Weak sphincter in a puppy. Treatment of urinary incontinence in dogs

Very young animals also suffer from this disease. Owners need to know what to do if their dog is incontinent and be able to distinguish a true health problem from other situations.

Only a veterinarian with extensive experience knows exactly how to cure urinary incontinence in domestic dogs, so any amateur activity can only do harm. For adequate treatment must have accurate diagnosis, and it can only be delivered in a modern veterinary clinic with appropriate high-tech equipment.

Causes of the problem

Dog urinary incontinence is a very broad term that includes too many different concepts. Often, ordinary people understand this term in a completely different way than professional doctors. Therefore, all the reasons why a dog experiences urinary incontinence can be divided into two main groups:

Of medical origin, associated with disease, injury or surgery.
Not related to medicine.

Non-medical problems that lead to a dog urinating involuntarily or knowingly urinating in inappropriate places may include:

the dog is not accustomed to basic rules of behavior and hygiene. This may be the fault of the owners who did not pay attention to the dog and did not teach it to “do its own thing” during regular walks;
we're talking about about a puppy who does not yet know how to regulate his natural urges and how good owner“brings everything home.” This is a fixable and non-critical situation. It can only be corrected by extending the walk and the enormous patience of the owners. The main condition for success is not to punish the puppy, otherwise he will strongly associate the satisfaction of his needs with punishment, but then trouble will not be avoided;
so-called stress incontinence occurs if the dog is very frightened. This could literally make her wet herself like a baby. The same situation occurs from an uncontrollable surge of emotions, for example, when the owner returns from a long absence. This normal condition, requiring neither behavior correction nor treatment;
Hormonal incontinence is a way of marking territory common to most carnivorous mammals. Typically, such urine production is timed to coincide with the period of estrus in a female dog and sexual arousal in a male dog.

These reasons are not true incontinence, since they are not caused by pathologies of a physical nature. Among the problems caused various diseases and pathologies include the following:

urinary incontinence after childbirth or surgical intervention. This may be a temporary phenomenon that will go away on its own, or it may be a serious problem that requires medication or surgical treatment. After surgery, your dog may experience incontinence due to problems due to illness, such as postoperative complication, as a result of the inflammatory process or due to intake medicines;
involuntary urination caused by spinal injury with partial or complete paralysis of the pelvis and hind limbs;
urinary incontinence old dog. An older dog may have sphincter weakness or bladder laxity, making it physically impossible to control urine output;
congenital structural pathology urinary tract. In such situation the only way treatment is surgical correction;
severe thirst, leading to copious amounts of liquid. It may be caused for various reasons, among which are serious illnesses like sugar and Not diabetes, chronic renal failure, purulent inflammatory process in the uterus and some other diseases;
cystitis is inflammation of the bladder. May be caused by hypothermia, infection (ascending or descending), taking certain medications or inappropriate food, as well as infectious process in the urinary tract;
dysfunction of the kidneys, ureters or other organs of the genitourinary system.

In order to begin treating your dog, it is necessary to accurately identify the cause of the urinary disorder. It is impossible to do this on your own, so you must take your dog to veterinary clinic or call a doctor at home if it is impossible to transport her.

Treatment of urinary disorders

How to treat urinary incontinence in a dog, only a doctor will tell you after establishing correct diagnosis. If we are talking about trauma, developmental pathology genitourinary organs or post-operative disorder, urinary incontinence in a dog can only be cured by surgical methods.

This operation is performed in a veterinary clinic by trained personnel using special equipment. After the intervention, the dog will need a lot good care and long-term rehabilitation, but full recovery is quite possible.

In general, urinary incontinence in dogs, which can be treated at home, is associated with more mild problems with health, for example, with cystitis. It can be treated according to a medical regimen, but it is important to strictly follow the recommendations, since untreated cystitis often leads to relapses, and this greatly exhausts the animal’s body and leads to a decrease in immunity.

In some cases, dogs do not require urinary incontinence. specific treatment, for example, if the animal is too emotional or simply not trained to behave correctly. In this situation, the outcome of the case will depend on the owners. Under no circumstances should you punish your dog.

You can get rid of bad habits only with affection, persistently but not rudely forcing the animal to restrain its emotions, and also by walking it more often and longer. If the owners themselves cannot cope with the dog, they will help subject matter experts- dog handlers involved in training.

