A Look at Possible Reasons for Urinary Incontinence in Canines

Canine urinary incontinence is most commonly seen in older dogs due to the inability to control the urinary sphincter. This is the muscle that controls the outflow of urine (micturition) through the urethra. What commonly occurs is that dog will urinate while lying down or while standing. The urine will continue to drip when the dog is walking. This is a controllable condition with proper medication. If it is not because the sphincter has loss muscle tone and your pet is younger, your dog may have a congenital defect of the sphincter muscles. The same type of incontinence will be seen with a congenital defect.

To treat urinary incontinence in older dogs, a medication called PhenylPropanolamine (PPA) is given orally to prevent leakage of urine. In humans, this medication is used as a decongestant in sinus cough and cold medications. In veterinary medicine, it is used for urinary incontinence. Your veterinarian will give you the proper dosage and amount that you should be giving daily to aid in the urinary incontinence. If you have a younger dog that has a congenital defect, he/she will not benefit from the medication and the condition will need to be surgically corrected.

As your dog ages more and more, the PPA may no longer seem effective. The dosage may need to be adjusted after a certain point. You should speak with your veterinarian regarding your concerns for the decreased effectiveness of the PPA. The PPA comes in a chewable or liquid form and is very easy to administer. The chewable tablet seems to be the most preferred amongst dog owners and the liquid not so much. The tablet is very palatable and the dog usually takes it with no problem. If your dog does not take the pill well alone, you may disguise it in a piece of cheese or something else palatable that your dog prefers. If that does not work, you may need to force the pill down the throat so that he/she is getting the proper dosage of the medication.

If your veterinarian does not suspect that your dog is incontinent due to age or a congenital defect, a bladder tumor should be in the rule out. Your veterinarian should be able to rule this out through ultrasonography or radiographs. The bladder tumor should be removed and sent out for laboratory testing. Your veterinarian will typically want to test the urine prior to confirming urinary incontinence because of age or a congenital defect. So a urinalysis should be run to rule out a possible urinary tract infection.