Nervous problems:

The normal bladder can hold a certain amount of urine. If it exceeds this amount, it will cause the urge to urinate. At this time, two sets of neural control mechanisms will act at the same time: one part is The reflex of the sacral spine triggers the continuous contraction of the detrusor muscle and begins urination; the other part is the cerebral cortex that inhibits the sacral spine reflex and causes the external sphincter and perineal muscles to contract. If you have a slight urge to urinate but cannot urinate, it means that the function of the cerebral cortex is stronger than the reflex of the sacral spine. During urination, the cerebral cortex can arbitrarily cancel the inhibition of the sacral reflex, and relax the external sphincter and perineal muscles to allow urine to be discharged.

Whether primary (such as mental illness) or secondary (such as trauma, infection, or cancer), the nerve pathways that control urination can cause urinary incontinence. The affected nerve sites are mainly nerve receptors, peripheral nerves, spinal cord, and even the brain. Diagnosing the location of the problem is difficult and often requires a good knowledge of neuroanatomy. Secondary neurological problems must be dealt with first. Some drugs that improve nerve conduction pathways are quite effective in treating neuroincontinence. Neurological causes are the primary cause of urinary incontinence in most older dogs and cats.

Loss of bladder storage function:

When the bladder loses its normal function of storing urine, or when the bladder contracts excessively, small amounts of urine will leak out frequently. Causes include urinary tract infection, pelvic infection, chronic inflammation, tumors, fecal obstruction, external pressure, bladder dysplasia, etc. Diagnosing bladder storage problems is not difficult because there are often many other symptoms to identify. Treatment is to remove the cause of bladder dysfunction and restore normal bladder function.

Urethral disorders:

The closure of the urethra is composed of smooth muscles, voluntary muscles, and connective tissue around the urethra to prevent urine from leaking out. If the urethra is not closed properly, urination will occur. Causes include urethral dysplasia, acquired urethral insufficiency (such as urethral mucosal atrophy caused by reduced estrogen, which is more common in neutered female dogs), urinary tract infection or inflammation, prostate disease or prostate disease Operation. Urinary incontinence caused by urethral disorders and abnormal bladder storage function will occur intermittently. Small urine output is different from urinary incontinence caused by neurological reasons! Nervous urinary incontinence triggers the sacral reflex, so there will be one episode at a time. More urine output. Treatment options include surgery to correct the structure of the urethra, or medication. If the problem is estrogen reduction, estrogen supplementation can be used to improve urethral function.

Structural problems:

Certain congenital structural malformations, such as bladder exstrophy, patent urethra, ectopic ureteral opening to the bladder neck, or acquired injury (such as genitourinary surgery) structural damage to the bladder and urethra) can lead to structural urinary incontinence. These problems can often be seen from structural observation or medical history, and most treatments can only be addressed with surgery.

Urine retention:

This type of problem results from a large amount of urine remaining in the bladder. It often occurs due to bladder neck obstruction, stricture somewhere in the urethra, or neurological damage. In this type of urinary incontinence, it is very difficult to urinate, the urine stream becomes thin and weak, and there is often no dripping during the middle and end of urination. Urinary retention can usually be seen as a very distended bladder during palpation. For example, urinary stone disease, which is common in male cats, can also be seen in this type of urinary incontinence. Urinary retention is more likely to cause other problems, such as kidney inflammation and even impaired kidney function. So it must be dealt with immediately.

The above five causes of urinary incontinence often occur in combination rather than alone. For example, prostate problems may include urethral obstruction, structural abnormalities, and urine retention.

Sometimes it is easy for livestock owners to overlook urinary incontinence. Doctors are sometimes confused by other causes when making differential diagnoses. First of all, it must be distinguished from some inappropriate urination behaviors, such as the urination behavior of male cats and dogs when urinating; secondly, in the case of insufficient observation time, some diseases such as polyuria may also be misdiagnosed; there are also some rare In addition to mental problems, dogs and cats may also suffer from willful incontinence. When urinary incontinence cannot be identified, it should be considered a treatment and detailed investigation for the condition, as more serious problems such as urinary retention may lead to more serious conditions.