Why do dogs lick pee

Is licking private parts ever acceptable?

In the dog world, a moderate degree of licking is part of normal grooming behavior. For example, a male or female dog may lick the genital area after urinating as a means of cleaning the area. When this is the case, licking is only related to elimination and is not persistent. Just a quick swipe of the area takes care of business.

It is not as common for dogs to lick the anal area after eliminating; however, if the stool is sticky or watery, the dog may feel the need to tidy up a bit. Normal, firm bowel movements are not usually followed by licking.

When is licking private parts considered a problem?

Frequent or sustained licking of the urogenital (urinary and genital) area may indicate that a medical problem exists. Alert your veterinarian if you see any of the following signs:

• swollen or red penis, vulva, or anus
• presence of pustules (pimples) or red bumps on the skin
• discoloration of the skin (black or rust colored)
• straining to urinate
• increased frequency of urination
• scooting or rubbing the rectal area on the ground
• presence of a foul odor between eliminations
• discharge from penis or vulva

What causes these signs associated with licking?

There are several medical reasons that prompt a dog to persistently lick the genital or anal regions. Here are some of the more common problems:

Urinary Tract Infection or Bladder Stones/Crystals. Dogs with a bladder infection or stone/crystal material may lick the penis or vulva for an extended period after urinating or may lick between eliminations. They may urinate more frequently and may strain to urinate. Often, they feel an urgency to urinate and produce very little urine. Bladder infections are fairly common and are caused by bacteria that usually respond to treatment with antibiotics. Multiple oral antibiotics are readily available, in both pill and liquid forms and quite effective in resolving bladder Injectable antibiotics are typically reserved for in hospital treatment. A long-term drug called cefovecin (brand name Covenia®) may be useful but is not a preferred first line treatment. The addition of supplements or special diets (such as Hill's® Prescription Diet® c/d®, Royal Canin® Urinary SO™, or Purina® Pro Plan® Veterinary Diets Urinary St/Ox™) to the treatment regimen may alter the environment in the bladder and help prevent repeated infections. If the upper urinary tract or kidneys are infected, the treatment may be prolonged for 4-6 weeks on average. Laboratory tests including urinalysis, urine culture, and blood tests will help determine the best course and length of therapy.

Allergies. Environmental or food allergies can both cause itching in the genital area. When food allergy is the culprit the itching occurs all year long while environmental allergies may be seasonal depending on what plants or trees are pollinating, unless the inciting allergen is indoors. Avoiding the allergen will decrease licking. For example, dogs with environmental allergies should be walked in the early morning and late evening when the dew on the ground reduces pollen in the air. After going outside, your dog’s feet, belly, and any other area that contacts the ground should be cleaned with a damp towel or baby wipe to remove some of the pollen attached to the hair. Your dog may not be completely free of pollen, but the amount will be reduced minimizing exposure. Food allergies are triggered when the dog is sensitized to proteins (typically chicken, beef, or pork) or other molecules in the food. These allergies are controlled by feeding the dog a hypo-allergenic diet with unique novel proteins (such as lamb, salmon, kangaroo, rabbit, etc.), or hydrolyzed or man-made proteins to which the dog has not been exposed. Both food and environmental allergies may require medical therapy as well as avoidance therapy. Immune modulating medications including hyposensitization injections (allergy desensitization), cyclosporine (brand name Atopica®), lokivetmab (brand name Cytopoint®), or oclactinib (brand name Apoquel®), and topical treatments are available that provide safe, effective, long-term allergy relief without the side effects of steroids. Steroids (usually prednisone or combinations with an antihistamine, such as Temaril-P®, Vanectyl-P®) can be effective but are often reserved for severe cases or as a last resort. Over the counter antihistamines have variable effectiveness with dogs and may be used on the advice of your veterinarian, though caution must be used to avoid any of these containing cold/flu medications.

Skin Infection. The presence of bacteria and yeast on the skin is normal; however, if either appears in excess, or if the skin barrier is unhealthy, or if the dog is immunocompromised, an infection can occur. Bacterial or yeast infections of the skin can be very itchy and result in constant licking of the affected area. The presence of pustules or red bumps usually indicates a bacterial infection and warrants antibiotic therapy. A musty odor or reddish-black discoloration of the skin may indicate a yeast infection that requires an additional therapy. Both bacterial and yeast infections usually respond better when topical therapy in the form of medicated shampoos or wipes are added to the oral treatment regimen.

