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Why is my dog not eating dry food and peeing inside when alone?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered

since sunday charlie hasn’t been eating his dry food very well. he’ll eat it but only if we sit down and kind of encourage him (any other food he eats just not the dry food). since monday he’s also been peeing on a spot where our neighbors dog once peed (but only when he’s home alone, he doesn’t show any sign of being in pain while peeing outside btw). the vet said the pee situation might be a behavior problem, he usually doesn’t pee inside but when he does it’s always in the same place.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 23rd, 2019

Hello. This may be a behavioral issue, but the only way to know definitively is to rule out all possible medical issues. Has Charlie had a urinalysis done? This would show the presence of bacteria, crystals or other possible abnormal cells in the urinary bladder. Then, steam clean the area where he pees or use a enzymatic cleaner labeled for pet urine. Hopefully, this will help the overall situation with Charlie. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 22nd, 2019

    If only Charlie could talk! It’s impossible to know if these two situations are related without some testing. Certainly they could be related if he has discomfort in his bladder from an infection or other pathology. If he feels bad enough, he may not have a great appetite. It is best to play it safe and have him checked out. I hope he starts feeling better quickly and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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