Main Causes Of Incontinence In Senior Dogs — How To Manage It.

This post is an excerpt of my next book about caring for senior dogs. It is untitled at this time.

Do you have a dog that is getting worse about having accidents? There are several causes of incontinence in senior dogs. Here I will discuss how to manage it.

Calder Vets, a UK-based animal clinic, has some things to say, “Senior dogs can suffer from incontinence, and it is more common in females because their control with their bladder’s neck will deteriorate with age.” It is also associated with senility in dogs. It makes them forget their earlier training and a case of “urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence,” which is attributed to almost 80% of incontinence cases.

What is incontinence?

Incontinence refers to involuntary urine leakages. It means your dog no longer controls and holds its urine. It just leaks involuntarily. This is not a time for anger. The dog is not peeing on the floor or the couch voluntarily. Your dog has a medical condition that can be treated and managed. Take your frustration and channel it into finding solutions.

What causes incontinence in senior dogs?

Younger dogs can occasionally experience incontinence, but it is common in senior dogs. The changes to the urinary tract function and other underlying illnesses associated with aging increase the senior dog’s chances of developing incontinence.

- Neurological causes — dogs suffering from spinal injuries that affect nerves that control the bladder, lesions, brain diseases, or strokes.

- Bladder storage dysfunction — the frequent contracting of the bladder that results in a small number of urine leaks.

- Urinary tract infections or bladder tumors can affect unwanted urine leaks and a constant desire to urinate. This happened to my border collie, Betty. It was awful and confusing. Gratefully, once I figured out what was causing the constant accidents and got her on a strong course of antibiotics, she improved and no longer has incontinence issues.

- Urethral disorders — a common cause of urinary incontinence. It is explained that the muscles that close the urethra fail to contract and results in urine leaks. In cases of male dogs, the prostatic disease is pinpointed while vestibulovaginal anomaly in females is suspected.

- Anatomic abnormalities are caused by a congenital disability, injury, or surgery that damaged and altered the bladder’s normal function. Some causes of anatomic abnormalities include Ectopic ureters, a ureter that is not in its location because of a congenital disability, urethral hypoplasia, or vulvar conformation abnormalities.

- Urine retention occurs when dogs delay or hold their urine because of stress, fear, or other abnormal behavior abnormalities. The pressure that builds upon the bladder can cause leaks.

- Mixed urinary incontinence — is due to several factors that affect urination. Causes like urethral and bladder dysfunction are some of the causes.

How do we treat and manage incontinence in senior dogs?

Medical Procedure

There are effective medical procedures to help dogs with incontinence. The success rate of medical procedures available is good. Consulting with your veterinarian should be your first step in dealing with this issue.

When your vet assesses your dog for the best possible solution regarding this concern, they will perform a full health check, and collecting urine samples may be necessary. That way, they can identify any underlying problems that aggravate your dog’s bladder. There may be more than one contributing factor to the problem:

- Urinary tract infection (UTI)
- Kidney disease
- Diabetes
- Other illness that encourages a large amount of water consumption that leads to unwanted leaks.

A dog that has a hormonal imbalance will be treated with another procedure. But in most cases, vets will try to treat any issue with medication or with hormone supplements.

Surgical Procedure

In some extreme cases, the only treatment is surgery. Strengthening the bladder neck muscles (especially for females) is a common surgical procedure that will help address incontinence in senior dogs. Surgery is done by implanting a urethral occluder and injecting collagen around the sphincter muscle or tacking the bladder.

Other alternatives we can utilize to address dog incontinence

Treatments may not solve your dog’s medical problem immediately. Some dogs will respond better than others after undergoing a medical or surgical procedure.

Additionally, you can use absorbent bedding or pee pads for your dog. It is hygienic, easy to clean, and will lessen your dog’s discomfort because it will take away urine from your dog’s skin. Another option would be using diapers made for dogs.

Wash your dog’s back legs when you change the diapers to remove any excess urine. Baby wipes work well for this. Please continue to take them for regular walks outside without the diapers. Do not withhold water from your dog. This will dehydrate them and cause additional health problems. For male dogs, they make belly bands. These are absorbent pads that wrap around a male dog’s belly that absorb urine. They are available in washable and disposable varieties.