Anal Gland Impaction. Dogs have two anal glands, remnants of scent glands, located near the rectum. These glands fill with smelly fluid and empty themselves when pressure is applied by the rectal muscles during a bowel movement. When working normally, pets and their owners do not even realize that anal glands are there; however, when anal glands become over-filled, they become readily apparent. Impacted glands emit a noxious odor and the anal area may become swollen and irritated. In response to the irritation, the dog may lick the rectal region or scoot and rub the anus on the ground. Manually evacuating the distended anal glands usually resolves the problem, so call your veterinarian for an appointment. If ignored, an impaction may occur as the fluid becomes so thick that it does not flow through the narrow opening to the rectum. Impaction often leads to infection. Severe infections may lead to the formation of an abscess that ruptures through the skin to the outside area around the anus. These infections require treatment with antibiotics (common choices include amoxicillin, cephalexin, or fluoroquinolones) and oral, topical, or injectable forms may be used. Pain medication and warm water soaks may alleviate the discomfort. Repeated infections may require surgical removal of the glands.

 If your dog licks more than he should, see your veterinarian for help. Appropriate medical therapy can reduce your dog’s discomfort.

Why does my dog lick other dogs’ urine? The vomeronasal organ, also known as Jacobson’s organ, is responsible for this odd dog behavior of licking other dogs’ urine. Your dog is using their sense of smell to learn more from that pee than we’ll ever learn from a handshake. 

You may have noticed that when your dog licks urine from other dogs, they do something else almost as strange. Many dogs will tilt their snout up and press their tongue against the roof of their mouth. Some have the Flehmen Reaction instead. They freeze in place with their tongue curled up. Either way, it appears as though they’re savoring the flavor. I’m not speculating on that part. Dogs may enjoy the taste, as well. There’s no way to know.

What scientists think is going on is more like reading someone’s permanent record and stalking their social media profiles. The difference is that not everyone speaks this language (thank goodness!). When your dog presses a strange pups piddle against the roof of his or her mouth, it’s getting the fluid nearer to the vomer bone. Hence, it’s also more accessible to the vomeronasal organ.

As bizarre as it is for those of us who are nasally challenged and lack the specialized olfactory organs of a dog, doing this tongue press lets your pup use its superpowerful sense of smell to decode all the information inside. The Jacobsen’s organ works like a rosetta stone and tells the dog everything they need to know about the dog who left the pee there.

Things to Keep in Mind When Your Dog Licks Other Dogs’ Urine:

1. Licking other dogs’ urine is normal for them.
2. Pee won’t make them sick. As long as you vaccinate, there’s little reason to worry about their health.
3. Don’t scold your dog for licking piddle puddles.
4. Your dog is learning, even if you find it a bit gross.
5. Maybe you should avoid the doggy kisses for a bit and offer them some water.

Can Licking Other Dogs’ Pee Hurt My Pet

Most of the time, there’s nothing wrong with your dog licking other dogs pee. It may weird you out, but it’s deeply ingrained in their social culture and doggy genetics. However, when I say ‘most of the time,’ that means there’s an exception to this rule. Fortunately, I only found one notable exception.

Leptospirosis is an infection caused by spirochetes, which are ‘bad’ bacteria. Your dog could get Lepto from drinking other dog’s pee. Notably, it’s just as likely that they could get it from taking a drink of some stagnant water.

Pet owners change their canine companions’ water frequently at home. For those who want to take this a step further and make sure the water isn’t stagnant, I suggest the PetSafe Drinkwell Dog Water Fountain. It keeps the water in motion, which will help avoid bacterial build-up and prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs in your pup’s water in summer. Click here for prices and availability. 

Regardless of how your pup gets Leptospirosis, there’s good news. It’s curable with the use of antibiotics like doxycycline. You’d have to ask your vet to get a proper diagnosis and prescription antibiotic.

Symptoms of Leptospirosis in Dogs:

• Depression- When your dog is mopey and lacks any interest in doing things they’d usually enjoy, you should be worried even if they don’t have Leptospirosis.
• Fever- Higher than average body temp can be a sign of numerous problems. Leptospirosis is just one of them. See your vet if your dog has a fever.
• Lethargy- A total lack of energy is common when your dog is sick or older. However, combined with other symptoms, it’s absolutely something to be concerned about.
• Redness of the Mucous Membranes- The inside lining of the eyes, nose, and mouth, among other areas, are all mucous membranes. When these tissues appear redder than usual, it’s a hint that there’s trouble somewhere inside your dog. Especially when combined with the other symptoms on this list, it may be an indication that your pup drank some bad pee.
• Vomiting- Anytime your dog is barfing, you should be paying close attention. Canines have incredibly strong stomachs. Dogs may eat grass to induce vomiting. Doing this may be familiar, but that doesn’t make it a good sign.

