What Is Incontinence?
Incontinence is the inability to fully control the bladder and/or bowels. A dog that looks at you and squats to eliminate is probably not incontinent. When a dog is truly incontinent, urination and/or defecation can happen without the dog realizing it until its too late. This can make the dog feel shame and even worry about being disciplined. True incontinence is not your dogs fault. Common findings in incontinent dogs include:
In the early stages of incontinence, it may just seem like your dog cannot hold it. Its a good idea to start letting your older dog out to go potty more often than usual.
Diagnosing Incontinence in Dogs
If your older dog begins to have accidents in the house, try first to determine the cause. Is your dog knowingly peeing or pooping in the house? This could be related to a medical condition or a behavior problem.
The first thing to rule out is a health issue. Contact your vet for a checkup. Senior dogs should see the vet more often than younger dogs; twice per year exams are often recommended. Your vet will probably want to test your dogs urine and blood.
What is bowel incontinence?
Bowel incontinence refers to the loss of the ability to control bowel movements.
Bowel incontinence can present in a number of different ways. In some cases, dogs with bowel incontinence may drop small amounts of feces without any awareness that they are doing so. In other cases, pets may be aware of their bowel movements, but are unable to control them.
Causes of bowel incontinence can be divided into two broad categories: reservoir incontinence and sphincter incontinence.
Reservoir incontinence refers to any disease of the rectum (the last part of the large intestine that leads out of the body) that prevents stool from being held or stored in a normal manner. This can occur in cases of diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, or any other disease that affects the intestines. In a dog with reservoir incontinence, the rectum cannot store a normal volume of stool, which results in the pet being unable to control the urge to defecate.
Sphincter incontinence refers to the inability of the anal sphincter (the muscle that closes the anal opening) to remain in a closed position. When the anal sphincter does not close properly, feces can leak out. There are two possible causes of sphincter incontinence. Any lesion that disrupts the anal sphincter, such as an anal wound or mass, can interfere with its function. Additionally, damage to the nerves that control the anal sphincter (which stem from the spinal cord and travel to the sphincter) can interfere with its ability to function normally.
10 Critical Signs that Indicates Your Dog is Dying
Old dog incontinence is more common in spayed females, but leaky plumbing can affect dogs of both sexes. It also has lots of different causes, treatments & management options.
For example, your old dog might have a sudden, intense need to pee but is able to ‘hold it’ for a short time (sometimes a really short time!). Or Fifi may urinate without warning (even while she’s resting or sleeping) and may seem to have no control and be totally unaware of what’s happening. You can also read our articles on: Why is my old dog peeing in the house? and why is my old dog pooping in the house?
Although urinary incontinence is the most common problem, older dogs can suffer from bowel incontinence (when they can’t control their pooping) as well and this will often have very different causes.
Either way, the resulting dribbles, puddles, floods or piles can be messy, inconvenient and frustrating… for both of you. The good news is that there are lots of options for both treating, and even curing, incontinence in senior dogs.
If you’re looking for products to help manage your dog’s loss of bladder control, check out this page….. Best Dog Incontinence Products.
Most common are low levels of estrogen in female dogs, especially those who have been spayed.
Scientists are still not sure whether or not early-spaying pre-season (between 6 weeks and 6 months old) increases the chances of this type of incontinence.
Some breeds seem to be at a higher risk of this happening, they include spaniels (of different types), Old English Sheepdogs, Doberman Pinschers and Boxers.
If your old dog has vertebrae, disc or spinal issues, or neurological problems, then they can cause her to lose control of her bladder.
This is because the nerve signals from her brain, through her spinal cord and to her bladder are not working properly or aren’t getting through at all.
You’re more likely to see this if your dog is long-bodied (like the Dachshund), or short-legged (like the Corgi), or a combination of both (like the Basset Hound).
A urinary tract (UTI) or bladder infection can cause Fifi to lose control of her bladder because the urge to pee is so strong. It usually also makes her need to pee much more often than normal.
But incontinence which is being triggered by something else can also cause a UTI. It’s sort of a ‘the-chicken-and-the-egg’ situation.
Bladder infections are more often seen in female dogs than in males and affects all ages. This is because females have a shorter urethra and so are more prone to ascending bacterial infections.
Usually causes some discomfort or even pain for Fifi because the urine burns and itches. Sometimes she’ll strain really hard, but only be able to pass only a drop or two of pee-pee.
There are a few different conditions that can cause your old dog to start peeing more often, or to lose control of her bladder.
The most common ones include diabetes (usually results in excessive thirst, followed by a predictably excessive amount of urination), kidney or liver disease, polyps or cancerous growths in the urinary tract, or prostate, and bladder stones.
Old Dog Syndrome: This is another name for ‘Canine Dysfunction Syndrome’, and it can affect senior dogs in a wide variety of different ways. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (basically this is the dog equivalent of human Alzheimer’s) can lead to old dog incontinence problems too.
That’s because dogs with CCD can ‘forget’ the house training habits they’ve known since they were puppies. Instead of waiting to urinate in their usual spot they become confused and just urinate when they have the urge.
