies are the culprit behind, please know that as long as your dog has enough space to run and go crazy, it is completely safe and normal, even in older dogs. Finally, consider taking your dog for a walk before and after a bath such that accidents occur less frequently.

Conclusion

We hope we’ve provided you with enough information on why your dog pees after a bath. If the problem is frequently bothering you as well as your fur baby, please don’t hesitate to take an expert’s help; if you’d ask us, that’s the best way to go. However, also don’t rule out the possibility that your dog might simply have wanted to relieve themselves after a nice warm bath if they’ve often asked you to take them outdoors for a walk afterward.

Author

  • Brad

    Hi I'm Brad, the founder of bulldogpapa.com. Having been a vet of 6 years I work alongside our team to provide valuable insight into your dog's health. I have a frenchie myself named Senzu who is my pride and joy!