Among the most annoying chronic problems in dogs occurs when they occasionally spring a leak (of urine, that is). I’m not referring to the stand-up-and-aim variety ubiquitous among unneutered males, nor to the frequent messes made by the untrained. This is the kind of leak that occurs most often in spayed female dogs. It typically happens while they’re sleeping or resting. And punishment is contraindicated, as they have no idea they’ve done it.
Primary urinary sphincter mechanism incontinence is the diagnosis most often applied to this condition. It is by far the most common kind of incontinence in dogs and seems to result from a weakness of the muscles in the urethra near the bladder (the urethra is the tube that connects the bladder to the outside world). Larger breed, older, overweight, spayed dogs are overrepresented among the afflicted but any dog can acquire this problem.
Among spayed dogs, studies show that changes in estrogen and progesterone levels affect the urinary sphincter mechanism at the level of the smooth muscle in the urethra. The smooth muscle works as part of the involuntary nervous system. Hence, no measure of training could override this incontinence in a sleeping dog.
Dribbling while walking or lying down, wet spots on bedding or sleeping areas, and frequent licking of irritated skin in contact with urine are some of the most common signs of this disorder.
Many of these dogs also have urinary tract infections or other problems with their urinary tracts. Commonly, these issues are the result of the primary incontinence. Consider that a weak sphincter is likely to allow bacteria to travel into the bladder. Consider, also, that urine collecting on irritated skin is a great breeding ground for this bacteria. It’s no wonder many of these dogs are assumed to suffer from a simple UTI (urinary tract infection) or cystitis (a specific kind of UTI: a bladder infection).
All dogs with the symptoms listed above should be evaluated by a veterinarian. Urinalysis and bloodwork are basic diagnostic measures but some dogs will need X-rays, ultrasound, or culture and sensitivity (to determine the kind of bacteria present should they have an infection).
Vets used to treat these presumed hormone-related urinary incontinence cases with supplemental hormone injections or pills. These have been found to have side effects so numerous that a newer treatment is now preferred. The drug phenylpropanolamine is now the leading choice. It is considered safe and extremely effective but only serves to make the sphincter work more effectively in the short term. Therefore, the drug has to be administered for the dog’s entire life. Luckily, it comes in chewables.
Carmen (pictured above) has recently sprung a leak. She was my muse for this article so I’d like to thank her mother, whose blog, Dubinology (dubinology.blogspot.com), inspired me to write on her behalf.
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Dear Doctor-
I just made TJ go down and get the pill bottle to see what it is that Carmen's been taking (her vet here prescribed it). Okay, it's called "Diethylstilbesterol." 1 mg, and the instructions are to taper it off over some weeks. What is this stuff?
Thanks!!!
Dubin, TJ, and Carmen
Dubin July 31st, 2006 11:02:00 PM
Hormones. As we discussed, these are currently out of favor in the vet community. However, your vet may well have an excellent reason for preferring Carmen receive these. Ask. Questioning clients are a good thing, in my opinion.
Patty Khuly August 1st, 2006 03:05:00 PM
I have an almost 13 year old, 100lb neutered male who has been leaking now for approx. a year. Our vet prescribed phenylpropamine and it helps, but it seems to help more if I have him on it and then take him off for a couple of weeks. Whether he is on it constantly, or on and off- he still leaks puddles. Should I see about upping his dose- or is this just something you have to deal with?
Amanda August 20th, 2006 11:08:00 PM
Sometimes upping the dose helps but you should always make sure no urinary tract infection is present. Many "leaks" are complicated by such issues. Check it out with a vet visit.
Patty
Dr. Patty Khuly August 30th, 2006 09:23:00 PM
Not long ago I adopted a two and a half year old male terrier mix. He's house trained and relieves himself normally whenever I take him out, but I kept noticing small wet spots on the carpet. I keep him in a crate when I'm not home, and every once in awhile, he is in there for periods of up to 6 hours. When I come home and let him out of his crate, the first thing I do is grab his leash to take him out. He has a weird tendency to crouch down after leaving his crate and almost scoot or crawl over to me. I've noticed that he often dribbles pee as he does this, and I've even noticed him release little squirts of pee as I put his leash on him. On a couple occasions, the leak progressed from a dribble to a full on stream. I don't think he intended to pee at all, because he was lying down and ended up peeing on himself. I'm not sure what to do. I mean, this only happens right as I'm about to take him outside to pee! He hasn't ever soiled his crate, though. I can't tell if he simply REALLY has to go and realizes what's going on or if he just gets really excited or scared for some reason and doesn't realize he's sprung a leak. Or, worse case scenario, he has hormone-related urinary incontinence. Should I take him to see a vet, or is this a behavioral/psychological problem stemming from the way I'm caring for him?
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my dog licks her pee when ever she springs a leak is it bad for her if she keeps doing it
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Ok I know this is an old post, but I hope it will get noticed, both by other dog owners similarly afflicted and by you Dr. Khuly, and any vets.
My dog (GSD/APBT mix always at "perfect" weight) developed spay incontinence around one year old. She was spayed at 6 months by a very busy, low cost provider.
My vet put her on PPA with limited effectiveness. I looked for an alternative, worried about the safety of te drug especially over a lifetime. I took her off and the problem was markedly worse, which might've happened anyway or could've been associated with the treatment, as nothing else changed.
I got a tip from a breeder to try a grain free diet for this issue. I can say with 100 per cent certainty this has "cured" the problem. If she even gets one grain-containing treat, she inevitably leaks later that day. Her bladder is like a faucet I can turn off and on simply with grain or an absence of grain - it is that black and white and marked.
I type this as a suggestion for others to try, and also with a hope that a vet will try to understand WHY and it must be an important clue to something. The three vets who have seen my dog all seem to think I'm off my rocker or there is more to the story when I tell them, and don't seem to put much stock in my story. I understand that it MIGHT not help ALL cases, but I sure wish someone would examine this further (and also give me some clue as to what's going on here - does she have a grain allergy? How would an allergy affect her hormones? Or is it an allergy and instead of a rash she leaks, and hormones are not involved?)
Thanks as always for a great insight into a vet's perspective, Dr. Khuly.
Erin March 8th, 2010 03:27:48 PM
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