Canine Incontinence: 4 Things That May Be Causing Your Dog's Chronic Leaking
While incontinence is usually associated with old age, it can occur at any time during your dog's life. Infection, disease, physiological defects, and even obesity can make it impossible for your dog to hold their urine. The result is a leaky dog that leaves dribbles of pee everywhere. While the urine is difficult enough to deal with, the simple fact that your pet is dribbling could indicate that something is going on with their health. Following are four things that may be causing your dog's chronic leaking.
Urinary Tract Infection
If you've ever had a UTI, you know that it makes you feel like you have to pee all the time. The symptoms are the same for your dog. They will feel like they have an urgent need to pee but only be able to get out a drop or two at a time. They may also have a little blood in their urine accompanied by a strong odor. A UTI can be caused by a variety of factors, including bacteria, pH imbalance, and bladder stones. The good news is that it's treatable.
Overactive Bladder
If your dog has an overactive bladder, they will feel like they have to go all the time and they won't be able to hold it. They will start dribbling all over your house. While overactive bladder can be a symptom of another disease, such as a UTI or diabetes, it can also be a condition in itself. Your vet will have to perform several tests to see if your dog's overactive bladder is a primary condition or a secondary one. Fortunately, there are treatments for both kinds.
Certain Diseases
Some diseases, especially those with a neurological component, such as brain lesions and seizures, can cause incontinence. Kidney disease, anxiety, obesity, tumors, and inflammatory disease can all cause incontinence in dogs.
Birth Defect
If your dog has been incontinent since birth, they may have a deformity of their bladder and/or ureters. In these dogs, the mechanisms that are supposed to hold in the pee are either weakened or nonexistent. There are some treatments for birth defects, but the success rate hovers between 50 and 75 percent. A dog with a birth defect may never be able to hold their pee normally.
As you can see, there are several things that may be causing your dog's chronic incontinence. If your dog is dribbling uncontrollably, the first things you should do is take them to the vet (like those at Berlin Township Animal Hospital) to see what's causing the issue. Then, your vet will be able to tell you what treatment will work best.
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