- Eliot Kaplan, DVM -
A well-recognized problem in about 20% of all female dogs is bedwetting or enuresis. This is simply involuntary urination when the dog is asleep or just relaxed in a laying down position. Most of the time it occurs when the dog hits middle age, but sometimes it occurs when the dog is still very young, even when still a puppy.


Very often the condition is treatable, but the cause of the problem should be determined to best treat the condition. Your veterinarian will begin with a thorough physical exam and urinalysis. If lower back pain is found during the exam, perhaps the condition is neurologic. If a bladder infection is found by the urinalysis, a course of antibiotics could cure the condition. Sometimes a urine culture is helpful to make sure an infection is not present.


When the condition arises in a puppy, radiographs and sometimes special contrast studies (radiographs taken with dye injected in the urinary tract system to better visualize it on the radiographs) should be done to rule out anatomical problems that may be fixable with surgery. It is also good to look at the entire patient when considering what might be leading to the condition. For example, if the incontinence began shortly after the owner noticed that the pet began drinking excessive amounts of water, perhaps the cause of the incontinence can be related to a urine overflow phenomenon. The dog is drinking so much, it is producing incredible amounts urine and the dog's normal urinary sphincter mechanism is overwhelmed. In a case such as this, finding and treating the cause of the increased thirst may stop the urinary incontinence. To do this, bloodwork is often necessary.

Fortunately, the majority of dogs that acquire urinary incontinence in middle age unrelated to anatomic problems are easily treated with medications. These dogs are usually affected with a primary weakness of their urethral sphincters. Sometimes, the medications to treat this problem must be given continually or intermittently for the rest of the dog's life, especially if a bladder infection is not involved. If these medications are not effective, then further testing should be done such as radiographic imaging and bloodwork to rule out other cause of the incontinence.

Eliot Kaplan, DVM
Tri Lake Animal Hospital
Phone: (250) 766-3236
Toll Free: 1-866-766-3236
Fax: (250) 766-3237
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