Incontinence in Pets
other dogs, Winky has periods of incontinence or a leaky bladder—times when she can’t keep from urinating. Sometimes, I find a wet spot in her bed and sometimes I notice that she seems unaware that she is dribbling during her normal activities. I know she wasn’t marking territory like a male cat, or that it wasn’t poor house training and she had never been a submissive or nervous wetter. This was a physical problem, not a case of anxiety. On the internet, I found out that most pets with urinary incontinence are middle age or older. Females seem to suffer more commonly than males and dogs have it more often than cats. However, cats with feline leukemia are known to develop it. Unfortunately, the cause of most cases of incontinence goes undiagnosed. Many pets are simply treated with different medications until they are better—starting with antibiotics. Winky was only a year old when she began to have problems. I took her into my veterinarian who has always had a thing for stocky dogs with short legs. Dr. McKenna treats his patients like long lost friends and is usually dressed in something more suited for the bottom of a dog bed. But my pets love him and once I got used to his neon ties and parachute pants, I began to see him the way my pets did—a big old, soft stuffed animal that you just can’t bear to get rid of. “What’s she doin’?” he asked, holding Winky up next to his shoulder as if to protect her from harm. “Sometimes she wets her bed,” I said. “Everyone wets their bed. How often does she wet her bed?” Yuk, I thought. “At least once a week?” “Do you take her out before she goes to sleep at night?” “Always, sometimes twice,” I told him. He turned to ask Winky directly, “How long has it been happening?” I didn’t know if I was supposed to wait for her to answer. “How long?” he repeated. “A few months now,” I said, not wanting to be one of those moms. “A pet’s incontinence can be caused from many things,” he said, “hypothyroidism, bladder tumors or stones, urinary tract infection, weak bladder sphincter muscles, spinal cord disease or simply drinking too much water. Older animals can develop it due to senility.” “I don’t think she drinks too much water, unless you count the part that comes from the toilet. It’s really hard to say,” I told him. “There is also a birth defect known as an ectopic ureter. The ureters carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. If one or both ureters by-pass the bladder and connect to an abnormal location such as the urethra or vagina, the puppy may drip urine. Huskies, Miniature Poodles, Labradors, Collies, Wire-haired Fox Terriers, Highland White Terriers and Corgis are all at greater risk.” “Well, it started after she was spayed.” I volunteered. “Let’s do a urinalysis and culture, first,” he said. “But Infections of the urinary tract can be secondary to another cause. It might be related to the spaying. There is a condition called hormone-responsive incontinence that is common in neutered male and female dogs and spayed female cats. It is a weakening of the bladder’s sphincter due to the loss of hormones. It’s treatable with hormones and/or phenylpropanolamine. There are some risks with those medications, so I want to see the labs first.” So, my Winky might be hormone deficient. While they took her back for testing, I got on my Blackberry immediately, I found out that along with the various causes of bladder control problems and incontinence there were also different theories about the treatments. Several herbal and homeopathic remedies for incontinence have been used for centuries. Some are known anti-inflammatories like ferrum phosphoricum and some have documented anti-oxidant properties like equisetum. I was willing to try almost anything to help my dog. Almost . . . but not anything. I didn’t want to try anything that might make Winky worse. So, I had my own “do no harm” rule. And, I wasn’t ready to try something that didn’t have a money back guarantee. What if I found out she had an internal plumbing abnormality like vulvovaginal stenosis after I spent the money on a remedy? Stenosis is a condition where the vagina is narrowed and urine becomes trapped and then leaks out. It can be treated in some dogs by stretching the narrowing under anesthesia. It might not respond to homeopathic treatments. I hoped that Dr. McKenna would be able to at least eliminate the possibilities. In the meantime, I was going to look for alternatives, because Winky deserves it.
Herbal and homeopathic remedies have been used for centuries to treat a number of conditions. Ingredients such as Arctostaphylos uva ursi, Berberis vulgaris, Cantharis C6 and Staphysagris C6 can be used to support and promote bladder health – and the good news is, they can do this without the side effects and potential health complications that conventional medicines sometimes have.
researcher, and all around pet lover Sheli Ellsworth Natural Remedies for Pet Incontinence
and urine leakage to improve bladder and urinary tract health - Continue Better-Bladder Control - Homeopathic remedy relieves incontinence and strengthens the bladder - Continue |
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