My puppy leaks urine. How do vets diagnose ectopic ureters?

Hello. It is possible that Starr has what is called ectopic ureter(s), a deformity where one or both ureters connect to the bladder in an abnormal position. This sometimes can be found with ultrasound, but often requires more advanced diagnostics, such as fluoroscopy, contrast radiography/vaginography or a CT scan. Your veterinarian seems to have done an excellent job ruling out most of the causes of the incontinence, now you may need the help of a specialist most often associated with a university veterinary teaching hospital. Hopefully you can find someone to help with the final diagnosis of what may be going on with Starr. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would assume the small is from her anal glands I would recommend having a veterinarian express them to make sure they are not infected or impacted. If they are infected it can cause excess licking but not linked to urinary issues. If dogs are spayed very young they can get incontience issues. However I would highly recommend doing a urine culture first and making sure she is 100 percent healthy before starting incontience medications

Antibiotics would not help ectopic ureter, so I would definitely question the diagnosis if urine leakage suddenly went away and then returned. The shape of the vulva would only affect the urine stream as she's urinating and would not cause her to dribble urine. This is all good information that you should share with the veterinarian that has been treating Willow, because it will help them identify the cause, or identify information that was not passed onto you about her current condition. If you are suspecting that Willow is not being treated appropriately, then you may consider seeking a second vet opinion. Most vets are comfortable with this decision and may even encourage it. Below is a short article that may be helpful for you to decide if it's time to seek a second opinion. https://www.petcoach.co/article/when-is-it-time-to-seek-a-second-veterinary-opinion/ I hope that helps.

Excessive drinking could be a sign of infection, such as a uterine infection since she is intact, also could be a sign of diabetes, there are a number of conditions that induce thirst. I strongly recommend getting her in to see the vet as soon as possible for an exam. If it is a uterine infection and she is in otherwise good health, getting her spayed at this age shouldn't be a problem.

Some females will develop incontinence after the spay. This does make them more prone to urinary tract infections and I do recommend to have Amber visit her veterinarian. The doctor will check her for a bladder infection and if that is clear they will discuss starting her on a medication to tighten the sphincter. This will likely stop the incontinence. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions!

Yes, waiting until after the heat cycle is definitely worth considering in any female with urinary control issues. It allows for full hormonal develeopment of the pelvic area and can be beneficial in many cases. It may not help with excited/submissive urination directly but every little helps

Hello and than you for reaching out about Ellie. This could be a one off accident but it may be related to bladder infection. Urine incontinence after giving birth is very uncommon in dogs. We see sometimes urine incontinence after neutering, but this is related to drop in hormones level resulting in weak urethral sphincter. Please, monitor Ellie at home for the next 24-48hrs. If she has more accidents, you should take her to your local vets. Please, take a urine sample with you, if possible, - it would be the best initial diagnostic test for Ellie.