Once you bring a dog into your home, you are responsible for her health and well being. When you are making the decision about when to bring her to your veterinarian and have her spayed, ask about all the benefits and risks associated with the procedure, including the risk of spay incontinence.
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Dog Spaying
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When your female dog is spayed, she is rendered incapable of breeding. Your dog will be sedated for the surgery. During the spay procedure, also known as an ovariohysterectomy, a veterinary surgeon removes her uterus, fallopian tube and ovaries. Dogs as young as eight weeks of age can be spayed. Most veterinarians recommend spaying your dog before the age of six months to reduce the risk of pregnancy and an unwanted litter of puppies.
Spay Incontinence
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Spay incontinence, or estrogen-responsive incontinence, develops in about 5 to 20 percent of female dogs after they are spayed. Your dog could experience it months or years after undergoing the procedure. In this form of incontinence, your dog's body reacts to a lack of the hormone estrogen with poor urinary sphincter control. It is more common in dogs that are overweight and dogs spayed before the age of three months.
Symptoms
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A female dog with spay incontinence will be able to urinate normally. She can be housetrained just fine. When she lays down to rest, her lack of urinary sphincter control will lead to her occasionally leaking small amount of urine. It will not happen every time she lies down. Blood tests, urine tests and physical exams will all come back normal for a dog with spay incontinence, according to Washington State University.
Treatment
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Once spay incontinence has been diagnosed in your dog, you can easily treat and control it, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Your veterinarian can give you a prescription for estrogen supplements for your dog. The estrogen will improve bladder tone and sphincter control and stop your dog from leaking urine while she is lying down.
Considerations
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You should discuss the risks and benefits of spaying your dog with your veterinarian. While your dog could develop spay incontinence, the procedure can protect her from other health problems beyond unwanted pregnancies. Dogs that have been spayed are less likely to develop breast, uterine or ovarian cancer. They are at decreased risk of experiencing serious infections like pyometra, too.
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