Dog Community

Incontinence Experience + Question

CJG

Posted : 6/10/2006 11:46:41 PM

Thanks to everyone who contributes to this forum. I have found a lot of useful information here. I want to share my experience and ask a question.

Experience: My husband and I adopted a 3 year old female black lab from the local shelter in December 2005. She came to us with a horrible case of kennel cough and both ears infected. Once we cleared up the kennel cough (3 rounds of antibiotics!) and the ear infections, we realized that she is incontinent (pees when asleep or very relaxed). We took her to the "regular" vet, who put her on PPA. The PPA immediately cured the incontinence, but made her very, very anxious (bordering on aggressive). After 10 days we took her off the PPA and she returned to her sweet self. Also the incontinence returned. The "regular" vet then told us the next option was DES. We were not crazy about putting her on another strong drug, so we took her to a holistic vet for evaluation. Let me stress that we both have limited experience with the holistic approach to heath issues (animal or human), but we thought, why not try something less drastic than the PPA or DES? The holistic vet recommended a diet change, herbs, and chiropractic treatments. We phased in the new food and herbs over 10 days, but did the first chiropractic treatment right away. Immediately her incontinence stopped. We have since had to adjust the amount of herbs and frequency of chiropractic treatments, but are really, really happy to report that her incontinence is largely under control (also, the new diet - Innova Evo - has improved her coat, removed her dandruff problem, and almost cured her tendency for ear infections).

Question: Sparky still has a little leakage, which is not a big deal for us (her dog beds are all waterproof now), but we notice that she is frequently is red around her "lady business" (OK, that's my husband's term for dog vagina - probably there is a veterinary term for it, but I don't know it...), which we suspect is from the small amount of leakage she still has. Any ideas on cause/solutions?

Many thanks for any input.

glenmar

Posted : 6/11/2006 8:14:20 AM

Urine can really burn the skin. (think diaper rash in an infant). You likely should have this checked to be sure that it isn't a yeast infection first, and if not, try cleansing the area when she first gets up with just a warm washclothe. Maybe ask the vet about using something like vaseline to protect the skin?

Sorry, not a huge help, but that's all I've got. Congrats tho on finding a more natural way to help her.

willowchow

Posted : 6/11/2006 8:34:52 AM

Chows are really prone to urine scald and Willow has had it a few times.

The vet prescribed an ointment, called Animax. I use it as needed if she's getting really red.

Also, to keep things under control so we don't get to the point of needing the Animax I've discovered these little wipes, Itch Stop Wipes by Petkin. They are good for little skin irritations and help itch, etc. They have a bit of a bitter taste which is good because you don't want them licking that area, it escalates the problem really fast. I also use these if she's itchy somewhere like her tail now and then. Oh, the wipes are non toxic, non stinging. I use them once a day for so.

cakana

Posted : 6/11/2006 11:27:08 AM

My previous dog (a samoyed) had spay incontinence and we used the DES with great success. We were able to give her only one pill per week and she never had any further problems. Since she would nap anywhere in the house, there wasn't really an option and they weren't using the PPAs at the time. I know that there is some concerns about using DES, but I think that they can run tests yearly to insure nothing's developed. Not sure if that helps or not, but I'd probably go that route again if I needed to.

jennie_c_d

Posted : 6/11/2006 9:56:14 PM

Emma's incontinent, and she'll get pretty pink around her vulva (which is the word for the external part, I think?) if I don't keep it dry, all the time. I try to wipe her clean at least once a day. If she's playing in water, she gets dried when she's done, and she typically hops into the shower with me in the morning, so I'll just rinse her rump and belly (she's white, and gets stained) and dry her off when I get out.

Accupuncture helps her incontinence a LOT, but it only lasts about 10 days. I can't do accupuncture every 10 days, at $50 per visit, so I just deal with an incontinent dog. I'm about to try the Homeopet remedy, "Leaks No More", but I'm not too concerned with her dripping. We don't have carpet, and I need to keep the floor swept and mopped for my allergies, anyways

Donnie Starr

Posted : 6/14/2006 3:09:27 PM

Shelter dogs can be such a mess! Thank goodness you're taking care of her now and she's in a good home.

I agree with everything said, including keeping her dry to prevent skin irritation. My German Shepherd isn't spayed so whenever she is in heat, I put on these Hot Pants that prevent her from bleeding all over house. If you want more information, let me know. You can just stick a pad on it and it can absorb the urine... might work? I dunno.

Donnie

CJG

Posted : 6/15/2006 8:17:52 AM

Thank you everyone - this is really helpful. I appreciate it.