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Why is my elderly dog still leaking urine after multiple antibiotics?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | neutered

Hi there my elderly Labrador is leaking urine constantly and we were told by the vet he had a nasty infection so we got antibiotics for a week then a week later we requested more as he wast any better. They sent a sample of to the lab and then gave us more tablets for the correct type of infection and then again more tablets the following weeks with original tablets for stronger use but still no improvement and we are washing blankets daily and he is unsettled in the night as constantly licking

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 14th, 2017

It sounds like Blacky had a urinary tract infection, which sometimes can become recurrent or resistant and difficult to treat. His urine may need to be cultured again to see if the infection has resolved. Sometimes bladder stones or polyps, or diseases like Cushing's or kidney disease could also cause urine leakage. Finally, he may have urinary incontinence due to a neurologic issue and require medication to help stop the leakage. I would recommend talking to your veterinarian to see if there are any additional tests they would recommend.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on August 22nd, 2017
Hi there, Sorry that Blacky is having this issue.

Yes, he could just have incontinence although it is not as common in male dogs as it is in female dogs. That is likely why your vet wants to do some diagnostic testing. That being said, if he is truly leaking (especially when sleeping) it sure sounds like incontinence to me.

Likely the urine would need to be tested again. I'm guessing the vet was assuming a urinary tract infection was present? Again, not that common in male dogs so I doubt that is the issue.

I would suggest you just communicate with your vet that you would like to try the incontinence therapy for a few weeks to see if it helps. If it does, great. If not, then you will need to resort to the testing. That would be my recommendation. If your vet is not open to this you may want to consider a second opinion with another vet.

I hope this helps. Best wishes.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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