Soy Supplements Helped Our Dog with Spay Incontinence

At about age six, our female hound dog mix began to drip and dribble urine. She also left a pool of urine behind her when she slept. We took her to the vet, ruled out other causes and found the problem to be Spay Incontinence-a problem that can afflict spayed female dogs at any age. Since most female dogs these days are eventually spayed, it seems that this problem must be more common than ever. When a dog is spayed, the resulting diminished amount of estrogen can result in a weakening of the muscles which control the bladder; thus bits of urine begin to leak. This has nothing to do with behavioral issues or house training. In fact,the dog is utterly unaware that this happening and has no means to stop it.

This problem is more distressing than one might guess- both to the family and the dog. Dogs are naturally clean animals. They do not, by instinct, sleep in or around soiled areas. Spay incontinence can be a devastating problem, resulting in a traumatized dog, possible infections, a foul smelling house and endless loads of laundry.

The vet suggested several unappealing treatment options: We could give her a daily drug which, though presented as safe, can have potentially scary side effects. Or we can put her on estrogen hormones, which can also create health risks. We went home and did some research and found that there are actually many alternative treatments for this problem. We decided to try the most readily available option, and one that made logical sense: soy supplementation.

Soy contains plant-based estrogen-or phytoestrogens. Of course! Menopausal women use soy for much the same reason. A small amount of soy can provide a replacement for the dog's own estrogen with plant-based estrogen which can help to a re-strengthen the muscles connected to the bladder. We took note that soy has already been embraced by the pet supplement industry, and there are soy pills, sometimes mixed with other herbs, marketed for this very problem in dogs.

Rather than invest in soy supplement pills, however, we decided to take a gentler approach and simply add some soy to her diet. First, we replaced her old dog biscuits with a product made partially from soy flour. This was an easy step. We found that Alpo's Variety Snaps, small inexpensive square dog treats, were made with some degree of soy flour, along with wheat flour and other ingredients. In addition, we started giving our 40 pound dog a small splash (about one eighth of a cup) of plain and unsweetened soy milk twice a day. We have been using the unsweetened variety of Silk, which our dog loves. It is important to use the unsweetened variety because it is of no benefit to add sugar to a dog's diet. Also, we have aimed at using the least possible amount of soy milk and thus have had to experiment with quantity-- starting with a tiny amount.

I am pleased to say that this approach seems to have worked. We started with the soy treats alone, and in a couple of weeks, her larger passive urination problems-leaving a pool of urine behind while sleeping- stopped. However, she was still dripping and spotting urine almost everywhere she went. After a few days of regularly giving her the soy milk, this too has stopped.

Another reason for adding the smallest possible amounts of soy to the dog's diet is that too much soy may have negative effects on a dog's thyroid and also can potentially lead to certain tumor growth.

As it happens, there are many dog foods on the market that include a great deal of soy protein. Indeed, there are questions about the wisdom of too much soy in a dog's diet. Thus, if your dog is already eating a soy-based diet, it would seems not to be wise to add any additional soy.

But, perhaps the prevalence of soy in dog foods at least in part explains why some dogs do not experience spay incontinence. It may be an inadvertent cure for a problem that would otherwise be more common. But again, as a dietary mainstay, soy has its own possible downsides and is probably not recommended.

However, happily, a small amount of soy supplementation, via soy treats and soy milk, has thus far done the trick for our dog, and has been a safe and inexpensive alternative to drugs or hormones.

http://www.dogaware.com/wdjincontinence.html

http://www.dogforums.com/13-dog-health-questions/29277-your-dog-proin-read.html

http://www.fetchdog.com/learn-connect/dog-resource-library/nutrition-supplements/Soy-Protein-for-Dogs/D/300600/P/1:5:55:602/I/AR000010478