Dog incontinence treatment

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• The right treatment for dog incontinence 
• Treating your dog`s urinary tract infection
• Treating incontinence in dogs after spay surgery
• Video: urinary incontinence in dogs and cats
• Video: urinary incontinence in canine: causes & treatments!
• Incontinence caused by physical defects
• Incontinence due to neurological, spinal problems
• Incontinence as a symptom of other diseases
• The stress & anxiety link to incontinence
• Video: estrogen-dependent urinary incontinence in dogs - homeopathic treatment
• Incontinence in older dogs
• Managing incontinence in dogs

There are lots of different reasons why your puppy or dog is having trouble controlling her bladder.

Some of them are obvious. Perhaps she`s still a very young puppy (under 6 weeks old) or a tiny/teacup breed, in this case her nervous system is probably still just a little immature.

Or she may be a senior dog, whose body is at the mercy of the aging process (which will get us all eventually!), and who needs a little extra help.

Then there are a host of diseases, illnesses and conditions that can have incontinence as just one of many symptoms.

Scroll down to learn more about the most common reasons why dogs have trouble controlling their bladders, and what to do about it.

The only real cure for dog bladder infection is a course of the correct, and specific, antibiotics.

As infections can be caused by different bacteria, your veterinarian will need to take a urine sample and test it before prescribing a medication that is effective against that specific bacteria.

Some natural products can help ease symptoms, or can be effective in preventing cystitis from developing by keeping the urinary tract functioning properly, but personally I wouldn`t rely on them to cure an active infection.

If your pup/dog has recurrent UTI`s, Petwellbeing Urinary Gold contains natural ingredients that help to regulate the ph balance of her bladder and strengthen her immune system.

PetAlive UTI-Free is designed to relieve and soothe the symptoms of a urinary tract infection as well boosting immune function and preventing future recurrences.

PetAlive Better Bladder Control Granules (also available in spray form) is a homeopathic product which strengthens weak sphincter muscles and improves bladder control to put an end to dribbling. It can be a great choice for older dogs.

Because the bacteria can spread through your dog`s urinary tract to her kidneys it needs to be treated quickly and properly or there can be serious consequences.

Bladder stones can either cause a bladder infection in dogs, or be the result of having one. These stones can be very dangerous so your vet will check for them.

Bottom line, get your pup/dog to your vet if you think she may have a UTI so that it can be treated promptly!

Sometimes localized swelling or `trauma` from the surgery, or the effects of anesthesia or strong pain-killers, can cause your dog to lose control of her bladder for a few hours, or a few days after surgery.

This is temporary and your girl should be back to normal soon.

BUT, in other cases the change in hormone levels (drop in estrogen) can be behind the sudden leaky faucet.

This can happen immediately after surgery or weeks, months or even years later.

If your dog has problems with bladder control after being spayed, and they don`t resolve themselves within a few days, then this is something to consider.

Luckily the treatment for spay-related incontinence is usually easy, and effective.

A medication that tightens the sphincter muscles (between the bladder and ureter) might be used.

There are a few to choose from including Propalin and Proin which contains the active ingredient Phenylpropanolamine (aka PPA), a form of decongestant.

The drug Imipramine is also sometimes prescribed by veterinarian to treat incontinence, either by itself or alongside other medications. 

Estrogen supplements or replacements are often effective too.

In 2011 the FDA approved a drug called `Incurin` which contains the natural estrogen hormone estriadol.

If your pup or dog has some type of malformation or defect in her urinary tract that is causing her loss of bladder control, then surgery is her best option.

Ectopic Ureter (a congenital defect where the ureter doesn`t carry urine to the bladder) can often be corrected surgically, but it isn`t a `sure thing`.

If your vet suspects this is a problem for your pup, first he`ll use a physical exam, urine analysis and most likely X-rays, ultrasound or a CT scan to make an accurate diagnosis (and to see exactly how the ureter is placed and where it empties).

