Dog Urge Incontinence Symptoms

1. Most commonly found in females

2. Straining to urinate with little or no urine each time

3. Small amounts of blood visible in the urine

4. uncomfortable and distressed

5. Wanting to urinate as often as every ten minutes throughout the day

What Causes Dog Urge Incontinence?

Before explaining the causes of urinary incontinence I feel a brief explanation of the bladder and its functions may be necessary. The bladder is like a bag or storage department for all the urine that the dog produces, this bag or holder is lined with a thin layer of muscle so that when the dog wants to urinate it compressed and the urine flows down the urethra, passes through two 'valves' which keep the urine in via our conscious or unconscious minds until we are ready to pee, which then flows through the penis (in the case of a male dog) and exits the body.

In the case of urge incontinence the bladder valves will all seem to be in good working order unlike true incontinence, but instead it is the bladder walls themselves that holds the problem in most cases, this is because of stray bacteria, infection, tumour, or bladder stone. When these conditions occur inside the bladder it causes a stinging or burning sensation, possible ruptured blood vessels and then the dogs system will react by contracting the bladder and trying to get rid of the content within, when this happens there will be straining to urinate or the bladder valves will not be able to withstand the pressure and give way.

What Your Vet May Say or Do

After the initial symptoms have been identified blood tests, urine samples and scans may be taken to find the underlying problem and then that underlying problem will need to be taken care of separately for the dog to resume normality.

The following link takes you to a page of common underlying causes of this problem.

Possible Underlying Causes And Infections



Other Possible Conditions

Dog Leaking Urine, Wetting Their Bed, or Urinating On The Floor
Abnormal Bladder Development Causing Incontinence(ectopic ureters)
Incontinence Due to Excessive Urine Production
Dog Overflow Incontinence
Dog True Urinary Incontinence
Incontinence in Male Dogs