Urinary Incontinence
Urinary incontinence occurs when a house trained dog loses control of his bladder or a cat urinates outside of his litter box. This can range in severity from occasional small urine leaks to inadvertent voiding of a large amount of urine. There are multiple causes of urinary incontinence incontinence including hormonal imbalance, weak bladder sphincter, urinary tract infection, urinary stones, spinal injury or degeneration, protruding intervertebral disc, prostate disorders, presence of other disease that cause excessive water consumption (such as diabetes, kidney disease, hyperadrenocorticism), congenital abnormalities, anatomic disorders, and certain medications.
General symptoms of urinary incontinence include dripping urine, which can irritate the skin and cause redness, is one of the most recognizable symptoms of incontinence, as is excessive licking of the vulva or penis area. Pet parents may also notice area where the dog sleeps. Some bouts of urinary incontinence ebb and wane, but others can progress and cause more serious bladder and kidney infections. A skin infection may result in areas that are in constant contact with urine. Although urinary incontinence can afflict dogs of any age, breed or gender, it is most often seen in middle-aged to older spayed females; cocker spaniels, springer spaniels, Doberman pinschers and Old English sheepdogs are among the breeds often prone to incontinence.
** This information was retrieved from the ASPCA website