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Urinary Incontinence and Bladder Infection in Dogs

By Tess Thompson

An infected bladder can cause a strong urge to urinate and is a primary cause of canine and feline urinary incontinence. A long standing bladder infection can damage the bladder rendering it unable to stretch when there is a need to hold urine. Generally in cases of urinary incontinence the dog is unaware of dribbling or the passing of urine. However, when incontinence is cause due to a bladder infection the dog is aware of the urination but is unable to control the urge, which compels him to urinate at places where he is not meant to.

Bladder infection is more common in female dogs and affects the lower urinary tract. Though the urinary tract is otherwise sterile, the urethral opening, through which urine is passed out, is the entry point for the bacteria. These bacteria cause urinary tract infections in dogs. Bladder infection can occur at any age and UTI in puppies is also a common occurrence.

Dogs with an infected bladder tend to empty the bladder partially each time that they urinate. This occurs due to a difficulty in emptying the entire urinary bladder in one go and makes the urine extremely smelly. The urine may sometimes contain blood due to severe infections caused by calculi, cancer, or a tumor.

The diagnosis of urinary tract infections is not complicated at all. A simple laboratory examination of the urine and blood often determines its prevalence. The vet may suggest a urine culture to identify the pathogen that is causing the infection to be able to prescribe the most effective antibiotic.

Since dribbling and urination in undesignated places can cause a fair amount of frustration among owners, the first attempt to cure such a condition is a complete diagnoses followed up with treatment. Treatment modalities for bacterial bladder infection are different from what is required if the problem is due to some other condition and therefore consulting an expert is the best option.

Most of the lower urinary tract infections are simple to treat and dogs usually respond well to antibiotics. Bladder infection that does not respond to antibiotics necessitates further investigation. Your pet may also need to undergo an X-Ray of the bladder to confirm whether there is any formation of crystals, calculi or any indication of a tumor in the bladder.

References:

http://www.thepetcheckup.com/works/screen/urinary_bladder_disease.html
http://www.dogchannel.com/dog-books/dog-bladder-infection.aspx?cm_sp=InternalClicks-_-RelatedArticles-_-dog-books/dog-bladder-infection
http://www.ygrr.org/doginfo/health-bladder.html