Hi  All
I am thinking about getting my 20 month bitch spayed and have seen the discussions on here for the pros and cons.   What I want to know is what it is about the operation itself that can cause a bitch to become incontinent after the operation. I'm afraid I am one of those people who likes all the nitty gritty details before making final decisions. Thanks

My vet tells me that the hormones help maintain the health and thickness of the urethra and sphincter (as in post-menopausal women, the walls of the urethra as well as the vagina become thinner and weaker) which affects the awareness and ability to hold water; also the surgery can affect the muscles in the area making control more difficult.

Thanks. That's thrown me now though.  First I'd heard about it I assumed it was down to something like surgical techniques but if it's down to the dog's biology there really is no way of knowing if it will happen or not.  I think the final decision is a long way off yet. Thanks for the information.