Help! My dog is peeing everywhere, Bowen Hills Vet. Part 2

Finishing off where we left off yesterday on the topic of urinary incontinence, today we will touch on diagnosing the problem and treatments available.

Help! My dog has an urinary infection, Bowen Hills Vet.

What are the tests my vet could do to find out the main cause(s), Bowen Hills Vet?

Your local vet will most likely collect a urine sample (try to get get some from your pooch before you go see the vet), a urine dipstick analysis and microscopic examination of the urine sample will follow. He/she may go further by doing some blood tests or radiographs to rule out other diseases. In some cases, the urine sample may need culturing to determine the type of bacteria present.

What are the treatments available, Bowen Hills Vet?

Depending on the cause of the incontinence, your vet may prescribe antibiotics to resolve the infection. Sometimes anti-inflammatories are required to reduce bladder inflammation caused by the bacteria. Estrogen therapy may be recommended if your pooch is suffering from hormone-responsive incontinence. However, bear in mind that high doses of estrogen can cause irreversible bone marrow suppression, so if your dog is on estrogen tablets long-term, it may be good to have blood test done yearly. If you are still concerned, try asking for alpha-adrenergic agonist type of drug. Other diseases will require further consultations with your local vet to determine the best course of treatment.

What can I do now to help my dog before I see the vet, Bowen Hills Vet?

Try using dog diapers. There are several types available commercially from reusable ones that you can wash or disposable ones. You can also make your own disposable ones by buying baby nappies and cutting a small hole for your doggie's tail. It is also important not to punish your dog for something she cannot control. Reassure her and give her lots of cuddles before seeing me at the clinic.

If you are looking for a Bowen Hills Vet, call (7) 3216 0045 to make an appointment to see Dr Nic at Fortitude Valley Vet.

Help! My dog is peeing everywhere, Teneriffe Vet.

To some people, urinary incontinence old age and the dog is destined to live out his/her life outside the house. However, the many cases I saw involved dogs less than 8 years old and interestingly, a lot of them are girls.

It is important to differentiate incontinence (involuntary urine voiding) from voluntary urination due to behavioral issues (e.g poor toilet-training, territory marking, anxiety etc).

Help! My dog is peeing everywhere, Teneriffe Vet.

Incontinent dogs wet their bed when they are sleeping or relaxed, and urinating inappropriately in the house (e.g. on the dog bed, the carpets they were lying on, in your room etc), or simply just dribbling urine. You may find that your pet reeks of urine, yellow-staining on their fur and the skin around the penis or vulva may be inflamed due to urine scaling.

Behavioral urinary issues include submissive urination, lack of house training or territory marking (male dogs). Take some time to observe your dogs to differentiate between incontinence and behavioral urinary problems.

What are the possible causes of urinary incontinence, Teneriffe Vet?

In some cases, urinary incontinence arose due to an infection in the urinary tract.  Others due to a weak bladder sphincter commonly seen in spayed female dogs. It is also possible that your dog may have ingested excessive amount of water (due to medical or psychological causes) or spinal cord diseases.

Urinary tract infection (UTI)

This is a very common cause of urinary incontinence in female dogs of all ages. I commonly see younger indoor dogs developing UTI as they try to keep their urine in till their owners are home. Infection within the bladder causes an increased need to void urine resulting in inappropriate urination around your home. Bear in mind that your dog really wanted to do right by you and has developed this condition due to your current arrangements. If this recurs, it might be important to try out other schedules / arrangements. Other primary diseases that can cause UTI include infantile vagina, bladder stones, impaired immune function (due to Hyperadrenocortism, diabetes, steriod therapy etc), excessive consumption of water and spinal cord diseases.

Hormone responsive incontinence

In my previous post on desexing, I mentioned that up to 1 female dog out of 5 can develop incontinence later in her life. It is postulated that a deficiency of estrogen in spayed females can lead to a weak urethral sphincter. Your female dog may urinate normally when she is awake but wets her bed when she is relaxed or asleep.

Excessive consumption of water (Polydipsia)

Some diseases can cause an increased uptake of water by your pooch. Increased intake = increased output = urinary incontinence. Common causes include Diabetes, Cushing's (Hyperadrenocortism), kidney failure, and usage of corticosteriods.

Spinal cord diseases

These diseases affect the nerves that control the bladder. Trauma frequently can cause neurological urinary incontinence. Other possible causes are spinal tract infections, tumors or inherited neuropathies.


Stay tune for tomorrow's blog on diagnosing the problem and treatment options.

If you are looking for a Teneriffe Vet, call (7) 3216 0045 to make an appointment to see Dr Nic at Fortitude Valley Vet.