Raising a dog is very important point, otherwise life with such an animal under one roof can become unbearable, and the dog itself will constantly suffer due to the discontent of the owners. The worst thing you can do is give away your friend. Owners need to remember that behavior pet can be corrected, and the disease can be cured.

Urinary incontinence in an old dog can be treated hormonal drugs or injections of a product such as “Duplex”. This remedy is considered a general tonic, but copes well with enuresis. It contains strychnine nitrate and sodium arsenate, both substances are poisonous, but are used in minimal doses. Use it yourself similar means You can’t, because you could kill your four-legged friend.

However, if prescribed by a doctor and strictly followed, such drugs can save both the sick animal from suffering and the owners from the need to constantly purchase diapers and remove traces of urine. The drug “Duplex” is an old and proven remedy that is actively used to treat enuresis in humans.

You can try to influence the disease with folk remedies, but you should not count on the fact that they alone will give a pronounced result. Rather, it is worth combining tablets and injections with the use of folk remedies as a way to strengthen the immune system and strengthen protective forces body.

Sometimes involuntary urine leakage is caused by obesity in a dog. To get rid of the problem, it is enough to lose weight and increase exercise through more frequent and longer walks, active mobility and games.

Inflammatory diseases urinary system bacterial origin are treated by taking a course of antibiotics prescribed by a doctor. When diagnosed with urolithiasis or prescribed medications and special diet with a sharp restriction of salt and consumption special feeds. Treatment can be complex and lengthy, and the diet can last a lifetime.

The most important point is to choose what to treat, how to do it and for how long. Only a veterinarian can do all this. Self-medication in this position can cost the dog his health or even his life.

Preventive measures

To prevent urinary incontinence in dogs, the treatment of which can be lengthy and expensive, animal owners should take care to follow simple but important rules:

Monitor your dog's health, what and how he eats, how often he urinates, and how he behaves. If something in his behavior inspires suspicion, do not hesitate to contact a veterinary clinic for help.
If your dog's urinary incontinence is caused by an injury, do not try to treat it yourself. In most cases, such conditions require surgery. If an animal is paralyzed and there is no hope of at least improving its condition, it would be more humane to euthanize the animal than to force it to suffer.
Urinary incontinence in an old dog - common problem, and you need to be prepared for it. This problem can be avoided if you take care of your pet's health throughout its life. Proper nutrition and an active lifestyle can protect both the dog and its owner from this unpleasant disease.
If your dog has urinary problems after surgery, it may be temporary. It is enough to use diapers and apply the treatment prescribed by the veterinarian.
To prevent your dog from developing urinary incontinence associated with colds and hypothermia, you should not allow for a pet lie in open doors, on drafts and cold floors. If the dog lives on the street all year round, he should have a good insulated booth with an entrance covered with sliding “curtains” and a dense, warm floor. Indoors, the dog should have a spacious bed, located in a warm and quiet place, away from open doors, windows and drafts.
If problems associated with involuntary urine loss occur, you should see a doctor as soon as possible.

A dog, like no other household resident, needs dosed physical activity. This is especially important if we are talking about a large and energetic animal, a representative of official or hunting breeds. Their lack of exercise will definitely affect their health. This will provoke obesity, metabolic disorders, which, in turn, smoothly leads to digestive problems, hormonal system and kidney function.

If the kidneys stop coping with their functions, complications with work cannot be avoided excretory system. The animal may begin to urinate frequently, and against this background infections can easily develop. Cystitis will develop, and from it there is only one step to incontinence. Thus, a simple reluctance of owners to run around with their dog longer can lead to the development of many very unpleasant diseases.

Most of them can be avoided if you just follow the correct daily routine and nutrition. By the way, for dog owners, a competent attitude towards their health will also be useful.

Pet like Small child needs attention, love, affection and care from its owners. Only in this case will it be possible to avoid severe consequences for the dog’s health, and if there are diseases, to successfully cure them.

Uncontrolled, involuntary urination – urinary incontinence in dogs – occurs for various reasons.

If domestic dog When such a problem begins, it cannot but disturb the owner and make him suspect the worst. The opinion that incontinence is characteristic only of older dogs is largely erroneous, which is why owners often turn to the veterinary clinic very late. It is much easier for them to transfer the animal to street keeping, or many even insist on euthanasia, believing that this the only method solving the problem.

Incontinence is not a death sentence, with the help of modern treatment methods veterinary medicine, this disease is very easy to cure.

