About Dog Incontinence

Dog incontinence is fairly common, and can happen to any dog, regardless of age or sex.

If your pet is incontinent it means that she is unable to control her bladder and/or bowels. Most of the time it's her urine that she'll have difficulty with, it's pretty rare for bowel movements to be a problem. 

Sometimes her loss of control will be a one-off episode, other times it's a chronic problem, but it is always uncomfortable and messy, and often worrying too.

Before you can decide on the best way to help your dog, you need to know why she/he is having trouble in the first place.

Although female dogs are more likely to have this issue, male dogs can too. Older dogs are also higher-risk for incontinence issues, but it can happen with puppies and dogs of all ages.

There are several different reasons why a dog can have difficulty controlling their urinary function.

Here are the most common ones (click on links to jump to relevant section):

• Urinary Tract Infection
  
• Spay surgery 
  
• Defects in the urinary tract 
  
• Neurological problems & Seizures
  
• Diseases and other health conditions 
  
• Stress or severe anxiety
  
• Old age

Often a UTI (also known as as a bladder infection or  Cystitis) can occur when a pup's (or dog's) immune system is weakened, either by stress or illness.

This may be one of the reasons it's common in young puppies who have just left their momma and littermates, are also getting vaccinations, and are stressed by change.

A female pup gets much lower to the ground when peeing than a male pup usually does (making it easier for her urinary system to exposed to bacteria), plus her urethra is shorter than that of a male which means bacteria can travel to her bladder quickly.

Other conditions can cause recurring infections, these include bladder stones, an incorrect acid/alkali balance in the bladder, or a defect in the ureter or vulva. Diabetes or Cushing's Disease can also cause incontinence in dogs.

Or conditions such as tumors, bladder stones, prostate disease and more.

Occasionally a urinary stone or tumor blocks which has caused problems will suddenly completely block the ureter and your dog won't be able to pee at all. 

This is a veterinary emergency as if it's not treated quickly your pet could die.

Symptoms of a UTI don't usually involve a flood or urine.

Your pup/dog is likely to have an urgent need to pee MUCH more often than normal, and sometimes she may only be able to squeeze out a drop or two.

Her urine may be cloudy or bloody and/or have a strong odor, and there's often a lot of licking at her privates and possibly some discharge.

To learn more about bladder infections in dogs (including symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options) CLICK HERE

Hormone responsive incontinence in dogs often appears as a loss of control during sleep, which ends in Fifi wetting her bed.

But it could show as an inability to hold her pee for long, or as a constant/intermittent dribble of urine.

Some breeds are at higher risk of developing this problem than others. These include German Shepherds, Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, Old English Sheepdogs, Rottweilers, Weimeraners, Irish Setters and some Spaniels.

Also larger breeds are more prone to this problem, as are dogs who have their tails docked as puppies

* This can sometimes (but not often) happen in neutered male dogs too.

Find out how to treat a spay-related incontinence - CLICK HERE

Physical malformations of any part of the urinary tract will usually mean that things don't work quite the way they should.

The most common defect in female dogs is a birth defect called an 'Ectopic Ureter'. 

The ureter is a tiny tube down which urine flows from the kidneys to the bladder. 

When a pup has an ectopic ureter, the tube bypasses the bladder and carries urine directly to the urethra (or sometimes to the vagina) instead, so there's no 'holding cell' as it were and the urine comes flows out unimpeded.

Ectopic Ureter is a hereditary condition and some breeds are more prone to it that others.

These include Labrador Retrievers, Siberian Huskies, Welsh Corgis, Collies, West Highland Terriers, Wire-haired Fox Terriers and Miniature Poodles.

Symptoms can include an almost continuous dribble of urine, or flooding/bed-wetting. Irritation and inflammation around the vulva is often seen too.

Learn how to treat urine leakage due to an Ectopic Ureter and more CLICK HERE

Brain tumors or brain injury or disease can do the same thing.

Basically the disease or damage interferes with the signals sent by the brain and incontinence can be one of the resulting problems.

If your dog has a seizure he'll lose control of his muscles and nervous system. This includes his bladder and bowels. 

When not in the grips of a seizure, your dog's bladder control will be normal.

Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (aka 'Doggy Alzheimers') can sometimes cause an old dog to 'forget' their house-training skills or simply how to control their bodily functions.

To learn more about treating incontinence cause by neurological issues CLICK HERE

Sometimes a dog's leaky bladder is a symptom of another underlying condition.

These could include diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, Addison's disease and Cushing's disease.

Symptoms will vary depending on what's causing the problem. 

In that situation you need to treat the main disease or problem which should then relieve the symptoms, including incontinence.

Most diseases and problems affect both male and female dogs pretty equally.

Some medications (such as sedatives) can cause temporary incontinence, as can the lingering effects of anesthetic or strong pain-killers post-surgery.

To find out more about this CLICK HERE

It's most often seen in puppies who are very gentle, or anxious. Affects males and females but tends to be seen slightly more often in females.

Separation anxiety is another emotional cause for loss of bladder control, often bowel control as well. 

If your puppy or dog gets so anxious when you leave him that he becomes hysterical he may pee and/or poop uncontrollably.

This is not a gender-specific problem, boys are as likely to suffer as girls.

Read more HERE