Mary Allen
Urinary incontinence – the unwanted and uncontrolled loss of urine. Urinary incontinence can be present from birth, come on suddenly later in life, or creep in gradually and tend to get progressively worse. Accordingly, the severity of urinary incontinence varies greatly. In mild cases, there is largely normal urination, which is accompanied by intermittent slight dribbling of urine. In severe cases, the bladder simply leaks. Incontinence can affect all dog and cat breeds and patients of both sexes.
Possible Accompanying Symptoms Of Urinary Incontinence
- Decrease in vigilance
Vigilance is a medical term used to describe the alertness or alertness of a patient. For controlled urination, the corresponding will must be present. This is missing, for example, during the night’s sleep after an anesthetic, and then you know that there is no further need for action apart from temporary nursing measures. This is also missing in puppies, for example, and we know that housebreaking usually develops over time. However, this is also lacking in older patients, for example, whose mental and physical strength is declining. In particular, in the case of senile dementia, vigilance can be reduced and lead to uncontrolled urination. According to old urological wisdom, continence begins in the mind.
- Polydipsia
Polydipsia is the medical term for abnormally increased drinking. The urinary bladder has a limited capacity to hold urine. If the body produces so much urine due to increased water intake that the storage capacity of the urinary bladder is exceeded, this can result in a loss of urinary control. This primarily affects older patients, in whom the function of the bladder sphincter also decreases.
- Dysuria
Dysuria is a term used to describe visible symptoms when urinating. These can manifest themselves in the form of frequent passing of small amounts of urine (pollakiuria), urinary urgency (stranguria), or increased urination at night (nocturia). Such symptoms can be accompanied by a loss of control over urination.
- Neuropathy
Neuropathy is a medical term used to describe diseases of the nervous system. The focus here is on diseases of the spine that lead to disorders of the spinal cord nerves or the spinal cord itself and can result in failures or disorders of the muscles and bladder function. Patients with nerve deficits are primarily treated by neurologists. If bladder dysfunction persists, the urologist will be consulted.
Diagnosis
To clarify urinary incontinence, the clinical examination already provides the first indications of the direction in which further diagnostics should take place. In most cases, preliminary urine and blood analysis are advisable. The ultrasound examination of the abdomen provides important information about the position and size of the urinary organs. In special cases, the urologist can perform a mirroring of the urinary organs in order to bring about a final clarification.
Therapy
The treatment of incontinence can be as varied as its cause. The scope of treatment depends on the quality of life of the patient, the suffering of the animal owner, the possible risks and side effects, and the treatment costs. These criteria should be discussed initially, since not every animal owner decides in favor of the same therapy, taking into account the respective living conditions.
In the beginning, there is a drug treatment aimed at the urinary tract. If drug treatment fails or there is no prospect of sufficient success, surgical measures can be useful. These include in detail
- Surgical treatment of congenital ureteral abnormalities
- Attachment of the urinary bladder to the abdominal wall in the case of a depressed bladder
- Stretching of the urinary bladder in chronic bladder overactivity or bladder shrinkage
- Padding of the bladder sphincter in sphincter weakness
- Removal of tumors in the area of the urinary organs
- Removal of vaginal braces using laser treatment
- Placing a bladder sphincter implant
- Implanting an incontinence band around the urethra
- Surgical correction of spinal diseases
Prognosis
The prognosis depends on the severity of the incontinence and the selection of an appropriate treatment method. A detailed consultation can take place in the urological consultation. In many cases, good quality of life can be restored in the short or medium term.