Forms of pathology

It is customary to distinguish several groups of diseases that are accompanied by urinary incontinence:

Cystitis or other genital tract infection;

Diseases that are accompanied by polydipsia (high fluid intake);

Bladder sphincter weakness, common in females;

Ectopic ureters. A condition where the ureter originates in the kidneys and drains into the rectum or vagina. This pathology is typical of puppies (mainly Labradors and retrievers) and can be treated surgically;

Damage to the spine in the lower lumbar region and spinal cord. An operation is required, which consists of decompressing the pinched area, which is directly responsible for the innervation of the sphincter and bladder.

Causes of urinary incontinence in dogs

True incontinence is spontaneous separation, leakage or stress incontinence, mainly occurring in overly impressionable and nervous dogs.

Uncleanliness that arose due to improper training or training of the dog.

Males mark territory or females during sexual activity.

Senile, age-related incontinence, which is associated with a weakening of the reflex activity of the urinary system.

Constant soiling by a dog in a living room cannot be called incontinence; conscious elimination of need is the result of poor upbringing. If such phenomena are repeated too often, then you should observe the dog, and of course contact veterinarian to rule out possible illness.

Urinary incontinence in older dogs or other age category, requires determining the cause; for this it is necessary to conduct a number of studies:

A general urine test is taken several times to diagnose inflammatory processes in the urinary tract, diabetes mellitus or diabetes insipidus;

General and biochemical blood test (diagnostics of chronic renal failure);

Blood test for diagnosing endocrine diseases;

Ultrasound. Exception urolithiasis, prostatitis and ectopic ureters;

X-ray examination for the diagnosis of urolithiasis and spinal injuries.

When your dog shows the first signs of urinary incontinence, it is necessary to consult a veterinarian before complications arise, which manifest themselves in the form of dermatitis and bedsores.

Urinary incontinence in an older dog may be due to a weak bladder sphincter. This is treated symptomatically with hormone therapy and the use of sympathomimetics.

Therapy and problem solving

Treatment for urinary incontinence in dogs.Mostly symptomatic therapy using antibiotics, antispasmodics for urolithiasis or cystitis. If there are uralite stones in bladder held surgical intervention. To restore the tone of the bladder sphincter, the sympathomimetic propalin is prescribed. In case of excessive nervous excitability and impressionability, complex anti-stress drugs are used.

Frequently asked questions to the doctor.

Is it possible to do something if a dog pees with joy when it sees its owner?

It is possible, this condition usually manifests itself in impressionable and excitable dogs. Sedatives are usually prescribed.

How quickly can urinary incontinence be cured?

It all depends on the timeliness of contacting a doctor; only in this case can the cause be established and urinary incontinence eliminated.

Veterinary center "DobroVet":

It is generally accepted that the problem of dog urinary incontinence, as a rule, overtakes our pets in old age. However, it is not. Unfortunately, young dogs can also suffer from urinary incontinence. And we invite you to talk about why this happens, and what can cause this condition, and most importantly, how to help your pet in such a situation in our publication today...

Urinary incontinence in dogs

Veterinarians say that

Your dog does not necessarily have to live to a ripe old age in order to start walking under itself. Not at all. In fact, this can happen to any dog, young or old.

And, in this situation, it’s not enough that, as a way out of the current circumstances, make a decision to simply move the dog to live in the yard (it’s good if you live in a private house and there is an opportunity in the yard). By the way,

Causes of urinary incontinence in dogs

According to veterinary experts,

timely contacting a veterinarian with a problem such as dog urinary incontinence can be cured in 7 out of 10 cases!

And, now imagine how many poor animals were thrown onto the street, or simply killed (some consider euthanasia a humane way of killing), only for the simple reason that their owners did not know what caused this condition in their pet, and how to can help in such a situation. To ensure that you and I do not join the ranks of such would-be owners, we provide below a list of causes of urinary incontinence in dogs. Ah, conclusions... Draw your own conclusions. Is it worth it to throw the animal out into the street or euthanize it?! So, the reasons:

True incontinence - spontaneous excretion urine or its constant leakage is the only reason that cannot be corrected, but can be treated.

Stress incontinence – all it takes is for your dog to become very nervous or feel a surge of joy and excitement, and he can make a puddle.

Uncleanliness - in this case, the dog is simply not raised correctly and does not know how to ask to go to the toilet, and in this case the owner must be educated.

