The Symptoms of Spaying and Incontinence

Spayed cats and dogs sometimes experience urinary incontinence. This symptom can occur at various lengths of time after surgery. It may start right after surgery or much later after your pet has fully healed. According to the Dog Health Guide, this symptom is referred to as "hormone-responsive incontinence" or "urethral sphincter incompetence" and occurs commonly in spayed female pets and sometimes neutered male pets. Other symptoms from spaying may occur that do not include incontinence.

  1. Symptoms

    • Urination occurs when your pet is resting.

      Incontinence occurs in both spayed animals and neutered animals and the symptoms are more prominent when your pet is at rest. Urination will occur when your pet is not in the standard position for urinating. Leakage or a puddle of urine may form when your pet is lying down in a resting position or can occur when your pet rises from a resting position. Your pet will not be knowledgeable of the incontinence and will otherwise appear healthy and active. Other post spay symptoms include: swelling of the surgery incision site accompanied by bleeding and fever, lethargy lasting more than 48 hours, difficulty eating or drinking after 24 hours, and mobility dysfunctions.

    Cause

    • Your pet will not realize it has a problem.

      Urethral sphincter incompetence is a condition in which the muscle tone circling the urethra has become slack and does not constrict to stop the passage of urine. Hormone-responsive incontinence is another form of urethral sphincter incompetence. This type of incontinence is caused by the hormone oestradiol when its levels become lower than average, and it stimulates the surrounding urogenital tissues so that they do not constrict as efficiently as before. Both commonly occur in spayed animals and sometimes neutered pets.

    Considerations

    • It is crucial to seek a proper diagnosis from your veterinarian before giving any form of treatment to your pet. Your vet will prescribe hormonal supplements if your pet suffers from hormone-responsive incontinence. Estrogen therapy can help your pet regain muscle control and urinate voluntarily again. Other forms of treatment include homeopathic remedies that have less side effects compared to hormonal supplements. Hormonal supplements can have the following side effects:hypertension, restlessness, and decrease in bone marrow. If your pet is experiencing other symptoms other than incontinence after surgery consult with your veterinarian immediately.