Is your dog's incontinence a cause for concern?

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