Territory marking - unsterilized females and males can mark their territory during sexual activity.

Senile urinary incontinence occurs in dogs in extreme old age and is caused by a weakening of reflex activity.

You must understand that

in the case when a dog consciously relieves itself in the room where it lives or is located, this also cannot be considered a problem medical nature and call it incontinence. Most likely, this is done out of spite, to annoy the owner.

Well, in order to determine which of the above stated reasons is the cause of urinary incontinence in your dog, you need to observe the behavior of the animal, and of course, contact your veterinarian with your problem, who will be able to summarize and diagnose your problem, accordingly - give you recommendations, and prescribe a course of treatment, if necessary .

However, in addition to the above reasons for urinary incontinence, this condition may also be explained by the presence of a certain disease in your dog. So, incontinence can be a symptom of such diseases, How:

Cystitis or infectious diseases urinary tract - this disease can be diagnosed by passing a general clinical urine test. If the diagnosis is confirmed, antibiotic therapy is prescribed for 1-3 weeks. As practice shows, just a few days after starting a course of antibiotics, if incontinence is a symptom of cystitis, urination processes are normalized. However, it is recommended to continue treatment to the end - a relapse of the disease is possible if the course of treatment is incomplete.

Polydipsia – overuse fluid as a result of irrepressible thirst and, as a result, uncontrolled urine output. This condition, in turn, may indicate diseases such as (a purulent inflammatory process that occurs in the uterus), diabetes mellitus, Cushing's syndrome, diabetes insipidus, and chronic renal failure. In order to determine which disease is the root cause of your pet’s condition, it is necessary to pass clinical and biochemical tests blood, general clinical analysis urine, examine internal organs, and take functional specific tests.

Pathologies of the bladder sphincter (more often occur in females) - can be either congenital or acquired, as a result age-related changes in the dog's body, obesity, decreased sensitivity of sphincter receptors. Treatment is symptomatic - hormone therapy, antidepressants (have the property of relaxing the bladder muscle and contracting the bladder neck muscle), taking alpha-agnes.

Pathology of the ureters, when the ureter itself begins in the kidneys and, bypassing the bladder, enters either the vagina or rectum. In this case, surgical correction is prescribed.

Damage to the spinal cord and spine in the lower lumbar region. In order to eliminate this symptom, it is necessary surgery, which decompresses the pinched area, which is responsible for the innervation of the sphincter and bladder.

Preventing urinary incontinence in dogs

We are responsible for the health of those who live with us under the same roof and are called our pet. Therefore, we must do everything in our power to ensure that our dog does not encounter such a phenomenon as urinary incontinence. To do this, owners must ensure that the dog eats properly, avoid overcooling the dog, educate the animal, and if any disease is suspected, do not wait until the situation reaches a dead end and the dog cannot be helped, but contact veterinary specialists in a timely manner.

Health to your pets!

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When a dog is clean and fluffy, it's wonderful. But the animal’s body also tends to get sick, and sometimes unforeseen, emergency situations arise that cause inconvenience.

Urinary incontinence is not a disease, but a symptom, and this phenomenon must be treated with great caution.

Sometimes, of course, it happens that incontinence happens like this, but this happens once, but if it becomes permanent, you need to understand that it will not go away on its own.

Urinary incontinence is possible under stress.

Features of incontinence

females of large breeds;
from rocks - Doberman Pinscher, Airedale Terrier, Setter, Collie, Poodle ;
dogs with a nervous temperament such as sanguine and choleric (active, excitable);

Airedale terrier dogs are more susceptible to the disease.

Age also matters. This is due to the structural features of the genitourinary system, and in order to understand its mechanisms you need to delve into the basics of anatomy.

Anatomical nuances

The dog's urinary system consists of:

kidney. They produce urine, the basis of which is water and animal metabolic products (ammonia, creatine, uric acid, mineral salts, medicinal substances, toxins). Kidneys regulate water-salt balance and cleanse the blood coming to them, maintaining its balance. Urine formation is one of the complex processes. At night, less urine is formed than during the day, and the intake of succulent food rich in proteins stimulates its formation. The kidneys are a continuously working organ, but urine excretion is periodic. Urine accumulates in the pelvis, which contracts and forces it into the ureters.
ureters , which rhythmically contract, propel the flow of urine into the bladder;
Bladder , from which urine cannot flow freely into urethra, since sphincters (muscle ring) stand on the obstacle. Their work is well established: the sphincter relaxes, the bladder contracts and thus the organ is emptied;
urinary canal.

