My 10-year-old dog is peeing where she sleeps. What should I do?

At her age there are several things it can be. Your vet can collect a urine sample to check for a urinary tract infection. They can always draw some blood to check her kidneys and blood sugar and for Cushings disease. All these can cause an increase in drinking and urination which will lead to accidents. If all of that is normal, than she may be getting incontinent and they have medication for that also!

The most likely fluid in a spayed female dog would be urine. When a dog dribbles urine or leaves spots of urine on the bedding I often think about urinary tract infections. Older dogs can also develop urinary sphyncter incompetence (or a weak sphyncter), making it difficult for them to hold their bladder overnight. There are also less common causes, for instance bladder stones or endocrine diseases. Your veterinarian will likely offer to run a urinalysis, a urine culture, and maybe some bloodwork on Sassy to determine what might be causing the urine leaking. There are antibiotics we use for urinary tract infections and if it appears to be loss of bladder control there are medications to help with that as well. A visit to the vet should help you sort out the cause and hopefully get Sassy acting more like herself. I hope this was helpful!

She is probably suffering from urinary incontinence, a common condition in old female dogs, take her to the vet and they will first rule out a urinary infection then they will start her on a medication for urinary incontinence.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Shadow is having urinary accidents in the house. There are numerous health conditions that can cause increased drinking and urination, including urinary tract infection, kidney disease, liver disease, Cushing's disease, Addison's disease, behavioral conditions, even certain cancers. Shadow may have urinary incontinence, which is not uncommon in female dogs. I recommend having Shadow evaluated by your primary veterinarian, who may recommend blood and/or urine tests to see if she has an underlying reason for her increased drinking and urination. I hope this is helpful!

Hi there! I'm sorry to read about Martha's troubles. There are several reasons for incontinence in dogs. It can range from something as simple as a urinary tract infection to kidney disease as you've mentioned, to actual incontinence. Sometimes stones or crystals in the urinary bladder can cause incontinence too. Normally what I do for a pet that is having urinary incontinence is evaluate some lab work like blood and urine and make sure the kidneys are ok, and that we aren't dealing with a urinary tract infection - which includes sometimes a kidney infection. If any of these things are the potential causes, I'll treat them accordingly. I will also check xrays to look for urinary bladder stones. If all of the above things are ruled out, meaning they aren't the cause, I will treat with incontinence medications. I'd definitely recommend a vet visit for Ms. Martha. You may get a lot of answers about this issue and her overall health, which is important for senior pet!

Dribbling urine is not normal and can be a sign of urinary incontinence. Other issues such as bladder infections or muscular/nerve issues may also cause incontinence. Since your girl is a senior and is also spayed, it is possible the muscles surrounding her bladder have weakened. It is best to schedule a veterinary exam as soon as possible as well as bring in a sample of her urine to check for common issues such as infections. Your vet can then recommend treatment as needed depending on the underlying cause such as antibiotics to treat infection, or medications to increase bladder tone.

Urinary incontinence is a common problem in older spayed female dogs. Your veterinarian can prescribe medication to control this. I’m glad you’ve checked her urine and since it was negative then starting her on medication for incontinence is the next step. I usually start with Proin, and they can add another medication if that isn’t effective. These are prescription medications so you’ll need to talk with your veterinarian about trying one. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Munch.