Dog Leaking Urine All of a Sudden: Possible Causes and What to Do (Vet Answer)
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If you constantly find small wet spots on the floor, the couch, or your dog’s bed, and/or you have noticed urine drops leaking frequently from your dog, they may be suffering from “urinary incontinence”. A characteristic of urinary incontinence is that dogs seem to be unaware of the fact that they are leaking urine, and wet patches are commonly found in places where the dog is sleeping.
There are several possible causes of urinary incontinence in dogs:
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
- Urethral disorders where the muscles of the urinary sphincter fail to tighten properly (Urethral Sphincter Mechanism Incompetence or USMI)
- Urinary bladder stones (uroliths), polyps, or tumors
- Damage of the nerves controlling the urinary system due to infections, trauma, tumors, spinal lesions, and brain disorders
- Excessive water drinking. Frequently caused by diseases such as diabetes, Cushing’s disease, or others
- Hormonal causes
- Urine retention
- Anatomic abnormalities, congenital or acquired
Visit the Veterinarian
To find a solution to urinary incontinence, the primary cause needs to be identified. You should bring your dog for a consultation and provide the veterinarian with all the possible information you can, including:
- What is the age of your dog?
- When did you notice the problem starting?
- What is the frequency and approximate volume of urine leaked?
- What is the color of urine?
- Please make sure to inform the veterinarian if your dog is a female dog that has been spayed.
- Have there been any changes in your dog’s drinking habits?
Veterinary Examinations, Test, and Treatment Possibilities
The veterinarian will perform a physical examination of your dog. After the physical examination, the veterinarian will proceed to perform diagnostic tests. A urine and blood sample will be needed to check the possibility of urinary tract infections or underlying organ system disease. In case of a UTI, your dog will most likely be put on oral antibiotics, depending on the suspected bacterial cause. In many cases, the veterinarian will want to collect a sterile urine sample directly from the urinary bladder using an ultrasound to guide the needle attached to a syringe into the bladder.
The veterinarian can perform ultrasonography or take X-rays in order to diagnose if the problem is caused by bladder stones, bladder polyps, or a tumor. Treatment for bladder stones could be with oral medication, therapeutic dissolution diets, or surgery, this will depend on the size and number of the stones, and whether they are causing clinical signs and discomfort to the dog. Bladder masses generally require surgical removal.
In the case that the veterinarian suspects the incontinence is caused due to nervous system issues, additional tests such as MRIs might be requested. The treatment and prognosis will depend on the specific cause and location of the nervous tissue damage.
Urethral Sphincter Mechanism Incompetence (USMI)
One of the most common causes of urinary incontinence in dogs is the Urethral Sphincter Mechanism Incompetence or USMI. The urethral sphincter is a muscle located between the urethra and the bladder. The urethral sphincter works in a similar way to a dam—it closes the flow of urine from the bladder to the urethra allowing the bladder to fill up.
When the bladder is full and expanded, a signal is sent to the brain, this is when the dog feels the urgency to urinate. Relaxing the urethral sphincter normally requires a conscious input, once the urethral sphincter relaxes and opens, urine is released from the bladder into the urethra, and the animal urinates.
If the urethral sphincter loses tone and becomes weak, a small amount of pee is constantly leaked from the bladder into the urethra, especially as the bladder fills up increasing the pressure on the sphincter, leaving patches of urine usually where the dog was sleeping. Dogs with USMI are unaware of the fact that they are leaking pee.
They are still able to pass urine voluntarily in between these episodes of spontaneous urine leaking, which generally occurs mainly when lying down.
Other Factors to Consider
Several factors such as aging can cause the gradual loss of urethral sphincter tone. About 11%–20% of incontinence cases are presented in spayed large-breed female dogs and this seems to be caused by the decrease of estradiol hormones. However, urinary incontinence can also occur in intact female and male dogs. Male neutered dogs might also suffer from “spray incontinence” due to the decrease in testosterone. If the veterinarian suspects that the cause of the incontinence is due to a hormonal imbalance, your dog might have to start specific hormonal therapy based on the gender of your dog, after other causes for incontinence have been ruled out.
Hormonal Treatment
For female dogs, there are several treatment options. The nonsteroidal estrogen Diethylstilbestrol (DES) may be given orally once a day for 7–10 days and then reduced to once every week. It’s important to follow the veterinarian’s advice in the appropriate doses for your dog.
Another possible treatment for USMI is phenylpropanolamine. This medication acts by increasing the smooth muscle tone and allowing closing pressure of the urethral sphincter. Phenylpropanolamine treatment needs to be given orally twice or three times a day and needs to be carefully administered due to its effect on the smooth muscle of the cardiovascular system.
In the case of male dogs suffering from “spay incontinence,” monthly testosterone injections might be prescribed.
It’s always a good dog owner practice to keep a close eye on your dog anytime a new medical treatment is started. Your veterinarian might request follow-up visits to check your dog’s blood, urine, or other tests. In certain cases where the urethral sphincter mechanism is not responsive to oral treatment, depending on the underlying cause, your dog might benefit from surgery. Other alternative treatments used by some veterinarians are the injections of collagen directly into the urethra and the use of stem cell therapy.
Conclusion – What Can I Do If My Dog Is Leaking Urine?
If you have noticed your dog leaking urine, it is very important to keep in mind that getting frustrated about having to constantly clean after the dog will not solve the problem.
As in any medical case, it is important to consider that the sooner you bring your dog for a vet consultation, the better. By acting quickly you can avoid an infection to complicate, as a urinary tract infection left unattended can develop into a kidney infection. Your veterinarian will find the cause and recommend the appropriate treatment to solve the problem.
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