Urinary Incontinence

Question 1

What are the most common causes of urinary incontinence in juveniles?

Answer 1

Ureteral ectopia
Congenital USMI
Genitourinary dysplasia

Question 2

What can cause urinary URGE incontinence?

Answer 2

UTI, Uroliths, Neoplasia

Question 3

What is USMI and which group does it most commonly effect?

Answer 3

Urethral Sphincter Mechanism Incompetence
Commonly acquired in neutered bitches

Question 4

What is the usual sign of USMI?

Answer 4

urine leakage during recumbency

Question 5

What increases the risk of a dog developing USMI? (5)

Answer 5

Neutering (especially large breeds)
Age of neutering e.g. pre first season
Breed
Size (>20kg)
Tail docking

Question 6

How is urinary incontinence treated? (3)

Answer 6

Treat underlying causes e.g. UTI, systemic disease
Diet to reduce weight if obese
Medication to increase urethral tone

Question 7

What medication can be used to increase urethral tone? (3)

Answer 7

Phenylpropanolamine (Propalin)
Estriol (Incurin)- Female Only
Testosterone (Durateston)- Male only

() = trade name

Question 8

Apart from medication that increases urethral tone, what other two drugs can we give to help urinary incontinence?

Answer 8

Imipramine- improves bladder storage function due to its alpha adrenergic effects
GnRH analogues causes a fall in FSH and LH (some evidence to suggest unsuppressed FSH & LH cause urinary incontinence)

Question 9

Why is USMI in male dogs different to females?

Answer 9

because it responds very poorly to medical treatment

Question 10

What is Ureteral ectopia?

Answer 10

Condition where the ureters by pass the bladder and open into the urethra or vagina

Question 11

How can an animal get an acquired ureteral ectopia?

Answer 11

In surgery- fistula formation/ when ureter has been incorporated into parts of the suturing

Question 12

What are the clinical signs of Ureteral Ectopia?

Answer 12

Continual urine dribbling incontinence but can still urinate normally too- may have urine scalds because of this

Question 13

How does the most common type of Ureteral ectopia vary amongst species?

Answer 13

Dogs are most likely to have intramural ectopia- ureter partially bypasses the bladder due to an extra bit of tissue
Cats are most likely to have extramural- ureter bypasses the bladder completely

Question 14

What is Genitourinary dysplasia?

Answer 14

congenital developmental abnormality that causes one singular common vagina/ bladder