Dog Incontinence Causes and Solutions

If you are searching for dog incontinence causes you are not alone. It is estimates that approximately 1 out of every 5 pets will struggle with incontinence at some time in their lives. Personally, I think the real number is much higher, since almost all old dogs struggle with this condition from time to time.



While dog incontinence causes such as an urinary tract obstruction (stone), a birth defect, hormone imbalances (estrogen in female dogs and testosterone in males), a botched spray or neuter procedure, prostate disease, or a spine injury or neurological degeneration issues are often mentioned it has been my personal experience with my pets that the most common dog incontinence causes are old age, bladder or urinary tract infections, arthritis, and possibly nervousness or excitement.



With nervousness and excitement you probably have been cleaning up puddles since your dog was a puppy and know what to expect but age bladder and urinary tract infections are an entirely different story.



The inability to control voiding in older dogs is simply a matter of wearing out the either the bladder, the sphincter or the urethra over time. If this has happened, or is happening to your pet, there are numerous situation that can make it worse such as constipation or a bladder that continues to thicken or become less flexible.



A bacterial infection that has entered through the urethra (female dog are twice as vulnerable) and has worked its way up to the bladder also is major concern, especially in older female dogs. Generally, the older an animal becomes the weaker their immune system, thus leaving the door wide open so to speak for E.coli or some other type of bacteria to enter through the urethra and make its way into the bladder. If this happens you will start to notice inappropriate urination on a regular basis. This is not quite the same as basic dog incontinence, rather a condition that leads to dog incontinence with another being Cushing's disease.



Additionally, if you dog is struggling with arthritis and their bladder and/or sphincter have been weakened from years of use they simply may not have the will to continue appropriate urination habits. In these instances a lot of tender loving care and compassion is needed to make sure they get the additional bathroom breaks they need plus any assistance required to find their way to their favorite voiding spot.



Once dog incontinence causes are determined then the pet owner will be forced to either opt for TLC plus treatment or euthanasia. For me TLC plus treatment has always been the best solution but I have had close friends go the other way, and I totally understand their decision.



On the treatment front there are a number of options including incontinence drugs, antibiotics for bacterial infection, hormone therapy, along with a natural dog urinary conditioning supplement. The good thing about natural treatments is they can be used in conjunction with other treatment to promote faster healing and improve urinary tract health once the dog incontinence causes have been identified.



Additionally, a couple of extra thoughts worth considering are to eliminate as much stress a possible in your dogs life, make sure they stay active, add a little cranberry juice to their water to fend off bacteria, and make sure they have plenty of fresh clean water to drink and a lot of love.