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My dog is terrified of fireworks and won't pee. How long can she hold it?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Australian Shepherd | Female | spayed | 44 lbs

My dog is terrified of the fireworks and won't urinate. She can't even focus on urination. It has been about 12 hours and since it's the evening, the fireworks began again so she is refusing to go outside. If she doesn't pee tonight, can she get sick? How long can she go without peeing? Will she go when she really needs to or will she keep holding it? Thanks for the info.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on January 1st, 2017

Poor Azul! Fireworks can be so scary for dogs. She will pee when she really needs to, and it will be ok if she doesn't pee tonight. I would take her outside first thing in the morning, or later tonight once the fireworks have finished. I will give you a few tips to help with her deal with this fear as well. One important thing to do to when Azul acts scared is not to reassure her. We think we are comforting her when we do that, but it's actually reinforcing the behavior and telling her it's ok to be scared. I recommend getting her a thundershirt to wear when there are fireworks or loud noises. These have been reported to help dogs with anxiety. At home, you can put her in a dark quiet room by himself to self-soothe. You can also turn on the TV or music to block out the sound. Finally, you can consider get a pheromone diffuser called DAP that helps dogs with anxiety.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Stacey Anstaett, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 3rd, 2018

    I'm so sorry that Chester had a rough day yesterday. Most dogs can withhold urine for up to 18 hours if they are determined enough. This is not ideal and can increase the risk of urinary tract infections and even potential damage to the ability of the bladder to contract and fully empty. However, both of those issues are problems we would only worry about if this was an ongoing issue for many days; as apposed to just holding it that long once or twice. I hope that helps you! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

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