Wetting the bed

[LisaP]

Hi, last night our African Mastiff threw up what looked like water, she did it a few times, smaller amounts every time. She kept drooling and drinking water. Her BEAM was not normal. She was really lethargic and barely wanted to go for a walk. We only feed her once a day, so I can’t really comment on her appetite directly but she’s typically in the kitchen with me waiting for a vegetable to fall off of the counter, last night she wasn’t. We made sure she went outside to urinate before we all went to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night to find that she had wet the bed. This is actually the second time this week that it has happened and it happened a few weeks ago. It doesn’t seem to wake her up at all. We haven’t had any issues with her urinating in the house before this. All three times that it happened, she was sleeping. Could she have a UTI? I don’t notice her going out to urinate and then not urinating. I’m at a loss as to what might be causing this.

Appreciate any thoughts on the situation.
Thank you

 

[Dr. Sara]

Hi, Lisa!
It is possible that the bed wetting is related to her nausea and increased thirst. She may have had more to drink than usual, then had trouble holding the urine over night.
How old is your girl, and is she spayed? Older spayed bitches, especially bigger ones, lose tone in their urethral muscles that stop the flow of urine. There is a natural muscle tension (as in people) that prevents leaking when asleep. If the bladder is excessively full, this tension can be insufficient to hold back the urine, especially in older spayed girls. Even intact girls as they age (and women) have a tendency to have decreased urethral muscle tone and may leak.
I would have a urine sample checked to be certain that all looks normal there, as urinating in bed can occur from poor muscle tone, or excessive urine from kidney disease or diabetes.
The unexplained nausea could indicate a bloat episode. Is this better this morning? How is her BEAM? Large and giant breeds should eat twice a day to decrease the weight of the food in the stomach. Heavy meals over time stretch the gastric ligament, which holds the stomach in its normal position. Then the stomach is more likely to rotate (torsion) if excess gas builds up in the stomach (bloat). Bloat signs include nausea, vomiting, and depression, and bloat. Gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV) is the medical term for bloat and torsion, and it is a significant problem in all the large and giant breeds. It can be a serious medical emergency.

 

[LisaP]

Thank you so much for your response Dr. Sara. She is only three years old and she is spayed. I will try to get a urine sample from her so we can get it tested.

She did seem much better this morning. She was back to being her normal self, full of energy, excited to eat breakfast, not drooling. I would say her BEAM is back to what it was before. I didn't realize that it would be better for them to eat twice a day. When we switched our dogs to fresh/raw diet, I thought it would be better for them to eat once a day so that they would have enough time to digest their food. Thank you for explaining why its better twice a day.

Thank you for taking the time to get back to me.
Lisa

 

[LisaP]

Hello, I just wanted to post an update. Naya has stopped throwing up and drooling as much as she had been, but the urinating hasn't stopped. It seems that she is urinating much more than usual. This afternoon, I let her outside for a few minutes, she peed and came back into the house. Maybe about 30 minutes to an hour later, she urinated on the carpet in the living room. I didn't see her drinking excessively today so I'm not sure what the problem is. Any thoughts? Should I try to get some blood work done?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Great news Lisa that Nala has stopped most of her vomiting.

Tomorrow am catch a mid-stream urine sample and bring that your vet for a urinalysis whether you bring Nala for bloodwork or not.

Any changes like preferring to be left alone, wanting to be outside, in sunny or cooler spots, etc? Other changes?

 

[LisaP]

Thanks Dr. Jeff. Interesting you should ask because she hasn't been wanting to stay outside. Yesterday, I made her stay outside with me. She is usually trying to find the sunny spot, but instead, she was looking for shade. I didn't think anything of it until you just asked me that.