In the case of dogs, the urine is normally retained or even stored in the dog’s bladder. Whenever the dog wishes to urinate, it causes the urine to pass to the outer side of the dog’s body via a small tube which is called as the urethra. Most healthy dogs are able to control this particular action.
Urinary incontinence however is the involuntary or the uncontrollable release of urine. This comes out from the dog’s bladder. This is known as dog incontinence.
Small amounts of urine then will leak via the dog’s urethra when the incontinent dog is sleeping or resting. One will notice this particular problem in the dog when you notice it trying to clean the penile or vulva opening through licking. Normally urine is not allowed to leak out from the dog’s bladder because of the presence of a muscular tissue that resides at the base of the dog’s bladder. This particular muscle works as a valve which is controlled by thyme dog unconsciously. Incontinence in dogs is not a very rare phenomenon and is easily identifiable. Vets have been able to pin point that there exist certain hormones which are required for controlling this problem. In female dogs it is the hormone named estrogen that is required. This hormone helps in giving the muscle or valves its strength. Among male dogs the hormone is known as testosterone. It has the same abilities as estrogen among the female dogs. As the dogs age this hormone production also lowers. Hence older dogs suffer from this condition even more than younger dogs do. Dogs that suffer from these problems have other problems too. They are more prone to bladder infections. Dogs with this urinary incontinence also often suffer from a condition called urine scalding. Urine can be fairly caustic; hence if it stays in contact for some time with the dog’s skin then it can result in some severe irritations.
The dog incontinence treatment is not a very difficult thing to do. The vet will usually prescribe Phenylpropanolamin. This is a medication which is non hormonal. There are various hormone substitutes or replacements that can be used. Dog owners can always make use of absorbent pads or panties or dog bloomers for those dogs that take time to respond to any treatment. This will help in preventing any leaking and will help by absorbing the excess urine that falls.
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