How To Stop Dog Urinary Incontinence With Holistic Options
Urinary incontinence (leaking urine) is surprisingly common in many dogs. In spite of what you may think, most cases of urinary incontinence can be resolved with some fairly simple treatments. In this article I will discuss the common signs and symptoms of dogs being incontinent, then cover the most important natural remedies that can be used to treat your dog’s leaking bladder at home.
The first thing to do is ascertain that it really is incontinence, and not a bladder infection or submissive urination. Incontinence is defined as involuntary urine leakage, and this often occurs at night when your dog is relaxed or sleeping. Dogs with diabetes or kidney failure may drink excessively, and then be unable to go through the night without urinating in the house. The most common occurrence is in middle-aged spayed female dogs. They have lost a source of estrogen that is needed to maintain bladder control. Other less common causes include bladder infections, and spinal cord damage.
As there can be several causes, you should first visit your veterinarian to determine the most likely cause. They can perform a physical exam, a urinalysis to check for presence of infection, and blood work to check organ function. If it is determined that estrogen responsive incontinence is the likely diagnosis, then your veterinarian may suggest using estrogen medication.
Some glandular supplements can help your spayed female dog produce more natural estrogen. These are generally known as raw gland concentrates. One product available at health food stores is called ‘Female Caps‘ (Solaray). The dose is 1/4 capsule per 10 lbs of body weight daily. This can be tried for 30 days to see if it will be effective.
Naturally increasing estrogen is a smart and simple thing to do. Ground flax seed is a great source of plant estrogens – the dose is 1 teaspoon per cup of food daily. Soy isoflavones are another good source of estrogen. These can be purchased as an extract under the brand name Genista. The dose is 1/4 capsule per 10 lbs of body weight daily. Use for 30 days to see if they are effective.
Back injuries sometimes put pressure on the nerves that control the bladder. Hold your thumb and index finger and locate the dip between the vertebrae on either side of your pet’s backbone. Press straight down for two seconds then release. Start at the middle of the spine and go to the tail. This helps move the spine, keeping it flexible and may release any excess pressure on the nerves.
There are acupressure points that control the bladder as well as influencing the adrenal glands. BL1, located on the inside of the eye; BL13, BL14, BL15, located along the spine at the level of the front shoulder; BL67, located on the outside of the lateral toe on the rear foot; SP6, located on the inside of the back leg above the hock; SP10, located just above the knee. Put pressure on each of the points for 1 minute twice daily for 2 weeks. If this appears to be helping regain control, repeat the pressure once per week.
If your dog is incontinent, take comfort in knowing that this can likely be easily remedied. If you have a spayed female dog, the most likely cause is hormonal, with the diagnosis being estrogen responsive incontinence.
Heal Your Pet At Home!
Best Wishes,
Dr Andrew Jones, DVM
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Also food can cause incontinence for some dogs. My 15 years old GSD only leaks after she eats chicken.
My 5 year old female yellow lab has been incontinent since birth. We had her spayed as a puppy and had her get spinal adjustments. She continued to leak. She has been on multiple medications since 12 weeks old. As time goes on it won’t work. She had an ultra sound last week and we were told she has an ectopic ureter. The surgery only has a 50% success rate at a cost of $3500.00. I am torn on what to do?
My little yorkie that passed away leaked since she was a puppy. The onstart was after she was spayed too early. The Vet that I took her to after she was spayed put her on Des Ous I had to give it every day for a long time, then reduced it to 0.1 daily which kept her dry until she passed away
I adopted my female aussie-cattle dog mix when she was 8. She had leakage problems when she came to me. I tried every single holistic solution suggested. My vet insisted that Proin is not dangerous. Have her on 50 mg’s, it worked but is now failing. I don’t know what to do!!
How long does it take for flaxseed oil to start working? My GSD has had bladder leak issues ever since I got her spayed. I’m about ready to put her down as life must be miserable. These vets over vax so their immune system attacks itself and then pressure you to spay them ending up with a whole new set of problems.
Until the desired outcome is achieved.