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My puppy drinks and pees a lot, then licks her pee. What's wrong?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | 2 months and 8 days old | 15 lbs

My puppy is doing something that I never seen before. When she tinkles on the floor she licks it up. Local vet gave her her second set of shots and wormed her. She seems very healthy but drinks a lot and urinates a lot, too.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Christie Long, DVM

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on December 9th, 2016

I would very definitely have at least a urinalysis performed and also blood work to make sure there are no problems that are causing her to urinate a lot and consume a lot of water. This is called polyuria (excessively urinating) and polydipsia (excessive drinking), and there are many causes. In a puppy of only 2 months, I would be most worried about a birth defect that caused the kidneys to not form properly, or perhaps a condition called a portosystemic shunt, which means there is abnormal blood circulation in and around the liver. Other causes would be leptosporosis, which is an infectious disease, however this seems less likely since they usually feel unwell. Please schedule an appointment to have a complete assessment done.

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    Answered By Debi Matlack

    Veterinary Technician

    Published on

    It may be that she knows she's not supposed to go potty inside so she's trying to hide the evidence. If she was born into a situation where dogs were kept in cages, she may have learned this from other dogs who will often consume their own waste in order to 'clean up', because they are given no choice about eliminating anywhere but the cage.

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