Welcome to Petplan’s blog, a space where you can read up on the latest pet-news, find out interesting facts and tips about keeping your pets happy and healthy, and share your views on hot topics.
Q: My five-year-old Labrador's bedding is always damp in the morning. She is not overweight and gets plenty of exercise. What could be causing this?
A: The most likely cause of her damp bedding is small amounts of urine, as it is not uncommon for female dogs to become urinary incontinent as they get older. Sometimes associated with neutering, hormonal urinary incontinence results in leaky urinary sphincters (the smooth muscle valves involved with urinary control), leading to a dog who dribbles at night, when they are asleep and rely on involuntary control. As a first step, it is worth taking your dog and a urine sample into your vet clinic because, if diagnosed, this condition tends to be very well controlled with daily oral medications.
Scott Miller, vet
Q: My cat has started urinating on my carpets. I use Feliway (a synthetic feline facial pheromone) to discourage scratching, but it doesn't stop her urinating. What can I do?
A: You say that your cat is urinating, but you need to rule out whether it might be spraying. Spraying is a marking behaviour which often occurs when a cat feels insecure and needs to surround itself with its own scent. Feliway would probably have helped if this was a marking behaviour as it reduced the cat scratching (which is another type of marking). This, along with the fact that you say your cat is soiling on the carpet, suggests it is probably urination. Talk to your vet and have a urine sample checked as your cat may be suffering from a urinary tract infection, which can result in a breakdown of toilet training.
Inga MacKellar, animal behaviourist
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