Incontinent Shepherd


Incontinent Shepherd
I have a 7 year old female, spayed, German shepherd, approximately 95 lbs. She has had urinary incontinence since 1 1/2 years old. Will have uncontrolled urination (dribbling) while at rest. She is not aware that she is urinating as it leaks all over, soaking her. She was started on DES 1mg, but it had no effect, then was put on Phenylpropanolamine 50mg, 1 tablet three times a day. This medication worked up until recently, but now she is having more frequent episodes of this problem. We have now been using Bethanechol, 25 mg, 1/4 tablet 3 times a day, for about 1 month, but it does not seem to have improved the problem. We have had lab work and a urinalysis done recently and both returned normal results. Do you have any suggestions or any information for us
Incontinence is most common in older, spayed dogs. It is caused by a failure of the urethral sphincter muscle to properly close the urine flow. It is unusual for a seven year old to be incontinent, so you may wish to pursue the problem diagnostically with you veterinarian, before trying sphincter control medications. Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) is a common, over the counter medication, found in diet pills, and decongestant tablets. Prolonged or high dose usage can cause dry sinuses, leading to nose bleeds, and weight loss. The nerves and muscles this medication was acting upon may have built up temporary resistance. I recommend trying this medication again after a two to three month break. Also, PPA works only for a brief few hours after ingestion, so it often works best dosing a critical times of the day, rather than a routine of every eight hours. You should work closely with your veterinarian for dosing assistance, however at 50 mg, most shepherds are able to take higher amounts. PPA is a very safe medicine, and much preferred over the Estrogen's for urinary control problems. You may be able to approach the problem behaviorally, by training her to go outside frequently, or give her urinary pads to use.
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Incontinence is most common in older, spayed dogs. It is caused by a failure of the urethral sphincter muscle to properly close the urine flow. It is unusual for a seven year old to be incontinent, so you may wish to pursue the problem diagnostically with you veterinarian, before trying sphincter control medications. Phenylpropanolamine (PPA) is a common, over the counter medication, found in diet pills, and decongestant tablets. Prolonged or high dose usage can cause dry sinuses, leading to nose bleeds, and weight loss. The nerves and muscles this medication was acting upon may have built up temporary resistance. I recommend trying this medication again after a two to three month break. Also, PPA works only for a brief few hours after ingestion, so it often works best dosing a critical times of the day, rather than a routine of every eight hours. You should work closely with your veterinarian for dosing assistance, however at 50 mg, most shepherds are able to take higher amounts. PPA is a very safe medicine, and much preferred over the Estrogen's for urinary control problems. You may be able to approach the problem behaviorally, by training her to go outside frequently, or give her urinary pads to use.

Incontinent Shepherd

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