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Incontinence In Spayed Bitches


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I'm hearing that incontinence is a big problem in spayed bitches. I knew it could be a problem, I just didn't realise that it was a very common problem. Can you let me know if you've had a problem with it, when your bitch was spayed and how long after the incontinence started and was there any medication that you used that got the incontinence under control.

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Through rescue, breeding, my families dogs and mine (about 30 bitches) I have had 1 case. She was desexed at about 2 years and within 3 months she was leaking. She's on Stibeostrol sp? for it (1 tablet per fortnight). I have read that poor technique in spaying can cause incontinence and if that's possible then this one would be a case of that.

I've had other bitches done at the same age, a couple done much later (around 5-6 years) and many done at 7 weeks. And I think the studies show that age has little to do with it happening.

Edited by molasseslass
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Shadow our Labrador was Spayed at 6 Months and started having the problem at nearly 5 years of age, it didn't last long so the Vet said to wait.

But it has just started to happen again so we will be going back to the vet to see how we can help her.

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The only bitches I know personally who are incontinent were spayed at 6 and 8 months.

First two (6 months) became incontinent at about age 5

The third (8 months and after a season) has just become incontinent aged 12.

I dont know any early desexed bitches at all.

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My last foster dog got it about a month after being desexed at 12mths of age. It went away without medication within about 2wks of it starting and so far (touch wood) it hasn't come back. Fortunatley she has a very understanding new mum who is ready in case it ever returns. None of the eight other bitches I have had have had any problems.

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Yes I have had it to some degree in all my bitches and it is one of the reasons that Rommi isn't speyed yet - among other reasons.

All have been speyed by different vets and at different ages.

Bitch 1 - Rotti desexed 7 months incontinent at 12 months. Went away after a short time but reappeared a few times before she was euthanased at 3yrs.

Bitch 2 - Dobe desexed at 6 years, incontinent at around 7 and a half years. She had Stilboesterol until she dies at nearly 12. Towards the end she had a table every couple of days, miss one and she flooded.

Bitch 3 - Dobe desexed at 5 years, incontinent just before 7 went onto Propalin I think? and after inital treatment was maintained on a lower dose until starting on fluid and heart tablets. In the last month she was on these she got worse until in the last week she would walk along and have it running out of her. She was euthed at 8 and a half.

BItch 4 Whippet 3 years entire, no incontinence issues.

Edited by OSoSwift
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one out of four bitches, 3 spayed at 6 months, one at 3 years. The one who became incontinent was spayed at 6 months and incontinent at around 8 years after a UTI. Tried stilbosterol (sp?) tablets for a few weeks, had a break, incontinence came back, went on tablets again and ended up on one tablet twice a week for the rest of her life, nearly 3 years.

eta the breeds, 3 GSD, one who became incontinent, all now deceased and one crossbreed who at nearly 14 is still going great guns

Edited by Rebanne
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It's strange for me that this topic has come up. My young girl was speyed at 6 months. Unbeknownst to me she was still in season as a result of eating a whole packet of human contraceptive pills several weeks before. I knew about the pills but never knew about her still being in season or of course would not have booked her in. Anyway about a month after that she had a very bad bladder infection with an extremely high temp. She is now 3 and has had a bladder infection two more times since. All bar the first have resolved quickly without medication. I have always wondered whether the desexing has resulted in her now having a niggly bladder? All three times she has exhibited the same symptoms but there is nothing in her diet or environment that is any different. I have never been game to ask my vet given she ingested the pills under my care (she used to be one of those dogs who ate anything and everything - we are smarter now and she has matured a little).

My rescue who is now over 16 started having a piddling problem when she got dementia early last year so it is a mix of an old bladder and not remembering her toilet training. She wears nappies at night now so we don't get wet carpet. She had one litter and was desexed at around 2 but her reproductive area had been very damaged by complications from a c-section with the litter when she was 1 (when I got her as a rescue) so she wouldn't have been able to have a further litter anyway.

Edited by Puppy_Sniffer
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I had 2 ridgeback bitches who were spayed at 8 months, both started leaking about 3 months after this and at age 12 ( they still live with my mum) they still leak. She has them on some hormones which do seem to help a bit but without them they leak very badly. I think in their case it was technique as they were done by the same vet on the same day and both ended up incontinent.

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Millie was spayed just over 2 years ago, at what we think was around 2 years of age (she's a rescue), and started being incontinent a year ago. Only when she's drunk heaps, so I don't find any wet patches in winter when she drinks less. We're off to see the vet just as soon as I remember to make that appointment, as she had a bad episode last week!

