Treatment of Lack of Bladder Control in Dogs
Incontinence Drugs such as ephedrine and phenylpropanolamine to treat urethral disorders by strengthening urethral sphincter, and/or hormone replacement medications such as estrogen or diethylstilbestrol might be prescribed. To determine the best fit for your dog, these may be prescribed in trials. Once a drug has proven effective for your dog, it will need to be taken on a regular basis indefinitely in order to control the incontinence. This is the most common treatment method, and the majority of dogs respond well to a combination of these medications.
Surgery will be the only option in order to treat an ectopic ureter or other anatomical abnormalities. A bladder tumor may be removed through surgery, but will first need to be biopsied in order to determine if it is cancerous.
Antibiotics will likely be prescribed to treat urinary tract infections.
Diet and weight management will be utilized in order to manage obesity.
Corticosteroids or other medications to control symptoms will be considered to treat neurological causes of urinary incontinence.
Training will be used to address the stress or fear causing urine retention.
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What are the Signs of Urinary Obstruction in Pets?
Signs of a urinary obstruction include crying when urinating, asking to go outside more frequently, posturing to urinate with no urine coming out, repeatedly posturing to urinate and only small amounts of urine are seen, bloody urine, vomiting, lethargy or lack of appetite. The composition of urine is waste products that are meant to be excreted from your pet’s body. If your pet is unable to urinate, these waste products can quickly reach toxic levels that can become dangerous or even life-threatening to your pet and will quickly make your pet ill.
The most common causes of urinary obstructions in male and female dogs are bladder stones, urethral stones and cancer. Additionally, disease of the prostate gland can cause urinary obstruction in males only, as females do not have a prostate gland. Also, spinal cord injuries can render a pet unable to urinate.
Both male and female dogs are affected by urinary obstructions, although usually male dogs become more ill as they tend to form a complete obstruction. The reason male dogs are more seriously affected is because the urethra is longer in males than in females and narrows considerably as it approaches the penis. This is especially concerning when dealing with bladder and/or urethral stones. Stones are less likely to become lodged in a female urethra; the urethra in females is shorter and wider so a stone can more easily leave the body in the urine, although the process is still painful. In both sexes, almost all stones form in the bladder; large stones that are too small to leave the bladder through the urethra tend to remain in the bladder, resulting in pain, infection and potentially partial obstructions. Small stones or pieces of the larger stones can pass out of the bladder and become lodged in the urethra.
Tumors of the bladder and urethra also cause an obstruction when they grow large enough to stop the passage of urine. Signs seen are identical to what is seen with an obstruction caused by stones, and bloody urine is very common.
In male dogs, the urethra passes through the prostate gland, which forms a complete circle around the urethra. Enlargement of the prostate gland (prostamegaly) is extremely common in older dogs that have not been neutered. Prostamegaly also occurs in older neutered dogs but with less frequency and less severity. Severe prostamegaly closes off the urethra as it passes through the prostate, just after exiting the bladder, resulting most commonly in a partial urinary obstruction. Severe prostate enlargement can cause complete urinary obstruction. Prostamegaly can also be caused by a tumor of the prostate. Signs you may see at home are very similar to other causes of urinary obstruction. Some inflammatory prostate diseases can be treated by neutering an intact male.
Diagnosis of Lack of Bladder Control in Dogs
The diagnosis will start with an evaluation of your dog’s age, overall health, and most importantly if your dog has been spayed or neutered. You need to let the veterinarian know when and how the symptoms presented themselves, your dog’s water intake, how often your dog urinates intentionally, and any other symptoms. This will help give the veterinarian a lead on possible causes.
Next, a urine sample will be analyzed for bacterial culture, presence of infection, and concentration. A chemical blood test will be performed in order to determine find any kidney or another disease. If the urinary tract needs to be examined, the veterinarian may conduct an x-ray and/or ultrasound, which may or may not require consuming dye to show the route of urine through your dog’s urinary tract.
Learn To Express A Dog’s Bladder In 3 Minutes!
Our 11 year old chocolate lab is not emptying her bladder. We have had every test and x-ray done on her and still nothing is showing. Our vet seems to think that her brain is not telling her bladder to empty. Have your heard of this and if so what can be done? Her bladder is always full and she doesnt know that she has to go. She finally goes but not enough to empty her bladder so she leaks urine all the time.
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