Dr. William K. Fauks
EDMOND — Q: My mixed springer spaniel, a 7-year-old spayed female, has been impeccably house broken all of her life, even when left alone inside for a full day. But recently she’s apparently losing urine — I think in her sleep, as her bedding is damp most mornings. The pubic area is moist and odorous most of the time — big problem for a house dog and her human companions. We’ve never had a dog do this before. We love her, but something’s gotta give. Any suggestions? — Agnus W.
A: If Agnus has previously had other neutered female dogs and never observed this problem, she’s simply been lucky. Expert observers suggest that at least 20 percent of spayed female dogs will develop some degree of urinary incontinence as they get older. While medical and nutritional science have brought about a longer lifespan for today’s dogs, this increases the numerical likelihood for this age-related syndrome to occur.
The cause of inappropriate or involuntary passing of urine in a spayed female dog, while lying down or sleeping, is usually due to a lack of estrogen (female hormone). After neutering, which includes removal of the ovaries, there is a dramatic reduction in estrogen production. A small amount of estrogen is excreted by the adrenal glands, but it is very often insufficient to generate urinary bladder sphincter tone and incontinence will eventually occur.
Oddly, this treatable problem usually befalls medium and large breed dogs and does not occur in neutered cats. Aging neutered male dogs can also develop incontinence due to a substantial drop in testosterone (male hormone) levels.
Agnus’ first priority is to schedule an appointment with her veterinarian to have her “leaking” springer examined to rule out other causes of urinary incontinence — and there are several other related possibilities in addition to the hormonal reduction mentioned above. A few include: diabetes, urinary bladder infection, spinal cord disease and excessive water consumption.
After ruling out other possible causes, your veterinarian will probably have you orally administer either DES (diethylstilbestrol) or PPA (phenylpropanolamine) in tablet or capsule form. The former is a synthetic estrogen replacement which works wonders in this area 85-90 percent of the time. The other drug, PPA, increases tone by providing direct stimulation to the bladder sphincter muscle. In some instances these two drugs are used in concert.
Both of these drugs, DES and PPA, are currently classified as controlled substances and are thus available only through compounding pharmacies of which your veterinarian will be familiar.
Finally, three more suggestions:
• If your “leaky” dog is obese, it helps to get her weight down
• Take a good written history to your vet appointment
• If all else fails, diapers are available at www.doggyduds.com.
DR. WILLIAM K. FAUKS is a retired Oklahoma City veterinarian. If you have any questions regarding the health of your pet, please write to “Ask a Vet,” at 3142 Venice Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73112, or e-mail bfauks1@aol.com.
