Incontinence?

[cryjay]

How long after a spay can a dog develop spay incontinence? And how would the vet determine it was incontinence due to a spay?

[Judi W]

The vet will check for an infection and pay attention to the history. Spay incontinence is usually evident because it looks like "leaking" often when the dog is at rest. example, dog wakes up and the bed is wet where she was sleeping or resting. It is not the same as an infection which causes actual frequent urination, as opposed to leaking.

[chivas]

My Chivas developed spay incontinence after her spay. We used PPA for about 6 months which is supposed to help strengthen the smooth muscles, it worked WELL on her, never had a leakage problem again. I cant remember exactly WHEN she developed it, but like Judy says, check out a urinary infection too.
Kim

[BostonRott]

I have never had to deal with this problem, but since it's based on the sudden lack of hormones, I would think it would develop relatively quickly after the spay. The hormones are probably cleared of the system within a few days. Just a guess.

[debbiej]

my girl developed a leaking problem about 6 months after being spayed. and I though 'uhoh-it's from being spayed". but the vet told me spay incontinence would develop sooner than six months after spaying, and her dribble was probably due to something else. Testing her urine showed she did have an infection and she has been fine since the infection cleared up.

[Judi W]

I was of the opinion that it often is a result of the failure of the genourinary tract to fulling mature and/or maintain tone without the presence of hormones.

We do know that the failure to maintain tone occurs in humans.

[BostonRott]

Interesting Judi! I'd never heard a physiologic reason behind the whole thing, just knew that "spaying often causes incontinence." Your info makes me wonder then if this runs in lines? As structure tends to run in bloodlines, I would think this structural deficit would also?

[Judi W]

I don't think it is a structural deficit particularly as much as it seems to appear most in bitches spayed at a young age. Hormones play a very complex and often subtle role in many systems. They are not related solely to reproduction. It is actually quite easy to see how they might influence the genourinary development. Research has also shown some degree of increased activity and aggression in spayed bitches. If we acknowlege that hormones affect behavior and development, I do not see how we can deny that the lack of hormones plays a part. My spayed bitches have always been spayed at older ages (5 and 6 and only 1 at 3) and I have never had any spay incontinence. It is possible that there might be some familial relationship as to how mature bitches manage the lack of hormones however.

As you know, total hysterectomy in young humans poses a serious problem and hormone replacement is considered very important during those ages when nature says they should be present. They seem to protect against bone loss as well as heart disease. Bladder leakage and weakness also occurs which is why you hear of so many women requiring surgery to attempt to correct the problem.

[MARYDVM]

Don't have the reference here at home, so am quoting from memory, but as I recall spay incontinence is primarily influenced by the number and functional capability of the neuromuscular receptors in the bladder.

Number varies, and can be inherited (first hand, I've seen pups from a bitch who was slow to gain bladder control/housebreak develop into dogs that leaked when excited, and this problem worsened after spaying). So a female with a high number of neuromuscular receptors keeps better sphincter muscle tone, and doesn't leak if some of that tone diminishes somewhat after spaying. A dog with fewer receptors can gradually become incontinent as some function is lost with age, or begin to leak soon after spaying if the receptor number was borderline to begin with. The various incontinence treatments enhance receptor function, and I think (remember, going on not too trustworthy memory here) even increase receptor numbers.

So there's another factor for breeders to consider - do any of those spayed pet puppies develop early incontinence?

[Judi W]

Thanks Mary. That goes along with the familial relationship I pondered as a result of Gretchen's query.

[BostonRott]

I know the theory behind increased "aggression" in spayed bitches is the newly unopposed testosterone (it apparently is manufactured outside the ovaries and is not removed during spay).

Very interesting Mary!! I know that Devon (spayed at 2.5) and Froli (spayed at 5.5) never leaked. Devon was never bred. Froli has 2 spayed daughters (one from each litter), both of whom were spayed before their first heat and they do not leak. Hopefully this bodes well for the future!

[cryjay]

Thanks everyone! I was asking because I received a call from one of my pup's owners and he was not satisified with the care he was receiving from the vet. The vet had taken 3 urinalysis and found nothing except from apparently the last one a little high in bacteria levels. So she was put on antibiotics. I was thinking maybe her symptoms could also be related to a spay incontinence but was unsure because she was spayed about 3 months ago or so. She used to dribble a little bit out of excitement when greeting people but that problem was corrected. He said she only pees when sleeping or occasionally upon rising from sleep. I gave him the number to a different vet which seems to be a more thorough vet in my opinion. He said she seems to be almost embarrassed when she realizes she has peed upon waking. He does not scold her for this but would like to be able to get an accurate diagnosis and hopefully treat/prevent this from happening. I just wasn't sure if incontinence due to spaying could occur after three months?


Crystal

[BostonRott]

Mary mentions dogs who leak prior to spay (i.e. when excited or nervous) probably having fewer receptors. It would make sense to me that since she had this previous problem, her leaking is probably spay incontinence.

[Judi W]

The leaking when sleeping and resting is the indicator for spay incontinence as well. Response to treatment should take care of it.

[cryjay]

Thanks again everyone!


Crystal