Incontinence

Urinary incontinence - the inability to hold urine in the bladder - is not an uncommon occurrence in older dogs (or older people, for that matter).

There are a number of factors that can lead to urinary incontinence. For some dogs, it only happens occasionally while they are sleeping. The bladder muscle isn't as strong as it used to be, so your dog has a harder time holding urine than he did when he was younger. For female dogs, it can be due to lower estrogen levels. Lower estrogen levels can also lead to a loss of muscle tone in the bladder, which can then result in what is referred to as "spay incontinence". Urinary incontinence can also be a symptom of underlying conditions like diabetes, bladder infections and kidney disease. In any case, you should take your dog to the veterinarian to determine the exact cause.

Incidently, urinary incontinence should not be confused with inappropriate urination, which is caused by behavioral problems. In this case, your dog would require training to modify his behavior.

Treatment

If there's no other underlying condition, urinary incontinence can be cured or at the very least, manageable. Depending on the nature of your dog's incontinence, it can often be controlled with medication.

When you take your dog to the veterinarian, he or she may ask you a number of questions to determine the cause of your dog's incontinence. Be prepared to tell your vet:

• When you first noticed your dog was incontinent
• When does it usually occur (for example, does it happens while your dog is asleep?)
• Whether you've noticed whether your dog has any difficulty urinating
• If your dog has been drinking more water than usual
• If your dog has any other unusual symptoms

Should your vet rule out any underlying disease or illness as being the cause of your dog's incontinence, he or she may decide to put your dog on medication. Many incontinence drugs that are given will help improve the tone of the muscles that hold urine in the bladder. These drugs may include estrogen, ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine. Your vet will tell you which of these are most appropriate for your dog, and which have the least amount of side effects.

The most important thing is that you don't reprimand your dog when he has an accident due to incontinence. He certainly isn't doing it to spite you - and believe it or not, it's as upsetting to your dog as it is to you.