Urinary incontinence is the inability to control urination. While urinary incontinence is seen mostly in senior dogs, it can affect any type of dog regardless of age, breed or gender.
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Considerations
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Incontinence in dogs is often confused with inappropriate urination due to behavioral problems. It is therefore important to identify any medical problem that may be causing the dog to urinate where its not supposed to.
Causes
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The most common medical causes of incontinence in dogs are loss of urethral muscle tone (seen mostly in middle-aged spayed dogs), hormonal changes in spayed and neutered dogs, urinary tract infections, bladder stones, congenital birth defects, tumors and conditions that may cause excessive water intake such as diabetes, Cushing's disease and kidney failure.
Symptoms
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Depending on the underlying cause, dogs may urinate abundantly, dribble a few drops of urine, have blood in the urine or have wet spots near the sleeping areas. There may also be various accompanying symptoms depending on the underlying cause.
Diagnosis
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A urinalysis performed by a veterinarian may reveal the presence of bacteria in the urine. Blood work may provide an insight on the dog's general health and the functioning of various organs, while X-rays may determine the presence of stones or cancer.
Treatment
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Treatment varies depending on the underlying cause. Senior dogs affected by hormonal incontinence are often prescribed a drug called phenylpropanolomine; dogs with a urinary tract infections are prescribed antibiotics; and stones in the bladder may be surgically removed.
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