Edited by RubyStar
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My rescue who is now over 16 started having a piddling problem when she got dementia early last year so it is a mix of an old bladder and not remembering her toilet training. She wears nappies at night now so we don't get wet carpet. She had one litter and was desexed at around 2 but her reproductive area had been very damaged by complications from a c-section with the litter when she was 1 (when I got her as a rescue) so she wouldn't have been able to have a further litter anyway.

Incontinence in elderly dogs is almost to be expected I think. You can't expect everything to still be working perfectly when you're 112 in human terms. :laugh:

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My rescue who is now over 16 started having a piddling problem when she got dementia early last year so it is a mix of an old bladder and not remembering her toilet training. She wears nappies at night now so we don't get wet carpet. She had one litter and was desexed at around 2 but her reproductive area had been very damaged by complications from a c-section with the litter when she was 1 (when I got her as a rescue) so she wouldn't have been able to have a further litter anyway.

Incontinence in elderly dogs is almost to be expected I think. You can't expect everything to still be working perfectly when you're 112 in human terms. :laugh:

Sorry - didn't meant to imply there was a link. Was just showing the other side of it - damaged girly bits, later desex and old age nappy wearer versus younger desexed dog with bladder infections. It's tough being a girl.....

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My rescue who is now over 16 started having a piddling problem when she got dementia early last year so it is a mix of an old bladder and not remembering her toilet training. She wears nappies at night now so we don't get wet carpet. She had one litter and was desexed at around 2 but her reproductive area had been very damaged by complications from a c-section with the litter when she was 1 (when I got her as a rescue) so she wouldn't have been able to have a further litter anyway.

Incontinence in elderly dogs is almost to be expected I think. You can't expect everything to still be working perfectly when you're 112 in human terms. :laugh:

Sorry - didn't meant to imply there was a link. Was just showing the other side of it - damaged girly bits, later desex and old age nappy wearer versus younger desexed dog with bladder infections. It's tough being a girl.....

Not directed specifically at you, I think it's hard to know even with a 10 year old dog whether it's because she was spayed at 6 months or just because she's old.

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I have spayed a lot of bitchs and never had an issue apart from some age related incontinence. My vet said the trick is not to spay within 6 weeks either side of a season as it increases the risk. A lot of breeds first come into season around the 6mth range and I often wonder about the wisdom of spaying them then. Perhaps better to do it around 5mths or wait until 6 weeks after the first season. Vet ability does also come into it, my vet is great!

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My 12YO has had leaky problems for about the past 2 years. I got her as a 9YO rescue, but found out later she was speyed at 10 months old. Between the age of 9-10 I don't remember having any big problems. But after 10 it became a problem. She first went on Stilboestrol, but this lost it's effect after 12 months. She was put on to Propalin (this is a liquid that they have in their food every 12 hours) which works wonderfully well. She is also diabetic, so if her BSL is up I know because she has accidents even when she has her Propalin. We have tried taking her off it to see if it was just the diabetes causing the incontinence, it's not! So with her there are a few factors I think contributing to her incontinence. But I must make mention that if you notice your dog is becoming incontinent make sure you look at all possibilities - this was one of my very obvious signs she had developed diabetes.

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When my Rotti was desexed the vet said she was not close to being in season at all.

The older Dobe was done when I got her, she was done due to a uterine infection which becamse apparent shortly after an emergency ceasar.

The younger Dobe's spey was planned carefully to make sure she was in the phase of her cycle less likely to cause any hormonal issues. It still didn't work.

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I'm not sure about the vet technique being a factor in a lot of cases because from my limited research, leaking in spayed bitches is mostly caused by a weak bladder sphincter muscle which is a hormonal thing (lack of); hence most of treatments are hormone related. Most leaking occurs when this sphincter muscle is relaxed.

My bitch was de-sexed at around 2yrs old & started leaking in her sleep at around 5yrs. She doesn't leak when she's awake & I control it mostly by taking her outside to pee every three hours or so because Stilbestrol didn't work for her & she seems to go through long phases of staying fairly dry. She sleeps in her own bed at night with polar fleece blankets that are easy to wash & fast drying.

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I've only desexed 2 of my bitches, both as adults. One became incontinent about 8 mths later and she was on medication for it the rest of her life.The other still hasn't and she's 10 now. I don't like the 50% strike rate!

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