Sometimes they’ll have periods when they’re kind of ‘spacey’ and not really in the moment… and that can lead to random urination episodes.
Psychological or emotional issues like extreme stress or anxiety can also trigger old dog incontinence, although usually on a more temporary basis.
Older dogs can get stressed and anxious quite quickly, and even what might seem like a small change to you can upset your dog more than you would expect.
And last, but not least, the aging process itself often means that muscles, nerves and organs don’t work as well as they used to.
Lack of muscle-tone or weak nerve impulses can cause a loosening of the bladder sphincter (muscle at the ‘neck’ of the bladder, which holds it closed) and cause Fifi to unintentionally dribble urine.
How you treat your old dog’s incontinence problems depends on what is causing the issue in the first place!
Sometimes urinary incontinence is the whole problem, at other times it’s just a symptom of another underlying health issue. Some causes of incontinence are not treatable either, and so may require more management changes on the part of the owner.
Depending on the cause, there are lots of effective remedies available for Fifi or Fido’s leaky plumbing issues, from medications and supplements, to surgery.
The key to success is to make sure that you’re trying to ‘cure’ the right problem!
Your veterinarian will diagnose a UTI by taking, and testing, a urine sample from your dog.
Sometimes anti-inflammatory medication is enough to reduce the sorenss and alleviate the symptoms but if necessary antibiotics will usually kill off the bacteria pretty quickly and Fifi will get to feeling better fast – that’s always good news!
If the infection is what caused the incontinence, then once it’s cleared up, she will be fine and hopefully the problem won’t recur.
BUT if the infection was the result of another health issue then your vet will want to run more tests so that he/she can treat both problems properly.
Never leave a UTI untreated because bacteria can travel from the bladder to the kidneys and cause more serious issues.
Your old dog is at risk for a lot of different health issues and many of these can cause incontinence which ranges from mild to severe.
The key to getting this under control is to figure out exactly what it is that’s causing the problem, so you’ll need to be looking at any other symptoms Fido is showing.
Your veterinarian will use these, plus any tests he thinks need to be done, to find out what’s behind Fido’s old dog incontinence symptoms.
THEN, the right treatment program can get put in place and hopefully that will cure both the incontinence, and the underlying health issue.
Estrogen-deficiency – this type of senior dog incontinence can affect elderly ‘intact’ females, but it’s much more common in those who have been spayed.
While there are sometimes some short-term bladder issues after the spay surgery itself, usually the impact of the dropping hormone levels doesn’t show up until your dog is somewhere between three and five years old.
The low estrogen levels cause the sphincter muscles to weaken and relax (which keep the ‘neck’ of the bladder closed)
Sort of like an elastic band around the neck of an inflated balloon) to become weak and any pressure in the bladder is enough to cause urine to leak out, or even flood out.
Many times, this type of old dog incontinence is fairly straightforward to treat and there are two options…. drugs/medication treatment or surgery.
The medications are usually the first choice unless there’s another underlying problem, or it’s extremely severe.
Estrogen supplements (either natural or synthetic) can be used. These stimulate the nerves in the sphincter, encouraging them to tighten up, which reduces or eliminates the ‘leak’.
The drug (actually a decongestant) called Phenylpropanolamine (aka PPA) has the same effect, it’s found in both Propalin and Proin, which are prescription medications that your veterinarian can prescribe.
Both drug therapy and estrogen supplementation are very effective in many dogs. Estrogen supplementation has about a 50% – 60% success rate, and PPA’s figure is around 80% – 90%.
Sometimes your vet will use a combination of the two options if Fifi isn’t responding well enough to just one. This is often very effective.
If she isn’t responding to this medication then there is a high probability that she doesn’t have hormone-related sphincter incompetence.
In 2011 a new hormone replacement drug called Incurin was launched onto the market and is used to treat incontinence in female dogs. It contains a natural estrogen hormone called Estriadol.
Although Incurin can have generally mild side-effects (including appetite loss, swelling of the vulva and increased thirst), there are some reports of owners noticing significant behavioral changes in their dogs when on this medication.
Excessive friendliness and overly affectionate behavior (to the point of being highly irritating to other dogs) or increased (and often uncharacteristic) aggression are both noted. These behavioral changes can be attributed to the estrogen and can even be sexual in nature.
If your senior dog is prescribed Incurin and you notice behavior changes, discuss them with your veterinarian as a change of medication might be needed. As with any medication the risks and benefits must be weighed up.
All options are long-term propositions and Fifi will most likely need to continue to take the medications for the rest of her life.
Luckily side-effects are rare, and usually minor, and once your vet gets the problem under control, he will reduce the dose he prescribes until he finds the lowest effective dosage. It’s about finding that right balance.
They include implanting a ‘urethral occluder’ – which is a kind of ‘cuff’ that is fitted around the urethra (the tube which carries urine from the bladder). It can be adjusted to keep the opening tighter.
Another choice that is sometimes used is to inject collagen around the sphincter muscles to ‘bulk them up’ and improve function.