Urine, consisting of water and waste products, is formed in the kidneys.

The process of urine excretion is regulated by the activity of the central nervous system.

Causes of incontinence in dogs

Causes of incontinence may be:

natural, associated with the characteristics of nervous temperament;
acquired, caused by a specific disease.

Urinary incontinence can be a sign of a medical condition.

Natural

It is possible for a dog to produce a small amount of urine when he is extremely happy.

Behavioral or natural causes, as a rule, are accompanied by small discharge . If you know your dog's manners well, you may have repeatedly noticed him urinating when he is extremely happy. Such urination is very difficult to correct and, as a rule, accompanies the animal throughout its life.
Stress incontinence can be either one-time or permanent. . A dog may show it once when frightened, while still a puppy, but then never repeat it. It happens that constant fear when meeting, for example, a more aggressive relative, will be accompanied by urination.
Incontinence during estrus is also natural. . This is especially true for young females (first, second hunt). In this case, sometimes squatting may not be accompanied by urination, and the owner, by carefully observing, should already understand what exactly is happening in the female’s body.

Purchased

Acquired urinary incontinence can be attributed to old age. With age, muscles lose elasticity and the ability to work synchronously. Such incontinence can be either inflammatory in nature (advanced chronic, which was not accompanied by treatment) or non-inflammatory, when muscle weakness is a genetic feature.

Older dogs often experience urinary incontinence.

Diseases

Hypothermia can cause cystitis in a dog.

If the dog is young and active, but incontinence occurs, then the following diseases can be diagnosed:

Cystitis. Inflammation of the bladder is possible with decreased immunity due to hypothermia, overheating, stress factors, common infections(chlamydia, leptospirosis), local genitourinary infections that penetrate into genitourinary system. To establish a diagnosis, a comprehensive examination and laboratory tests, both to determine the functionality of the kidneys and to bacterial culture with the definition of the most active antibiotics to provide assistance.
Urolithiasis disease . It develops in dogs not in the kidneys, but in the bladder and clogs the sphincter. Impaired functioning of the sphincter leads to involuntary release of urine, however, these signs can alternate with urine retention and this must be clearly perceived by the owner. Males are diagnosed with the disease earlier than females due to anatomical features. It is also possible to differentiate because urine is released involuntarily and in drops. For diagnosis, ultrasound and a full examination are necessary.
Urethritis. Inflammation of the urinary canal is not as simple as it seems at first glance, and sometimes requires even more long-term treatment. Violation of its function may be accompanied by the fact that the animal makes attempts to urinate, but urine is not released, and sometimes it occurs spontaneously;
Endocrine diseases (, sugar insipidus, Cushing's syndrome,). These diseases are associated with a large intake of fluid by animals (polydipsia), therefore, it will be excreted in large volumes, sometimes spontaneously.
Spinal injuries and tumor processes in the area that is responsible for the innervation of the urinary system. Nerve entrapment, partial or temporary, may lead to persistent symptoms, alternating character.

How to Treat Dog Incontinence

As can be seen from listed reasons Urinary incontinence in a four-legged animal cannot be treated without establishing an accurate diagnosis. You cannot prescribe therapy based on one symptom - urinary incontinence.

Once the diagnosis is made, treatment is prescribed.

A comprehensive examination to identify other symptoms, conduct tests and studies, identify the real reason can lead to successful overcoming of this trouble.

Medicines

Among medications used for urinary tract diseases: antibiotics, sulfa drugs and immunomodulators, hormonal agents , promoting both muscle contraction and relaxation.

Antibiotics are used to treat dogs.

Application sympathomimetics and antidepressants It is also necessary to increase the tone of both muscles and nerve endings.

Prevention

Compliance with the rules of care and feeding, avoiding hypothermia and overheating of the dog will greatly help prevent inflammatory incontinence.

Do not neglect basic rules that can reduce the body’s resistance . At this time, the virulence of microorganisms increases significantly, and the processes become irreversible.
Don't expect the situation to resolve itself . If the first signs appear, contact immediately qualified specialists. An accurate diagnosis can only be made by examining the animal. Do not try to treat yourself; the slightest delay can cost the life of your four-legged dog.

You cannot treat your dog yourself; you need to consult a veterinarian.