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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    11,740

    Paging Hutash thread No. 127 - incontinence

    I would tack this on one of the previous 1 through 126 threads but I'm really hoping for more exposure because we are in a bad spot. I actually recall a recent thread/post about older dog incontinence but couldn't find it so I know others have dealt with this.

    She is an adopted mutt so unsure of breed but guessing lab/shepard mix. Catahoula has been guessed as well but her personality really doesn't fit the traditional model there. Sweet as can be this one. 12 years old.

    About 2 months ago we noticed that she would urinate while laying down without knowing it. It persisted for a few days so I took her into the vet. Urine sample revealed that she had a horrible urinary tract infection. Also did blood work just to be more thorough and it revealed nothing else apparently sinister. So we got her immediately on the meds the doc prescribed. The incontinence seemed to wane and she took the entire course. I took her in to verify that it was gone and it was much better but there was still bacteria. This time I opted for the more comprehensive full culture to understand exactly what she had going on so we could be more targeted with the next prescription. She took that whole course and the symptoms were still at bay with a few accidents here and there. Next sample revealed the infection was completely gone.

    About 4-5 days later, she started to pee even more often than before. Took her in and no infection so she was prescribed Incurin 1mg, two pills twice a day for general incontinence. We were told it would take some time to build up in her system so we have been waiting this out for many weeks. In the meantime, she is just worsening and literally pees every single time she sits/lies down and has graduated to peeing while walking. She is drinking a ton of water and urinating seemingly nonstop.

    We love her to death but we simply cant let her roam the house like she used to so she is relegated to outside during the day and confined to a tarp/blanket at night. Every night at 3 am she barks to let her out but she has already peed her bed. Each day I wash her blanket, spray down the tarp and remake her bed so she has some semblance of comfort but she has slowly become disconnected from her home and from the attention she deserves.

    Of course another vet visit is scheduled but before I go, I want to go armed with some additional knowledge about what may be occurring. I have been wracking my brain over correlating events that could contribute to this and the only thing I can think is that sometime right around the onset of the problem the manufacturer of her food (which she has been eating literally her whole active and healthy life), Natural Balance, discontinued her dog food. When I called the company they recommended that their most similar current dogfood was something for obese dogs, which she is not. It is literally called Fat Dog or some such and she has been eating that for the last couple months. She is still on Incurin but its clearly not working.

    Anyone have an idea what else may be wrong, other suggestions for medications, other tests that I should run, tips or tricks for dealing with the symptoms in the meantime?

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  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Central OR
    Posts
    5,963
    Cute dog! Vibes; search for “sprung” and you’ll find the “my dog has sprung a leak” thread. Some helpful ideas there, but no real answers other than “she’s getting old”.

    My girl has been in diapers for awhile now; they work ok for poop, but piss just leaks out all over. Not a good solution.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Central OR
    Posts
    5,963
    Is her back end getting shaky or weak? Maybe nerve degeneration?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
    Posts
    11,740
    Thanks Flyover, I will head to that thread now. No weakness in back end but appreciate the angle there. Sorry again about your pooch.

    Mine can control the poop but the pee is incessant and unmanageable.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Ventura Highway in the Sunshine
    Posts
    22,431
    No simple answer, but a couple things to look at. Why is she drinking and peeing so much. Kidney disease, diabetes, cushing's, etc. Its called polyuria/polydypsia, or PU/PD. Not at all unusually for old female dogs to loose bladder control. The question is why. May just be weak sphincter muscles associated with age (especially old spayed dogs), but why the PU/PD. Bladder infections are common in leaky dogs, but can be a chicken or egg thing. If it were just a leaky dog the hormones you are giving are usually pretty effective after a week or two. Another option. is Proin that works directly on the muscle.

    My main concern is why is she drinking and peeing so much (if she really is. ) What is her urine specific gravity? What bacteria was cultured? Where there white blood cells and othe signs of infection? Not all bacteria in urine is an infection. Look at blood values again, or at least review the last ones. Where there changes? Have numbers gone up?

    These can be challenging cases, and I suspect there is more going on then just an old dog since this came on realatively quickly and severely.

    Hope that helps. I will try and check in.more frequently, I havent been around as much lately.

    I agree it is a constitutional right for Americans to be assholes...its just too bad that so many take the opportunity...
    iscariot

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