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Urinary incontinence ( leaking urine unconsciously ) is a very common problem in older female dogs, usually but not always this condition is associated with them having been spayed. While It is an inconvenient disease for the dog concerned it will rarely be fatal or affect the dogs long term health. However where house dogs are concerned the owner can become very stressed because of the smell and the damage to the carpets and furniture in the house. Fortunately, most cases of incontinence respond well to treatment.
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While I cannot diagnose individual cases over the Internet I can tell you that there are two forms of incontinence in the dog. One is the incontinence of cystitis [ bladder infections ] where the dog knows what is going on but has to go anyway.The second form is urinary incontinence of the spayed bitch and that is what we are talking about today. Here are a few facts about this disease drawn from my personal experience.
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1. It tends to affect large and giant breeds such as Dobermans, Rotweillers, GSDs, Labs etc. so clearly this is a size issue
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2. It almost always affects spayed bitches.
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3. The dog is not aware she is doing it, you will see bed wetting, damp patches on the carpet where the dog has been lying, and urine will dribble out of the dog as she walks or is lying down.
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4. The cause of this disease is relaxation of the urethral sphincter.
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5. Fortunately, most cases of this type of incontinence respond well to treatment via prescription drugs your vet can supply, one group of drugs used to treat this condition contain phenylpropanolamine, the one I use had the trade name Propalin or Proin, this is possibly your best option it is given orally. Other drugs which can be used are female hormones such as Incurin.
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6. Before starting phenylpropanolamine it would be a very good idea to have a vet examine your dog and confirm the diagnosis. the problem you face is that there are other possible diagnosis which can present like this. Consider bladder infections, kidney problems, diabetes, neurological disorders to name just a few. However as I said previously the good news is that if you are dealing with urinary incontinence of the spayed bitch then can normally be easily controlled.
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If having read this article if you need further information or would like to talk over the subject of urinary incontinence of the spayed bitch with a qualified veterinary surgeon on a one to one basis then please use the Just Answer contact box at the bottom of this page. There is a charge for this service but the fee is minimal and you need not pay unless you are satisfied with the answer, the service is available 24/7.
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