Question:
I am looking to get a second opinion on our 4 year old female lab. 2 Years ago she had struvite crystals & a bladder infection. She has since been treated and has been on C/D ever since. Our problem is when she exercises and drinks allot of water (a dog bowl size or more) she will urinate on herself after about 10 minutes and then another 10 minutes. We find when we take her out in two 10 minute increments and tell her to potty it will some times do the trick. However, she won't squat, she will stand with her legs spread apart and walk as she does it.

We have tried the Proin Plus (I think that is the short name for it) and Glycoflex neither seemed to work. We have also had a bladder ultrasound, Chem 20 & a urine culture done on her and all came back negative. She was spaded when she was 6 1/2 months old. She seems to lick her private area allot more and sometimes when I check her belly and her private area I will sometimes find urine pooling around her private.

Do you know of anything else that could be causing this? Oh I also get quarterly urine analysis done and so far so good. I have to say that last month she was doing great even after exercising and drinking allot of water
( No accidents).
It seems this month has been really bad. Would a tumor on the bladder show up on the ultrasound and would the Chem 20 rule that out also?

Please keep in mind this only happens after she drinks allot of water from exercising or playing ball. Is there a type of surgery to repair the muscle? I am very concerned about her health. This dog is our baby.


Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Donna Hebert

Answer:
If she isn't squatting to pee, it sounds like she has no control over it. Does she pee at any other time, like while sleeping or resting? The fact that she licks a lot sounds like urine may be leaking out.

Has your vet mentioned spay incontinence? The leakage does sound like it.

Drinking a whole bowl of water after exercise sounds excessive. Does she drink heavily at any other time? I wouldn't let her drink that much after exercise anyway.

Answer:
I would say she squats 95% of the time. The non-squating only happens after she has drank a bunch of water but it is not all the time. She just drank water after playing ball tonight. I took her outside and she did squat both times I took her out to pee. I guess I need to really watch how many times she actually doesn't squat. I may need to keep a journal on this and let my vet know. I sometimes feel my vet gets irritated with me be/c he keeps saying she is fine and I say something is wrong. He called it ido something....basically they don't know. Except for the fact that the muscle may have been stretched out due to the bladder & urinary infection.

No she does not pee while sleeping or resting. Now if she drinks allot of water and then lays on the floor she will pee if you don't take her out in the two 10 minute increments.

No my vet has not mentioned spay incontinence. What are the reasons behind that? She was spayed at 6 1/2 months and this all started about
1 1/2 years ago and it's been ongoing Any cures for that?

Is that bad for her to drink that much after walking (2 miles a day) & playing ball (every now an then)? No she does not drink that heavily on a normal basis. Only after walking or playing ball at the park.

Answer: