Does the Early Spaying of Dogs Make Them Incontinent?

The usual age for spaying a female puppy is six months, before she has her first heat, according to "Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook" (Howell Book House; 2007.) There is a very low risk of the dog becoming incontinent after getting spayed. Some dog breeders and veterinarians consider any spaying done before the first heat to be "early." Be sure to ask your veterinarian why he or she means by "early spaying."

Identification of Incontinence

In continence is the leakage of urine. This can vary from a few drops to complete emptying of the bladder. Usually in spayed dogs that become incontinent, it's a case of the latter. Spayed dogs of any age involuntarily urinate when they are in the deep relaxation of sleep. However, some dog owners have noted that even when awake, some spayed dogs may lose control of their bladders.

This incontinence is not to be confused with incontinence that can come from illness, urinary tract infections or old age. The spayed dogs are otherwise young and healthy. As a general rule, any dog that suddenly urinates or defecates in the house after months of no accidents should be taken to a vet.

Time Frame

Spayed dogs usually do not begin to become until an average of 2 years and 10 months after the operation, according to "The relationship of urinary incontinence to early spaying in bitches"; S. Arnold, et al.; Journal of Reproduction and Fertility; 2001. However, this writer's dog became incontinent one year after spaying, which is not typical according to my vet.

Percentage

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) states that puppies can be safely spayed when they are eight weeks old. The puppies have to be in good general health in order to undergo a procedure at such an age. There is no known optimal time to spay a dog to completely prevent incontinence, according to the ASPCA.

Less than 20 percent of spayed dogs become incontinent because of spaying, no matter when they were spayed, according to Ione L. Smith, DVM. Larger spayed puppies over 20 kilograms were more likely to become incontinent that smaller dogs and overweight spayed dogs are more likely to become incontinent than those at a healthy weight, according to "The relationship of urinary incontinence to early spaying in bitches"; S. Arnold, et al.; Journal of Reproduction and Fertility; 2001.

Treatment

Treatment of dog incontinence from spaying is usually easy. The dog receives the hormone diethylstilbestrol (DES) in pill forms to help strengthen the bladder muscles. Sometimes (as in the case with my dog) the incontinence stops after a couple of years on DES.

Resources:

"Dog Owner's Veterinary Handbook: Fourth Edition"; Debra M. Eldredge, DVM, et al; Howell Book House, 2007.

East Tennessee Doberman Rescue: Spaying and Castration:

http://etdr.doberinfo.com/health/spayinfo.html

National Library of Medicine: The Relationship of Urinary Incontinence to Early Spaying in Bitches:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11787155

ASPCA:

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/spayneuter/early-spay-neuter.html

AVMA:

http://www.avma.org/animal_health/pawsforpets/puppy.asp