In extreme cases, if left untreated, Leptospirosis can inflame your dog’s kidneys. If the inflammation is severe or long-lasting, it can cause permanent damage. Young, old, and otherwise ill dogs who have compromised immune systems are the most at risk. However, Leptospirosis can happen to an otherwise healthy dog too.

I always encourage pet-parents to stay calm. Should you suspect there’s a problem like Leptospirosis, get medical help for your pup.

What’s In This Stuff

Licking other dog’s pee is a learning experience because urine is more complicated than you might think. Dog urine is made up of a potent combo of hormones, ammonia, uric acid, and bacteria. Before you freak out about the ‘bacteria’ part of that, there’s nothing to worry about. Most urinary bacteria are perfectly healthy. Dogs, like people, require beneficial bacteria to survive.

The ammonia and uric acid probably don’t do your pup’s sensitive nose any favors, but the hormones and bacteria tell stories that they can really get into. Canine olfactory prowess is so incredible that they can understand the gender of another dog just from their pee. Beyond that, male or female, your dog can determine whether a female dog is in heat.

Likely, they can also tell, from the bacteria, whether or not another dog is sick or has an infection. Luckily the acid in a pup’s stomach will kill off most anything that’s dangerous.

For dog owners who don’t appreciate the urine drinking habits of their furry best friend, I have an easy solution. Pick up Hill’s Science Diet Adult Oral Care Dog Food to clean their teeth and freshen up that dog-pee breath. You’ll still know they did it, but at least it won’t smell like ammonia when your pet ‘kisses’ you. Get details by clicking here. 

Male Vs. Female Dogs Drinking Pee

Dog lovers who have had more than a few pups in their life may have noticed that some dogs, especially males, react more strongly to licking up other dogs’ pee. Sometimes it’s because a male dog senses a female is in heat, which can cause drooling and other odd behavior like leg humping in some cases.

Female dogs seem to react less, but the exact reason hasn’t been studied very well. This likely has to do with doggy reproductive urges. Simply put, girl dogs genes don’t tell them to behave the same if they find a competitor or a virile boy dog.

What if My Dog Drinks His/Her Own Pee?

Though drinking other dog’s pee is normal and healthy behavior, a dog who is drinking their own pee may be unwell. There are four main reasons dogs drink urine they made. None of them are good signs, but some are more worrisome than others.

Reasons a Dog Might Drink Their Own Pee

• First, dehydration can cause your dog to go into canine survival mode. Drinking their own pee slakes their thirst. Dogs are, after all, opportunistic omnivores who can and will eat almost anything. Why would their drinking habits be less ubiquitous? It’s probably not as good as filtered water, but given the sensitivity of their noses, tap water might not smell worse to them. We do treat it with bleach, after all.
• Second and similarly, it could be a sign of a Urinary Tract Infection. Having a UTI may make your pooch feel more thirsty than usual. While it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re dehydrated, feeling that way makes dogs react the same as when they’re running low on water in their bodies.
• Third, training and shame might be the culprit. If your pup had an accident, and they know it will make you, their alpha, angry, they might clean up. Sure, it’s gross, but they may feel it’s better than getting in trouble.
• Fourth and finally, puppies and untrained dogs are more likely to drink their own urine. Why do they do this? I don’t know, and I didn’t find a satisfactory answer except for the ones I’ve already given.

Don’t Get Angry if Your Dog Licks Urine

One of the most important things to keep in mind if your dog is licking other dog’s urine is to stay calm. Surely we prefer that they don’t do it. There’s a small chance they could get sick, and as humans, we typically don’t want strange-dog pee kisses or drool getting on us.

Regardless of how you feel about seeing your pet behave this way, it’s normal. Canine instincts, older than their relationship with humans, which has lasted thousands of years, are telling them to have a taste. You can gently and firmly guide them away, and train them with treats to stop, but don’t scold your pet for being a dog. It won’t ‘fix’ anything, plus it makes them feel bad.

Final Thoughts

Of all the bizarre doggy things to do, drinking one another’s pee is the one that baffled me the most. After years of seeing their behavior, I was sure the ammonia and uric acid should bother their delicate noses more. However, it’s all part of a sophisticated learning tool in their powerful noses.

Your dog’s nose is a translation device. It tells them about the world through the use of their Jacobson’s Organ. It’s no wonder dog social culture involves sniffing each other. Rather than being disturbed by what our limited sense of smell can detect, they ‘see’ outside our spectrum, enjoying the full bouquet of pheromones and more.

Even knowing how important it is to a dog, the pee licking will probably always make the average human stomach turn. Perhaps someday we’ll invent a machine like heat vision goggles for the nose that gives us more of the picture as they see it.