Question:
I belong to a 9-year-old female poodle. She has had a few accidents in the last few weeks (all in her sleep). She had a complete urinalysis, and that was OK.My question is: If it is incontinence starting, is there anything other than drugs to control this condition? If not, what about side effects?.
R.D.M., Neptune, NJ Feb 22, 2004
Answer:
Since your dog's urinalysis is all clear, she is probably suffering from incontinence associated with being spayed. A short course of treatment with replacement hormone diethylstilbestrol (DES) may prove safe and effective. Long-term treatment is to be avoided because of potentially harmful side effects. I have found that many incontinent spayed dogs respond well to DES medication given for 7 to 10 days, and do not need to be given repeated treatments for several months.
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