Dog Bladder Control

So, after a long day at work you park your car, pick up the mail, and enter your place of residence. It’s a Monday and over the weekend you decided to clean, clean, and clean some more. You are excited to have a clean house to come home to. As you unlock the door, and turn on the light, you see a shiny spot on the floor. You first think, WOW, what a good wax job, then upon closer examination you realize it is urine. It’s obviously the work of Angie your sweat, aging golden retriever. But why you ask? She has never done this before.

 

The story of dog bladder control plays out in homes all across the world every day and can be due to lack of muscle control issues in sprayed females, aging, bladder infection, and certain diseases such as diabetes. It also may have its roots in behavior rather than a physical problem. There obviously are many different causes for dog bladder control problems and this sensitive issue may require the trained eye of your veterinarian. In this information article we are going to focus on the physical aspect of dog bladder control problems.

The dogs who most often encounter dog bladder control problems are older females and medium to large breeds. 

Causes

Age: Let’s face it sometimes things just wear out. This is often seen in aging sphincters and bladders. If your pet has age related urinary incontinence there really aren’t many good options. The good news is that there are a few medications designed to recondition the urinary voiding process. The bad news is that they are not always effective.

Bladder inflammation: Bladder inflammation can sometimes cause a condition known as urge incontinence. This condition is characterized by more of a dribble or leakage when your dog gets the desire to void.

Urinary Tract Blockage: At first glance it seems a bit counter intuitive that urinary tract blockage could cause dog bladder control problems. But the answer is actually quite simple. As the urine backs up due to the blockage eventually the bladder will overflow, leading to a dribbling of urine. If you believe there is even a small chance this is happening a trip to the vet should be taken immediately.

USMI (urethral sphincter mechanism incontinence): This condition occurs when the urine flow cannot be crispy ended due to the weakness or inability of the muscles surrounding the urethra to cleanly end the voiding process. This condition is usually first seen in the puppy years in sprayed female dogs.

Stretched bladder: If the bladder is continually stressed due to relentlessly being overfilled incontinence is sure to follow at some point. This is sometimes seen in households whose pets are forced to hold urine too long. It is also occasionally seen in arthritic dogs.

Urinary tract infection: This is a very common condition that affects about one out of every two dogs at some point in their lives. An infected dog will have a dramatic change in voiding frequency and habits, normally but not always accompanied by pain. It can be treated with antibiotics and results should be seen in 5 to 7 days.

In summary, the story of dog bladder control can be caused by muscle control issues in sprayed females, a bacterial infection in the urinary tract, neglect, age, blockage, neurological issues (not discussed), as well as many other less common culprits. The important thing is that if you start to see a change in voiding habits you should seek the help of your veterinarian to both nail down the cause and orchestrate an appropriate treatment plan.

 Additionally, many dog owners are option for homeopathy both as a curative and preventive course of action. Homeopathy is very effective way to naturally recondition the bladder while working to eliminate the root of its cause so your dog can heal permanently. While I am an advocate of natural remedies for bladder control problems your veterinarian should be kept in the loop, especially if there is even the smallest chance there could be a bigger problem lurking.

R.D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate of alternative natural health products and supplements with over 10 years experience. To learn more about natural remedies for better pet health visit Purchase Remedies.com

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