Studies show that approximately half of these surgeries will be a complete success. 

For the other half, the dog`s incontinence will usually be improved, but not necessarily completely removed. 

In those cases medication can often help clear up remaining symptoms.

This means that any injuries or disease of the brain, spine or nervous system can cause problems in any other part of the body, including bladder/bowel control.

In this case it`s not the incontinence that needs to be fixed so much as the injury or disease that`s causing the incontinence.

Because there are so many different possibilities such as brain or spinal tumors, degenerative diseases, injuries, inflammation and so on, there`s no way to give you one treatment option.

If your dog`s incontinence is also accompanied by other symptoms such as weakness or lameness in the rear, loss of co-ordination or balance, seizures, difficulty with bowel movements and so on, then it`s worth considering neurological issues being at the root of his problem.

You`ll need your vet to give him a thorough check-up and take it from there.

As with the incontinence that is a result of a neurological or spinal problem, it can also show up as a symptom in a whole host of other illnesses and diseases.

Loss of bladder control or excessive urination can be caused by diabetes, Cushing`s Disease, Addison`s Disease, kidney or liver problems, tumors or diseases of the urinary tract, prostate trouble and more.

The key is usually the other symptoms that you`re seeing. 

Excessive thirst, hair loss, weight loss (or weight gain), changes in appetite, fatigue, diarrhea, vomiting, panting/pacing or signs of stress or pain, and so on are all symptoms that you should pay attention to.

If your dog has problems controlling her/his urine, and other symptoms of illness (or just seems `off` to you in some way), it`s definitely worth having your veterinarian take a closer look and find out what`s at the root of the problem.

Once you treat the underlying health condition, her bladder control will return.

Losing bladder control (and sometimes bowel control too) can be a symptom of psychological problems as well as physical ones.

A puppy or dog who is seriously stressed or in a state of high-anxiety can get so upset that their emotions literally overtake their physical self-control and the result can be a puddle (or worse).

Senior dogs are more likely to develop health problems which can have incontinence as a symptom, this is a normal part of aging and the deterioration of their body`s functions.

As they get older they also lose muscle tone and the sphincter muscle isn`t exempt from this, so urine can leak out when it`s not supposed to.

But, just because a dog is older, that doesn`t mean that his incontinence can`t be treated, or at the very least managed.

The first step is to rule out diseases as an underlying cause for the loss of control, so a full vet work-up is in order.

If everything looks good in that area and your dog is fit apart from the loss of bladder control, your vet will possibly prescribe medication that can help.

Generalized poor muscle tone with causes a weak sphincter can often be treated with medication. There are also a couple of surgical options which your vet can discuss with you.

Natural products such as PetAlive Better Bladder Control Granules (also available as a spray) can be very helpful too. This is a homeopathic product that strengthens the bladder and sphincter and can help combat age-related weakening and dribbling.

Older, or senior, dogs often have liver or kidney`s which function at less-than-optimal levels. This can be a factor of incontinence, or compound the problem. 

A wonderful natural remedy that can help strengthen all of these areas is the PetAlive Urinary Wellness UltraPack for Pets. It`s perfect for senior dogs.

Older female dogs may be experiencing hormone-responsive incontinence as their estrogen levels drop and there are several options for treatment (check out the section on Incontinence After Spay Surgery above).

If Fido also seems confused or distressed, he may have canine Alzheimers.
Anapryl (which contains the active ingredient is Selegiline-Hydrochloride) can help behavioral changes related to age, which includes dementia-related incontinence.

Older male dogs can suffer from prostate problems the same way older men can. This often leads to an excessive number of trips to pee, not to mention discomfort and urgency.

You can help your senior boy to sidestep these issues by keeping his prostate healthy and supporting his immune system.

PetAlive ProsPet Drops are a gentle, natural and effective way to do this. Especially necessary for dogs who haven`t been neutered.