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Urinary Incontinence 

When a dog is presented at the Vet because it is leaking urine (urinary incontinence) there is generally no quick solution to the problem due to the many reasons why it occurs. A full examination, detailed history and full analysis of the urine is often required. In this article we are only going to cover some of the causes.

• Incontinence in the middle-aged to older desexed female dog is a common reason for to be presented to the Vet. The two most common forms of incontinence we see in this group of patients are:

1. Hormone-responsive incontinence: - It is believed that oestrogens play a role in the maintenance of urethral tone. Therefore female dogs that are without normal levels of oestrogens ie desexed dogs can develop incontinence associated with sleeping and relaxing. This condition will often respond to some type of oestrogen replacement therapy. Supplementing the diet with phyto-oestrogen containing foods has been suggested. It is hard to recommend them as a sole treatment for the problem due to the lack of controlled trials and the relative "weakness" of phyto-oestrogens compared to the body's natural oestrogens. Occasionally desexed male dogs will develop incontinence after desexing although this is a fairly rare condition.

2. Bladder hyper-contractility means the bladder wall muscles are contracting more than they should when the bladder is in a relaxed, non-urinating state. This generally occurs in inflammation such that occurs in bacterial cystitis. This leads to what we call urge incontinence which is the inability to control urine loss due to an overwhelming urge to urinate. The inflammation gives the sensation of a full bladder which triggers the urination reflex. Treating the cause of the inflammation is the main way to control urge incontinence.

• Polyuria is another reason we see incontinence. Polyuria simply means increased urine production. Both of the above problems can be made worse if there is polyuria. This often needs to be ruled out as an underlying cause by urine tests. The reasons for polyuria are many - too many to discuss in this article. For more information on polyuria follow this link. Increased urine production in polyuria will place more demand on the mechanisms that keep urine in and incontinence may follow.

• Incontinence in puppies is common when they are excited or nervous. This is generally something they will grow out of. If they don't or if the incontinence is occurring all the time they may have been born with an abnormality of their urinary tract. In such a case a trip to the Vet will be required.

All the medications to treat the above problems are only able to be dispensed by your Vet after your dog has been examined. It is against the law to do otherwise. If you intend to have your dog examined to determine what is the cause of the incontinence, it is often a good idea to take a fresh (<2hrs old) urine sample with you when you visit the Vet. If incontinence is left too long complications such as infection can develop.

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