Incontinence in Dogs
MetPet.com Staff Writer
Incontinence is the inability of your dog
to control urination due to a physical problem. This is not the same
as submissive urination which is a social signal. It is also not a
behavioral issue. Incontinent dogs appear
unaware that they are losing urine. They may stand up and you find they have been
lying in a puddle. Their tails and back legs may be wet, you may find a trail of
urine on the floor or their beds may be soaked.
Incontinence can be a result
of old age which can cause a loss of bladder control. Other causes can include:
hormone imbalance particularly in spayed females but also in other dogs, spinal injury
resulting in nerve damage, urinary tract infections and physical displacement of the
bladder upwards toward the pelvic bone.
Minor problems, especially those that
occur overnight, can be helped by limiting your dog's water intake before bed.
Stop giving him water a couple of hours beforehand, make sure he gets a walk to
eliminate right before bed and take him out first thing in the morning.
Placing your dog on a rigid schedule of eating, drinking and walking can improve
regularity and prevent accidents.
In more stubborn cases, your veterinarian
can diagnose and suggest treatment depending on the problem. These can
include hormone (estrogen or testosterone) therapy, antibiotics to treat
infections, medications to improve sphincter control or, in rare cases,
corrective surgery.
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