Help! Abnormal bladder functions?

[Boonech]

I think I need to make Annie an appt with the vet. She's over a yr old now and still she wets her towel in her crate almost every night. I was thinking she just must have a small bladder because I take her out right before I put her to bed, and I've even tried to limit her water consumption after dinnertime. But still she pees a river at night.

Last night she and Gretchen had curled up on my bed to nap and I decided it was time to take them out before I crated them for the night. When I picked Annie up, she had pee'd on my bed! Just while she was lying there sleeping - so now I think she does it in her sleep. Doesn't that seem strange? None of my other dogs have ever done this before.

Any ideas what might cause that?

[Wienergal]

I think I would have your vet have a look at her. What you describe doesn't sound like just simple refusal-to-be-housebroken. Just recently there were some posts about inadequate sphincter muscles, and I think (am I remembering correctly?) there's a drug the vet can give that will help strengthen them. Check under the "Housebreaking" thread. But I think a trip to the vet is definitely in order!

Good luck!

[Mark]

I think Pamela's right about the advice to see a Vet and that there may be meds to help.

Please let us know what you find out,

Mark

[Penny's Aunt]

Sometimes a spayed female will have a reduced hormone level that causes them to dribble or pee when they're sleeping. There's no reason to reprimand them, because they don't even know they were doing it.

The vet can use hormones, but there is a drug called PPA (a human antihistamine) that can often help, & the side effects are the least of any of the treatments.

[Dolly's Mom]

I believe that's the med that Maddie's on. Helps tighten the sphincter (sp) muscles. I have to tell you, this has really done a superb job for the Madderoo. She was piddling all over the place prior to trying this. I'm at work, so I don't have the full name. I do know that the FDA has just banned it for human use though. Maddie has no side affects and she seems to feel better! http://dachsie.org/ubb/smilies/smile.gif I think it truly made her sad when she'd have an accident in the house as she wants to please her hoomans so much!

If you want to email me, I should be home in about 2 hrs. I'll get the full med name for you if you'd like.

Sandi

[Dolly's Mom]

For anyone else who may have doxies having unexplained pee problems, here's the name of the medicine that Maddie is currently on. Except for still refusing to do rain, she has had a complete recovery. The name is Phenylpropanolamine 25 mg 1/4 pill 2 times a day.

Sandi