How long can Labradors hold their pee
How long can you hold in your pee?
An adult may be able to hold up to 400 milliliters of urine in their bladder. If a person feels the need to urinate, they should only hold in their pee for as long as it takes to reach a restroom.
Continually trying to hold in pee is not only uncomfortable, but it can also harm the bladder and other parts of the body. Anyone with concerns about their urinary health should talk to a doctor.
This article describes how much the bladder can hold, how often to empty it, and which health issues typically affect urination.
The bladder is the organ that receives urine from the kidneys via the ureters, which are thin, muscular tubes.
The bladder is muscular and expandable; it fills with urine as the kidneys continuously filter the liquid. When the bladder expands to a certain extent, fibers that detect stretch in the bladder send signals to the brain, indicating the need to pee.
Most of the time, the muscles of the bladder are in a relaxed state, allowing them to accommodate more urine.
When a person goes to urinate, their brain sends messages telling their bladder to contract. This contraction squeezes the urine, causing it to travel to the urethra and out of the body.
A persons bladder expands as they grow older. The following are some examples of bladder volume by age:
A common misconception is that bladder capacity changes as an adult grows older. This is not usually the case.
However, advancing age does cause some urinary changes,
- decreased sensation when the bladder is full or empty
- decreased ability of the bladder to contract
- increased amount of urine left in the bladder after peeing
The amount of time that a person can hold in their pee depends on several factors, such as how much they have had to drink.
If a person feels the need to urinate, they should only hold in their pee for as long as it takes to reach a restroom. When a person is awake, they should urinate about every
Typically, a person urinates about
Children should also not urinate fewer than 3 times per day, according to the Urology Care Foundation.
The frequency of peeing depends on how much the person is drinking and issues such as convenience. Typically, a person should pee about every
Certain bladder conditions can influence how often a person pees. These are not expected elements of aging.
Anyone with any urinary symptoms should consult a healthcare provider, especially if they may have one of the issues described below.
The following conditions can affect the frequency of urination:
Overactive bladder
A person with an overactive bladder feels sudden, strong urges to urinate and experiences bladder leakage if they do not reach a restroom quickly.
This condition can cause a person to go to the bathroom frequently throughout the day.
Treatment options include lifestyle changes, medications, Botox injections, and the implantation of nerve stimulators.
Urinary incontinence
Urinary incontinence occurs when a person loses control over the ability to hold in and release urine. An overactive bladder falls within this category.
A person may experience incontinence occasionally or all of the time.
Treatments include lifestyle changes, medications, medical devices, and surgery.
Urinary tract infections
It is
When a person needs to pee, continually holding it in can have several adverse effects.
These
- Increased risk of bladder dysfunction: Holding in urine can affect how the stretch nerves in the bladder communicate with the brain, and the brain may no longer recognize the messages as effectively.
- Increased risks of UTIs: Holding in urine can increase the number of bacteria in the bladder, increasing the likelihood of a UTI developing.
- Damage to urinary tract structures: Continually holding in urine can cause it to back up to the kidneys, damaging them and the bladder.
Although rare, it is also possible for a persons bladder to rupture due to urinary retention.
The increased pressure on the bladder can cause the rupture if there are any weak areas in the bladder wall.
If a person does not receive a diagnosis and treatment quickly, a bladder rupture can cause life threatening complications, including sepsis, which involves severe infection and kidney failure.
Typically, however, when a person holds in their urine for too long, the bladder muscles can stretch no further, and the person experiences incontinence.
An exception to this involves binge drinking, as alcohol affects the ability of the bladders nerves to recognize overstretching and empty itself.
As a result, binge drinking is a risk factor for bladder rupture, according to an entry in Urology Case Reports.
Learn more about the dangers of holding in urine here.
Children typically develop the muscles and nerve sensations to control their bladder throughout the night by age 7.
Various health issues can cause urgency or a range of other urinary symptoms during the day or night, regardless of age.
A person should seek medical attention if they experience any of the following:
- waking up several times over the course of the night to pee
- frequent UTIs
- the feeling that it is impossible or difficult to fully empty the bladder
- having to pee so frequently that it interrupts daily activities
- urinary incontinence, or leaking
Overall, if anything related to peeing is causing discomfort or interrupting daily life, it warrants a trip to the doctor.
Visiting a bathroom as soon as the need to urinate becomes noticeable can help maintain the health of the bladder, its nerves, and surrounding structures.
If a person experiences any issues related to needing to pee, emptying the bladder completely, or holding in urine, they should talk to a doctor.
Can Labradors Be Left Alone for More Than 8 Hours? How Long Is Okay?
How to Help Labradors Adjust to Being Alone
If Labradors are prone to issues like separation anxiety, does that mean that you should be around them at all times? Unfortunately, it may seem that your only solution is to enroll your Lab in a daycare or employ a full-time caretaker. Luckily, there are ways to help your Labrador feel more comfortable with alone time.
