Health: Incontinence

Add a comment to this page

When it comes to incontinence, the main difference between dogs and humans is one of access. You can make a quick run to the bathroom, but until your dog develops opposable thumbs, he can't open the door and he's at your mercy. Ultimately, that's a blessing, since an accident inside is the first sign you need to pay attention to his health.

Incontinence is a loss of your dog's ability to control his bladder. It may be as simple as a few dribble spots on the carpet or as serious as a soaked bed. You may notice a urine smell on your dog and see raw or inflamed skin around the penis or vulva.

Incontinence can affect dogs of either gender, but it typically doesn't occur until the middle or later years of the dog's life. Fortunately, treatment for incontinence usually yields good results.

Causes

There are several causes of incontinence. The most typical is known as hormone-responsive incontinence, which is caused by a hormone deficiency. The hormones (testosterone in males and estrogen in females) impact a dog's ability to control the urethral sphincter, a band of muscular tissues near the base of the bladder. These tissues act as a reservoir or control device, either retaining urine or permitting it to flow out through the urethra.

Anything that negatively affects the production of hormones ups your dog's risk of developing incontinence. For instance, the production of these hormones naturally decreases in an aging dog. Age-related hormone-responsive incontinence usually shows itself when the dog reaches eight or nine years old.

Spayed or neutered dogs are more susceptible to developing the condition because their reproductive organs (which are responsible for the production of hormones) have been removed. Incontinence is most frequently observed in spayed females  [Continued]