Finally, there are surgeries which can ‘tack’ the bladder into a more functional position and improve the placement of the neck, essentially altering the effect that gravity has on the bladder.
These surgeries are varied, and a little complicated, and sometimes it takes a combination of several different treatments to get the best results.
Also, these aren’t necessarily going to fix the problem permanently, things can change over time and Fifi could still develop incontinence later down the line.
So, your best bet is to discuss surgical options fully with your vet if the other options haven’t been successful.
* Some of these operations can be performed on both male and female dogs, some not.
For incontinence in older dogs that’s being caused by an underlying neurological problem, the only thing to do is to fix that!
So, if Fifi or Fido are having bladder issues caused by spinal, vertebral, or neurological issues, those are what you will need to address.
Sometimes medications can reduce the inflammation and swelling which is compressing the nerves, other times surgery is required.
Slipped discs can commonly cause urinary issues as the disc material compresses the nerves involved in controlling the bladder. If is considered an emergency if this is the case and spinal surgery is likely needed.
If Fido is showing any signs of weakness or lameness in his rear end, and has leaky plumbing, then your vet will want to investigate and test for this type of issue.
As you can see, there are lots of different reasons which could be behind Fifi’s lack of bladder control… and lots of treatment options.
But nothing is foolproof and not all older dog incontinence problems can be completely cured even with surgery and or medications.
Other times the treatment is partially successful but there are still occasional accidents, or dribbling urine and so on. But less accidents is still a good result.
If you find yourself (and your dog) in this situation, there are things you can do to make life easier, and more comfortable, for everyone. It is just a case of making management changes in your dogs day-to-day life.
Not only will they protect your carpets, bedding and furniture from constantly being dripped on or flooded, but doggie diapers also help to keep your dog’s fur from getting soaked which leads to daily (or several times a day) baths.
To see a wide selection of the very best products designed to help keep your incontinent dog dry and comfortable, check out this page…
If Fifi only loses control when she’s sleeping, you can just put a diaper on her before it’s time for bed or when she’s taking a nap.
If it’s a more constant dribble, then she may need to wear them for longer periods. Just be sure to change then regularly.
When this happens, try to give her regular ‘outdoor time’ when she can be diaper-free and also keep the skin and fur around her vagina and belly clean and dry to prevent skin irritation.
Doggie diapers come in a huge range of sizes, designs and styles – both for boys and girls. Belly-bands are good for male dogs who just dribble urine or have occasional loss of control.
If Fido has trouble controlling his urge to poop as well as pee, then diapers can work in this situation too – sometimes.
For a dog with diarrhea, they can be messy… and you would need to act quickly after each poop.
Diarrhea is very acidic and can scald or burn skin very quickly. Keeping the fur short around his bottom and tail can help with clean-up, as can using gentle wipes or plain water and soap to remove any residue in his fur. This will prevent the fur becoming matted in the area, which can often lead to nasty skin infections.
If Fido has firm bowel movements but just isn’t able to control when and where they appear, then a diaper works very well as to prevent the unexpected accident.
There are disposable ones and washable ones, diaper liners (for use inside washable dog diapers), diaper suspenders (to keep the diapers firmly anchored on dogs who are very long, slender or apt to pull them off!), cute cover-ups and more.
If for any reason this won’t work for you, or Fifi, then you’ll need to be creative! Use old towels on top of plastic sheeting, topped with easy-to-wash blankets on your furniture and beds. Do the same on Fifi’s dog bed… and make sure the dog bed itself is fully washable, and if possible, water resistant.
Make sure you have the same set-up in the car, and anywhere else that you don’t want to become a mess. Whenever possible keep her in rooms where the flooring is easy to clean.
Also, you’ll need to be very vigilant about watching her body language and anticipating her need to pee when she’s awake. At night, or when she’s napping, you’ll need to rely on the plastic/towel/blanket combo. With time you will become better and preempting when she needs to go.
Be prepared to do a lot of laundry and cleaning up and try hard to remember that your old dog can’t help her leaky bladder, it’s not her fault. It probably upsets her too.
If you share your home with a senior dog with leaky plumbing, the messes are inevitable – no matter how vigilant you are.
Accepting that, and having the right urine odor and stain removal products at hand can make it less frustrating.
Keep plenty of absorbent paper towels or old bath/hand towels in strategic places around your house for instant mop up. Diapers actually make very absorbent ‘mops’ too!
I find plain cold water with a little Oxyclene mixed in (about 1 tbsp. to 2 gallons of water) works really well to ‘lift’ the urine out of the carpet.
Just soak the area then blot it all up, you may want to repeat this two or three times, then use an enzymatic cleaner such as Nature’s Miracle brand to remove all remaining traces of stains and odors.
In addition to veterinary treatment or medications and other practical products, there are some natural dietary supplements which can help maintain good urinary tract health. Take a look at this page to see some of the Best Supplements for Older Dogs.
It’s not always just controlling the flow of urine that’s a problem for older dogs. Your senior might have difficulty controlling his bowels too.
Sometimes the urinary tract works fine but the bowel control isn’t good, or vice versa, occasionally a dog is unlucky enough to have difficulty with both functions.