Urinary Incontinence: How to Help your Bedwetting English Bulldog?
If your dog suffers from urinary incontinence, it is unable to hold its urine. This condition can lead to uncontrolled urination whether the dog is asleep, resting, or in moments of excitement.
The possible causes of urinary incontinence in pets include spaying in females, UTI or bladder infections, bladder stones, stress and excitement, steroidal drugs, and, in serious cases, diseases like diabetes, kidney failure, or cancer.
If the problem of urinary incontinence comes on suddenly and you also see other symptoms like fever, lethargy, trouble urinating, etc., please see your vet right away.
Know the Signs of Canine Urinary Incontinence
Wet Bed
The main sign of urinary incontinence is that dog urinates in sleep. You might find your pet’s bed wet every morning.
Licking of Privates
Your female bulldog might lick her vulva more often than usual. The area might appear red and irritated.
Urine Spots on the Floor
Your pet might even leak urine when s/he is excited or rolls over on the back. You might see puddles or drops of urine on the floor.
Here are some steps you can take to help your bedwetting Bulldog.
How to Help Your Bedwetting English Bulldog?
Treat the Underlying Condition
If your pet has suddenly started leaking urine, make an appointment with your vet.
The doctor might order some blood/urine tests to determine the cause.
If your bulldog is geriatric, and the incontinence is age-related, then your vet might prescribe an FDA-approved, once-a-day drug to contract the bladder sphincter muscles. These can provide much-needed relief to your pet. In female dogs, hormonal urinary incontinence can be prevented with Phenylpropanolamine supplements.
Once your pet gets the right treatment, the problem of incontinence often goes away.
You can also discuss surgical options and/or collagen injections for treating urinary incontinence in spayed female bulldogs.
Take your Pet out Several Times a Day
If your pet’s incontinence is not related to any illness and s/he is relatively young, then you can help them by taking them out on potty breaks more frequently.
Short walks outdoors can help your pet relieve and empty its bladder out more frequently.
It is important to take your pet out just before bedtime to curb dog peeing in bed at night. You can also take them your buddy outside after nap-times. This will allow them to empty their bladder out and prevent urine leaks.
Use Waterproof Beds/Covers
If your dog pees in bed while sleeping almost on a daily basis, you might consider using waterproof pet bedding and washable bed covers.
Please provide old blankets and/or dry sheets to absorb the wetness and leaks at night.
You can also reduce cleanup hassles by placing a rubber sheet under the pet’s bed. This will prevent the urine from seeping deeper into the bedding, making cleanup easier.
Provide Dog Pee Pads
Dog pee pads, also known as dog training pads, are not only useful during housetraining; they even help incontinent dogs.
You can train your geriatric pet to ‘go’ on these pads, especially if s/he has difficulty walking.
Place the dog training pads under your pet’s body while sleeping to absorb urine leaks.
Use Dog Diapers
Dog diapers can come in very handy when dealing with stress urinary incontinence in dogs. If your pet urinates when excited, the diapers can contain the mess.
Dog diapers are also useful for preventing dog pee in bed at nighttime.
Monitor your Pet’s Water Intake
Some pet parents reduce their pet’s water intake when they find their dog pee in bed while sleeping.
We believe that one should only take this drastic step after consulting a vet.
If your pet has a urinary tract infection, then it may be beneficial for her/him to drink more water, pee often, and flush out the bacteria from the bladder.
It would be better to take your pet outside or to the dog pee pad after your pet has had its fill of water. This can prevent urine leaks during sleeping and UTIs as well.
Take Care of Your Pet’s Skin
You might wonder what your pet’s skin has to do with urinary incontinence in bulldogs.
The answer: a lot.
When urine sticks to the skin or your pet sleeps in all that moisture (or your female pet constantly licks her privates), chances are that it could cause skin infections.
Skin infections, especially in bulldogs, are no laughing matter.
Their heavily wrinkled skin quickly traps in the moisture, bacteria, and dirt leading to pus-filled blisters and secondary skin infections which are harder to treat.
Remove all wet bedding right away. Dry your pet’s skin from time to time. If needed, wipe down the skin with antibacterial wipes. Use diapers to prevent further wetness.
Make sure you also promptly wipe down the floors to prevent urine smell and bacteria from spreading around.
Monitor your Pet
Keep an eye on your bulldog.
If the urine incontinence worsens, or your pet starts displaying other symptoms like pain during urination, lack of appetite, bloody urine, and/or fever, then see your vet right away.
Final Thoughts
There are numerous causes behind urinary incontinence in dogs.
You and your vet can decide the appropriate treatment after the exact diagnosis.
In the meantime, you must take the above steps to prevent the condition from worsening and also make your pet more comfortable.
Providing diapers, dry blankets, dog pee pads, with frequent potty breaks can all help you manage this condition.
Do let us know in the comments below how your pet does (along with any other tips that might have helped you.)
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