Our Pets And Urinary Incontinence
If you have had a pet, you may already know that as our pets age they sometimes become incontinent. You may have had a pet that was housebroken but began urinating in the house instead of outdoors. These are problems that pet owners have faced and a question is; what can we do? You may have had a pet for a long time and it is painful when a pet becomes incontinent. You think about the alternatives and it could be an emotional decision. There is hope for pets with urinary incontinence! Your pet may be suffering from bladder incontinence because of a physical problem and not age. That is good news for many pet owners who did not want to make a painful decision about putting down their beloved pet.
Urinary incontinence in pets can be caused by age, but it can be caused by many other physical problems. Just as humans may develop an infection in the urinary tract or in the bladder, your pet may develop an infection too. Infections in the urinary tract may be treated with antibiotics. A blood or urine test can identify any organism and a specific antibiotic can be prescribed. Your vet will look at potential cost, side effects, and how convenient it is to give the drug when prescribing the medication. Usually after the medication has been taken for one to three weeks another urine test will be done to decide if the infection is cleared. If your pet needs to take antibiotics, it is important they take the entire course.
Another reason pets have urinary incontinence problems is excessive water consumption. This can be caused by several different problems. Diabetes, bladder infections, kidney infection and failure and Cushing’s syndrome can lead to excessive water consumption. A cat may also have hyperthyroidism, which will cause them to drink extra water. Some owners may notice there pet is drinking more than usual but may attribute it to the weather. A urinalysis will show excessive water consumption. A urine test may be all that is needed to find out why your pet is drinking too much water; blood tests may need to be done also to decide the cause of their problems. Many causes of excessive water consumption can be ruled out by a blood or urine sample test.
Pets often develop a weakened sphincter. This happens more often in female dogs but can be treated with medications specific for the problem. Estrogens have been helpful in this treatment. Scientists believe estrogen helps preserve the neurorecepters, which send the signal to brain to “store the urine.” Male dogs are often treated with testosterone because the prostate sits at the neck of the bladder and incorporates the sphincter muscle.
Medications will work to help correct urinary incontinence in your pet once the cause of the problem is found. If medication does not help, there are surgical options to for both male and female dogs and cats. Medications are often used along with surgical procedures.