Why is my dog suddenly waking up at night to go potty outside?

Question

My almost 3 year old Cattledog mix has started waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. She has slept through the night since she was a puppy, but the last few weeks, at least 4 or 5 times a week, she now asks to go outside around 2:30am - sometimes just to urinate, other times to poop. She's eating about the same time as she always has, eating the same food, the same amount. Is this a behavioral thing and how do we get her back to sleeping through the night? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 2 years and 10 months old | 36 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

Hello and thank you for your questions about Nashville. If only she could talk! The first thing to do is eliminate a medical cause. Have her stool and urine checked for any signs of infections or parasites. Once a medical cause is ruled out you can work on behavior. Take her for a walk just before bed or at least make sure that she has a good urination just before bed. It's also important to make sure her bowel movements are normal and regular. If she does not appear to be having her normal amounts of bowel movements at the normal time, she may need an evening walk to help that happen. Feeding a low residue diet like Royal Canin can help to body to produce less stool and it also has a nice fiber blend which will help to maintain regularity to the pooping schedule. Some pets may also need additional fiber in the form of canned pumpkin but if you are feeding a very good diet with nice fiber in the diet, you generally don't have to. Here's some additional information: https://www.petcoach.co/article/health-benefits-of-pumpkin-for-pets/ Also, if the stool is soft or loose, this could indicate her stomach is upset and she is having increased motility in the intestines which will change the pattern of elimination. Any diets or supplements that you try will take at least a 2 weeks to take full effect though hopefully you will see positive signs earlier. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Why is my dog suddenly waking up at night to go potty outside?

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