Urinary Incontinence in Dogs

Help!  My Dog Is Peeing on the Floor!

            Pets having accidents in the house is a source of frustration for both pet owners and veterinarians alike.  No one likes to clean up a mess in the house.  Dogs may urinate in the house for a variety of reasons, but there are a few specific conditions that can cause what is known as urinary incontinence.  Depending on the underlying cause, there are ways to treat urinary incontinence.  True incontinence differs from other types of inappropriate urination in that the dog is not aware that he or she is leaking urine and the dog has no control over the event.  It is an involuntary action.  Problems that may mimic incontinence are lack of proper housetraining, cognitive dysfunction in older dogs and submissive urination.

            So, what causes true urinary incontinence?  Some pets will have accidents or become temporarily incontinent if they have a bladder infection.  This is one of the most common reasons, and it is fairly easy to diagnose with a urine sample.  The urine is checked for blood, protein and other changes and most bladder infections respond quickly to antibiotics.  Kidney infections can be a little more serious and may need to be treated for a much longer period of time, but most pets recover from kidney infection as well.  Once the infection is under control, the bladder no longer leaks urine. 

One of the most common causes of incontinence occurs in older spayed female dogs.  These dogs may develop a weak bladder sphincter due to aging and loss of estrogen and, as a result, may leak urine while relaxed or sleeping.  Sometime younger spayed dogs have this problem as well.  There is a medication that can be used to treat sphincter incompetence that works for most dogs.  Rare cases may require surgery or injections of collagen to try to tighten the bladder sphincter. 

Increased water drinking as seen in conditions like diabetes mellitus, Cushing’s disease, or kidney disease may also cause increased urination or leaking urine.  Finally, spinal cord injuries due to trauma or intervertebral disk disease may cause loss of bladder function. 

In rare cases, an anatomic defect such as a ureter that does not enter the bladder in the correct position known as “ectopic ureter” may cause urine to leak from the bladder.  Ectopic ureters typically occur in young female dogs as the condition is caused by a birth defect.  Surgery is needed in these cases to reposition the ureters.

            Treating the underlying medical condition if possible will usually cause the urinary incontinence to resolve.  However, some cases may not be treatable.   If medications or surgery do not work or are not an option for your pet, wearing a diaper or using “pee pads” around the house may be a helpful solution.  If using diapers, change them often and make sure your dog is clean and dry to prevent irritation of the skin or “urine scald” caused by constant contact with urine. 

            If your dog is urinating in the house, make an appointment for an exam and be prepared to either bring a urine sample for analysis or to have one collected at the veterinary office.  Additional tests like blood chemistries, radiographs or ultrasound of the bladder and kidneys and urine cultures may also be needed to diagnose the cause of your dog’s leaky bladder.  Remember, most cases are treatable so give us a call if you think your dog may have one of these problems.

            This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital, serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding areas.