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Female Doberman Incontinence

Ddski5

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I just read a Facebook thread in which almost every single female Doberman has urinary incontinence. A couple of folks said it is sooo bad that every single one of their females in their past had it and they will only have males thus forth. Yes, I know it’s Facebook....and were they from BYB’s??? but it does have me question and wonder:

1. Is urinary incontinence in female Dobermans that common?

2. Why does it seem to appear after the spaying surgery? Is there some kind of mechanical insult that is caused? Does the surgery cut through or weaken some supporting urinary tract musculature/structures?

3. Do you know of any Dobermans that are urinary incontinent?

I think @jazzies mum had issues early on? Why?

Your thoughts?
 
I don't know about Dobermans since this is my first female doberman so I can't personally comment on that. To add to the data you'll gather from the responses here though: I've had 4 females in my life so far. All were spayed after first heat or later. No incontinence ever.
 
My female has urinary incontinence. She was spayed when she was a year and a half and it started when she
was about three . Been on Proin and helps for the most part.
 
I've had personal experience with 3 female dobies. Only 1 was incontinent. She was spayed when she was very, very young. The other 2. G and Rumor were not spayed until they were over 2 years old and no incontinence at all.
The theory I hear the most about the cause the lack of hormones causes the sphincter muscle that holds the urine to soften causing the leaking.
 
Maeve is not from a byb and was spayed around 8months before her first heat. After researching I believe hormones or lack off is a huge factor in this diagnosis.
She developed incontinence around 2 1/2 years old. I used pumpkin seed oil and corn silk capsules. She began having accidents when sleeping. My vet linked it to increased water intake as it was extremely hot and humid. He wanted to put her on Proin. I schooled on the links to DCM and informed him I wanted Incurin. Maeve has been taking one per day but when the cooler weather comes I’m hoping to lower her frequency.
She still takes the natural supplements.
 
I had two female Dobes from 1980's and then from '92 - 2003 - both were spayed after 1st heat, before 1 year. The 80's dog died less than a year later of what the vet said was ehrlichia, but looking back I'm sure was Von Willebrands - long story but she was never incontinent. The other lived to be 11 and was never incontinent. I want to bring this up about long-ago dogs because so many things have changed with our breed in the last 20, 30, 40 years. I worked for a vet in the 80's and Dobermans were very popular, we had quite a few and I never recall ANY with with this problem, or any other breed for that matter, unless they were way up in age to the point it was not unexpected. But 2, 3, 4 year old spayed (or not) dogs of any breed, it just wasn't a thing. I'd be curious to hear from any other "old timers" with spayed bitches from pre-2000.
 
Loss of Estrogen hormone and possible from the surgery. Which Estrogen helps with contraction of muscles.

This is why I always mention looking into a Modified Spay and not the traditional Spay. These hormones are important!
 
Sorry, been out of internet reach for a couple of days. Yes, I believe it's the loss of hormones that causes incontinence more than the actual surgery. The very early spaying causes more problems and it isn't just Dobermans but many large breed dogs. Jazz showed some leakage within a couple of months of her spay but we have been lucky to have an easy and fairly safe longterm solution with Stylbestrol tablets, one a week. This seems to control things very well, unless I forget and she gets a late tablet! :rolleyes:
 
Della did develop it after she was spayed at about 15 months. With her I it had more to do with her inverted vulva and UTI's early on than it did with the spaying. She was on a low dose of Estradiol and it controlled it very well.
 
Jana--spayed at the 1-year mark--started "leaking" at around age 9. The vet and I both thought it was more age-related than anything else. She has been on Proin since that time and the medication has eliminated the problem. My girl turns 13 in December!
 
10 and a half year old Anna had pyometra and a hysterectomy when she was 5. She started leaking when she was 8 and is on Proin. The vet recommended one and a half tablets twice a day. After months of getting crumbly half tablets when I cut them, I tried two tablets a day and that works just as well. I found that missing a tablet can sometimes cause a leakage incident.
 
My female Doberman, Tikka, was spayed around 8 months. She’s now 6 years old and developed urinary incontinence about a year ago now. The vet tested her for a UTI, came back negative but they did notice struvite crystals in her urine and we switched her to a urinary food. Thankfully her tests came back that she was clear of that but the leaking didn’t stop. Now she has been on a steroid for the past two months, given orally once per week, all was good (no leaking) until this past week when she started again. So now, we’re heading back to the vet again.
 
Now this thread has been awakened I'm re-reading the comments and still have a question. If it's spaying early or hormone loss, why is it more a Doberman breed thing? Hundreds of thousands, if not millions of shelter dogs/mixed breeds and puppies of all purebred genetics are routinely spayed at 6 months or at least before a year old. What about them? Of all the dog & behavior & training places I visit on the internet, not once have I seen this mentioned except by Doberman owners. The early spay/neuter crusade began in earnest about late '90's or early 2000 I think. If it was hormone loss, you'd think the general population would be screaming about this side effect. It wouldn't be an easy thing for pet owners to live with.
 
I am on my third female, have only had males in the past, and all three of mine (from different breeders) had the inverted or "hooded" vulva....and they all leaked BEFORE they were spayed. And none were spayed before 2 years old. Our last female, my vet who I loved, had said it was the conformation on the inside of an inverted vulva...and that the urine "pools" just inside. So when they sit, or lay down, that little bit leaks out. He also said there was a cosmetic surgery that would repair that; but certainly not something he recommended. And that is why Proin did not work on that female...I just put up with it, and have always had a male who "keeps them clean" :wtf3:.
 
my vet who I loved, had said it was the conformation on the inside of an inverted vulva...and that the urine "pools" just inside. So when they sit, or lay down, that little bit leaks out.
Now that's making some sense... thank you for this insight!
 

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