Medical Causes of House Soiling in Dogs

House soiling is not always behaviour related, especially if your dog has never done this before and a visit to the vet is a good idea to rule out any physical problems. If there is a physical component, little or nothing you can do from the behaviour side will have much effect. In general, it is a good idea to know what your dog's normal elimination patterns are, so that you will become aware immediately if something changes. 


When people phone me with this problem I always tell them to phone vet first and ask what to look for in the dogs current elimination patterns before bringing the dog in. some things you may be asked to look at are:-

• How often is the dog eliminating daily
• Is the dog drinking more water than usual
• Is the dog having difficulty eliminating
• Is the dog eliminating in one 'go', or is this occurring in drips and dabs.
• What is the colour of the stool or urine
• Does the stool or urine have a strong smell
• What consistency is the stool
• Is there any blood in the urine or stool

Each and ever vet may have a slightly different points for you to look for, but the above gives you a rough idea. Remember, our vets are only with our dogs a short while, whereas we have all day with them and the more info we can give the vet, the easier it will be to find the route of the problem.


Here is a good article giving some of the common causes.



Medical Causes of House Soiling in Dogs

House soiling, or inappropriate urination or defecation, is a common problem indogs. While in many cases house soiling is due to a behavioral problem, sometimes medical issues are to blame. It may be difficult or even impossible for a pet parent to distinguish between behaviorally caused house soiling and medically caused house soiling. For this reason, the first step in solving a house-soiling problem is to take your dog to a veterinarian for a thorough check-up and urinalysis.

Bacterial Bladder Infection

Bacterial cystitis (a bladder infection) or bladder stones can cause increased frequency of urination, straining during urination and, sometimes, bloody urine. Diagnosis of a bacterial infection is done by urinalysis, culture and sensitivity. Radiographs or ultrasound may be used to find bladder stones.

Urinary Incontinence

Animals with urinary incontinence tend to dribble urine. This can occur when a dog is awake or while she’s sleeping. Urinary incontinence is common in dogs, particularly in spayed females. Studies have reported that the incidence of urinary incontinence in dogs following ovariohysterectomy (spay surgery) ranges from 13% to 20%.

A number of physical problems can cause urinary incontinence:

• Decreased sphincter control, which is most commonly seen in older spayed females
  

• Anatomical abnormalities, such as ectopic ureters, urethral sphincter incompetence, patent urachus, idiopathic detrusor instability, ureterovaginal fistula, pelvic bladder, vaginal stricture/vaginal urine pooling and ureterocele
  

• Urge incontinence or paradoxical incontinence
  

• Damage to a dog’s nerves or spinal cord that innervate the bladder (trauma, neoplasia)
  

Diagnosis of urinary incontinence may include a urinalysis and contrast studies. Anatomic abnormalities may be identified by radiographs or abdominal ultrasound. CT scans or cystoscopic exams may be used in some cases.

Increased Urine Production - READ FULL ARTICLE