April 18, 2012
Posted in Common Pet Conditions, Pet Health

After you have housebroken your dog, it is unlikely it will ever have another accident inside. However, if your older dog is all of a sudden having an issue with incontinence, there may be a health condition to blame. Just like humans, dogs are subject to bladder infections and urinary tract infections, and they can be just as painful in canines as they are for you. There are also behavioral reasons for accidents around the house, so it is important to figure out what is bothering your pooch.

Infection

If your pet has a bladder or urinary tract infection, it might lose control of its bladder, causing accidents around the house or dribbling. However, other symptoms of UTIs include an inability to urinate or only passing a small amount at a time. The dog may also seem to strain or may cry out or whimper in pain when trying to pass urine. There may be a strong odor to the urine and it may appear bloody or cloudy. If your dog has any of these symptoms, bring it to the veterinarian for treatment. Older female dogs and those with diabetes are particularly prone to urinary tract problems. Usually, they can be treated with pet drugs like Baytril or Cephalexin, both antibiotics. Sometimes, vets may also recommend giving your pet a supplement like Cranberry Relief, which supports a healthy urinary tract.

Submission or anxiety

Sometimes, dogs have accidents because of anxiety. This is often called submissive urination, and may be treated with a number of pet products and changes to its routine to help it feel less anxious. You can help your pet feel less anxious by exercising it twice a day. This will make it too tired to care about things that make it nervous, and physical activity actually promotes a feeling of well-being in dogs. Another way to change this behavior with training is to promote your dog's self-esteem. You can do this by rewarding everything the pooch does well with treats like Greenies Dental Treats for Dogs or praise, but ignoring anything it does wrong.

You can make your home more of a calm place for your pooch by using pet products like Comfort Zone for Dogs, a plug-in diffuser that releases a calming pheromone into the air.

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2. How to spot a urinary tract infection in your cat
3. Kitty scratching her ears? Infection may be to blame
4. One of the 101 Dalmatians
5. Symptoms in your dog you should never ignore