Urinary incontinence in dogs is the inappropriate evacuation of urine and usually occurs because the dog loses voluntary control of urination. It is normal, in these cases, the nocturnal enuresis, that is, our dog urinates while asleep. We may also notice that he urinates more often or leaks when he is nervous or stressed
It is important to be clear that they are not doing it on purpose, but that they cannot avoid it, therefore, you should never scold themIn this article on our site we will talk about urinary incontinence in dogs, its causes and its treatment.
Urinary incontinence due to hormone deficiency
This type of urinary incontinence in dogs is most common in spayed females of middle age and older. Its origin in females is the estrogen deficiency, while in males it is caused by a lack of testosteroneThese hormones help maintain muscle tone in the sphincter. The dog continues to urinate as usual, but when he relaxes or falls asleep, he leaks urine. The vet can prescribe drugs to increase the tone of the sphincter and thus correct the problem.
Neurogenic urinary incontinence
This urinary incontinence in dogs is caused by spinal cord injuries affecting the nerves that control the bladder, which goes decrease your muscle tone and your ability to contract. Thus, the bladder will fill until the weight overflows the sphincter, causing intermittent dribbling over which the dog has no control. The vet can measure the force of the bladder contraction and determine where the damage is. It is an incontinence difficult to treat
Urinary incontinence due to hyperdistention of the bladder
This type of urinary incontinence in dogs is caused by a partial obstruction of the bladder which may be due to stones in the urethra, tumors or strictures, that is, narrowings. Although the symptomatology is similar to that of neurogenic incontinence, the nerves that end in the bladder are not affected. To treat this problem you must remove the cause of the obstruction
Urinary incontinence due to kidney failure
Dogs with kidney disease cannot concentrate their urine. They produce it in large quantities, which causes them to increase their water intake to replace fluids, which is what, in turn, makes them urinate more and in large quantities.
In this type of urinary incontinence in dogs they will need to be able to evacuate more frequently, so if they live indoors we will have to offer them more opportunities to walkOtherwise, they won't be able to avoid urinating at home. Kidney disease can be acute or chronic and we will observe symptoms in the dog such as weight loss, breath that smells of ammonia, vomiting, etc. The treatment is based on a specific feed and medication depending on the symptoms.
Submissive urination or stress urinary incontinence
This type of urinary incontinence in dogs is common and is easily recognized because we will see the expulsion of small amounts of urine when the dog is nervous, scared in stressful situations. We often see that the dog urinates if we scold him or if he is exposed to certain stimuli.
It is produced by the contraction of the muscles of the abdominal wall while the muscles that affect the urethra relax. There is medication that can increase muscle tone and we can also help the dog by limiting all those situations that trigger stress or fear. Under no circumstances should he be punished, since it would aggravate the problem.
Cognitive dysfunction syndrome
This condition affects elderly dogs and it produces different brain alterations as a result of age. The dog may appear disoriented, change its sleep and activity patterns, exhibit repetitive behaviors such as circling, and may also urinate and defecate indoors.
This type of urinary incontinence in dogs should first be diagnosed by ruling out physical causes, as these dogs could also be suffering from kidney disease, diabetes or Cushing's syndrome. As we have said, we must offer our dog more opportunities to go out and, in no case, reduce the amount of water that he requests
In addition, older dogs may suffer from musculoskeletal disorders that limit their activity. In these cases, the animal simply does not want to move because it feels pain. We can make it easier for you to travel to the evacuation zones, as well as looking for the cause of your discomfort and, if possible, treating it.
