6 month Cocker excessive peeing

Question
QUESTION: Hi,

I've got couple of questions which I am hoping to get some answers for, please.
I have got a 6 month old English Cocker Spaniel he is a lovely, lovable and very playful dog, though I am getting a bit frustrated with his excessive peeing. Reading various postings in forums, I gather by a rule of a thumb he is supposed to hold it up to 6-7 hours at his age, but in my practice, it turns out to be different!
I am working full time, but always come home for lunch around 1 pm to take him for a walk. He managers to hold it through the night most of the time and from around 2pm until about 6-7pm, but every time I come home for lunch I am welcomed with a puddle. I normally feed him around 8.30 and leave for work around 8.55, could the feeding pattern be the problem? Also, when he gets excited I can see little dripping trails beind him. He is almost fully potty trained (as much as I can do so working full time), he always lets me know when he wants to go outside, though I feel that sometimes he wants to do it too often.
Is it normal for a 6 month old Cocker or should I look into some bacterial infection problems?

PS I started to feed him on Purina Puppy/Junior Chicken & Rice kibbles dry food and after some time he started having runny stool, in the end I came to conclusion that it was to do with his food, I switched him to a can food ( Butcher's natural choice with rice) which seems to have resolved the issue, I have also tried Pedigree and other Butcher's selections of meat chunks in jelly, but his stomach seems to only accept the one with rice in it that looks more like corned beef than chunks. He is a very fast eater, perhaps he is not chewing it properly or something?!Can I feed my puppy adult can food at this stage or maybe this is making him urinate more? If so, which dry food would you recommend for sensitive stomachs, please?

ANSWER: Your pup undoubtedly has a urinary tract infection.  Very common.
Vet will get a urine sample and analyze it.  You can "catch" a first morning urine sample yourself and just take it in.  Make sure it's in a sterile container and you catch it "mid-stream".  Take it directly in or refrigerate until you can.  A round of antibiotics will fix it quickly.  This absolutely needs to be ruled out.

However, the "excitement piddling" is quite normal for his age.
He can't help it so just clean it up.  It will pass.

You're feeding really inferior food.  And he should be being fed 3x a day.

Premium foods:
Orijen - Innova - Merrick - Wellness - Newman's Organics - California Natural - Solid Gold - Evanger's - Fromm - Natural Balance.

Go to Naturapet.com and find out what store in your area carries Innova because they'll also carry all or most of the other foods.

For loose stool you can add 1 tbsp. of canned pumpkin - NOT pie filling - 100% pumpkin (in canned fruit section of supermarket).

If he's eating too fast, feed him in stages. I don't recommend an all kibble diet.
Delores

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Delores,

Thank you for you reply. A bit upsetting really. what makes you think my puppy has a UTI (not that I am doubting your expertise, just want to know what I need to look into closely in the future).

You recommended Innova, would you recommend try or canned food, and can I get in the UK?

What should I be looking for in puppy's food?

Thanks,

I.

Answer
If you're in the UK then I'd recommend James WellBeloved food.  I don't know if they make a canned food.

Anytime a dog this age is excessively urinating, a urinary tract infection is the first suspect.  Don't worry - it's not serious and it's very common.  But do get his urine tested.

If you find a store that sells the James WB food, they'll have other premium food.  No food you buy at a supermarket could remotely be considered good.

I do strongly recommend not using kibble as the total diet for a cocker.  Even the good stuff is very high in carbs just due to how kibble is made.
Delores