Dog leaking urine.

Dr. Marie replied:

I have a few questions for you before I answer:

1. Is Aud spayed? If not, when was her last heat cycle?
2. Do you know the name of the cortisone injection? Was it depo-medrol? (I'm trying to figure out if it is long lasting injection.)

Thanks!


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Dr. Marie replied:

OK, thanks for that info!

While I can't give you a complete diagnosis over the internet, I can give you a few ideas as to what is possibly going on. The good news is that this doesn't sound like anything too serious.

The reason why I was asking if Aud is spayed is because I think there is a possibility she has something called Urethral Sphincter Mechanism Incontinence (USMI). You can read about this here: USMI in dogs. To summarize that article, some dogs, years after they have been spayed, will have a weakness in their urinary sphincter which can cause them to leak urine. Dogs that have this will often leak urine when they are relaxed (i.e. on the bed.)

So, why is this suddenly happening now? Sometimes dogs with USMI will show more symptoms if for some reason their body is making more urine than usual. A long acting steroid (such as Depredil) can definitely cause the body to produce more urine.

If I am right, then you will find that once the steroid wears off, things will get better. It will gradually wear off more and more over the next few weeks, but may take up to 6 weeks to completely get out of her system. You may find that after just a few days the steroid level has decreased enough so that she is no longer having accidents.

There are other things that can cause a dog to produce more urine such as a problem with the kidneys. Most dogs with kidney disease will not feel well, be vomiting and off of their food, so it doesn't sound like this is what is happening with Aud.

The best advice I can give would be to call your veterinarian and ask if her symptoms could be related to the steroid injection. They will likely tell you to just wait things out. However, if you wanted to be more sure that nothing serious is going on, then it would be a good idea to have your vet do some tests on her urine to make sure that there is not a kidney problem. (I think a kidney problem is quite unlikely though.)

I would recommend seeing the vet if any of the following occur:
-lack of appetite
-straining to urinate
-vomiting
-if your gut is just telling you something is wrong

I am definitely a fan of pet insurance. I wrote an article about pet insurance here: Pet Insurance. One problem, in your situation, however, is that most plans will have exclusion periods and as such they wouldn't cover something that already existed before you got the insurance. As vets we need to tell the insurance company when the problem started, and we need to document everything on the pet's medical record. So, you would not likely be able to get coverage for this current problem. With that being said, I doubt that you will have to do much (other than perhaps a urine test just to be sure.)

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have more questions. I will be on a conference call for the next hour or so, so if you reply I may not be able to respond right away.

Dr. Marie.