Canine incontinence is not the same as peeing when excited, stressed or marking in the house--these behavioral issues require training, not medication. Incontinence in dogs is fairly common, and the correct medication will depend on the cause of the incontinence. Causes include hormonal imbalance, urinary tract infections, kidney disease, senility, spinal injuries and even cancer.
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Determine the Cause
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The first step in getting the correct medication for incontinence is to find the cause. Make an appointment with your veterinarian and, if possible, bring a clean urine sample with you to be checked for bacteria. Urinary tract and bladder infections are quite common. Hormonal imbalances can cause incontinence when lower estrogen levels cause a weak bladder sphincter.
Pay attention to increased thirst and excessive drinking and let your vet know. These may be signs of diabetes and kidney disease. Note that it is extremely important not to withhold water from a very thirsty dog, even if you think she's "had enough" to drink. A dog with kidney disease can be pushed into kidney failure if prevented from drinking.
Urinary Tract Infections.
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Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are easily diagnosed with a urine test. Antibiotics, most commonly cephalexin or amoxicillin, are prescribed for 10 days to three weeks.
Hormonal Incontinence
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Because their natural hormone production has been disrupted, spayed female dogs, and to a lesser extent neutered male dogs, are more prone to leaking or dribbling, often when asleep and relaxed. The most common medication for hormonal incontinence is Phenylpropanolamine (also called PPA or Proin). Estrogen (diethylstilbestrol or DES) in pill form may also be prescribed to both female and male dogs for hormonal incontinence. Testosterone is often prescribed for male dogs, especially if the vet suspects an enlarged prostate gland.
Kidney Problems
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A less frequent cause for incontinence is kidney disease or kidney and struvite stones. The vet will want to do a urine test to check for protein and blood in the urine, and will draw blood for a complete blood test. She may want to perform imaging tests like renal scintigraphy, or an ultrasound to check for kidney stones.
Kidney disease in dogs is very complex and there are many medications used, depending on the symptoms. Phosphate binders containing calcium (Alternagel, Amphojel or Basaljel), Calcitriol and Azodyl are common medications for kidney disease.
Spinal Injury and Neurological Incontinence
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Older dogs with arthritis in the spine, or dogs who have injuries to the lower spine, may be incontinent due to nerve damage. A steroid injection (often prednisone) can relax the muscles and decrease swelling that is pinching nerves and causing the dog to leak urine. Phenoxybenzamine hydrochloride improves the muscle tone of the internal urethral sphincter.
Old Age Incontinence
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Sometimes otherwise healthy senior dogs will become incontinent. Quite often this is nothing more than mild cognitive dysfunction--the dog literally forgets she has to pee outside. L-deprenyl (also called selegiline) is available under the trade name Anipryl, and alleviates many senility symptoms, including incontinence.
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