Understand the Dangers
It's vital to recognize the dangers of leaving your Labrador home alone for too long. On a psychological level, if they're not ready for long periods of separation, they can start acting out. However, too much time alone can result in physical ailments as well. For instance, dogs forced to hold in their bladder too long can develop a harmful urinary tract infection.
Therefore, when leaving a Labrador alone, I recommend finding ways to keep them occupied while you're gone. For instance, consider one of these options:
Stimulating Toys
Investing in a mentally stimulating toy is a great way to keep your Lab's separation anxiety at bay. I'm a huge proponent of the KONG Classic Dog Toy from Amazon.com because it's mentally stimulating and gets your dog occupied for extended periods.
TV and Music
Television shows and music are both great ways to ease your lonely dog's mind. For instance, leaving the TV on when you go out can help replicate the feeling of having other people or pets around. Furthermore, a recent study published in Physiology & Behavior revealed that kennelled dogs' heart rate significantly decreased while listening to soft rock and reggae music.
Dog Walking Service
Doggy daycare may be out of your price range. However, plenty of dog walking services, like Rover or Wag!, offer skilled walkers at affordable prices. This option is appropriate when you know you'll be gone longer than four hours. In turn, your Lab will have a chance to go to the bathroom and exercise while you're away.
How Long Can You Leave Your Labrador Alone?
So, Labradors can be left home alone as long as it's not for too long. While that's a relief, it also opens up more questions. For instance, how long can they stay home alone before it becomes detrimental to their health?
Labradors should be left alone for no more than 3-4 hours at a time. However, this period isn't consistent throughout their lives. Puppies under 3 months should only be alone for one hour per month of age. Senior Labs may require less time alone due to health complications.
The guidelines above correspond to a Labrador puppy's bladder control. Since they can only hold their bladder for about an hour per month of age, that's also about as long as they should be left alone.
However, as Labradors grow into adulthood, you can graduate them to the recommended four hours, as they become more task-oriented. They may be willing to stay alone for more extended periods out of a need to please their owner. Still, Labradors are too social to leave them for more than four hours alone.
Senior Labs require more of your time due to weak bladder control and the possibility of illness. They're a large breed, making them prone to joint ailments like hip and elbow dysplasia later in life, so they may need some assistance getting around without having an accident.
There's no federal law that determines how long you can leave a dog alone. Still, it may be worth studying your state animal cruelty laws, just in case. However, if you're here, you must care a lot about your Lab and wouldn't be willing to risk their health, regardless of legality.
How Long Can a Lab Go Without Going to the Bathroom?
There are plenty of factors that affect whether a Labrador can be left alone. For instance, potty training and bladder control is a significant consideration. So, how long can a Lab hold in bladder and bowel movements before it negatively affects them?
An adult Lab can go about six to eight hours without going to the bathroom. However, factors like age, activity level, diet, and other psychological conditions can change this number. Furthermore, Lab puppies have to go to the bathroom more often, which is why they cannot be alone for long periods.
As a rule, your adult Lab should be allowed outside at least three to five times per day to go to the bathroom. Furthermore, this amount increases for puppies and seniors who have less bladder control. Plus, the statistics above refer to all dog breeds on average. While it may be true that your Lab can hold their pee in for up to eight hours, that doesn't mean they should. I still recommend sticking to four hours maximum whenever possible.
If you cannot make it home in time to give your Lab a pee break, I recommend hiring a dog walker. Another option is the PetSafe Pet Loo from Amazon.com, a portable doggy toilet that looks just like your own yard.
How Many Hours Do Labs Sleep?
On the other hand, one advantage in your corner is the hours of time dogs sleep during the day. While you cannot control when your dog sleeps during the day, you can find ways to make them sleepy before you leave the house. So, how many hours can you expect your lab to doze off?
Labs sleep between 10-11 hours per day. This number can increase to nearly 14 hours a day for puppies. However, dogs are polyphasic sleepers, which means that they rest on and off throughout the day, so you cannot expect your Lab to stay asleep for the entirety of your time away from home.
Establishing a sleep schedule that encourages your Lab to doze before you go out is an effective way to ease any anxieties while you're away. So, how can you accomplish this?
I recommend taking time to play with them before you leave the house. After all, they thrive with regular exercise. I suggest about 80 minutes per day for adult Labs. However, your Lab may be satisfied with more or less regular exercise, depending on their energy level and personality.
If you take the time to exercise your pet before you go out, they'll tucker out and feel more inclined to take a nap.
Final Thoughts
While Labradors can be left alone, they shouldn't be alone for too long. A maximum period of four hours is ideal. Otherwise, they may become vulnerable to mental and physical health problems.
Learning about your Lab's bathroom and sleep habits will help you better prepare to leave them alone. Furthermore, I recommend trying different tricks to keep them occupied while you're away. These considerations will help improve your Lab's independence.
