Spaying offers both medical and behavioral benefits to your dog. There are some risks to having your dog spayed, including the chance that she could develop spay incontinence after the procedure.
-
Spaying
-
When your female dog is spayed, the veterinarian removes her uterus, ovaries and fallopian tubes so she will be unable to breed. Most dogs are spayed between the ages of six and nine months.
Spay Incontinence
-
Spay incontinence occurs when, in response to hormones, your dog leaks urine. It can develop months or years after your dog is spayed, says Washington State University.
Symptoms
-
In spay incontinence, your dog will urinate normally, but she will also sometimes leak urine when she is resting because of poor sphincter control.
Significance
-
According to the ASPCA, spay incontinence develops in five to twenty percent of dogs who are spayed. It is more common in overweight dogs and dogs that were spayed under the age of three months.
Treatment
-
Spay incontinence in dogs usually responds well to medical treatment. Your veterinarian can prescribe hormone therapy that can help.
-