I have just realised Penny is incontinent.  On phone to a friend last and turned around and the sofa cushion beside me was sopping wet. But did not notice who was up beside me at the time. It has happened a few times recently but as I have pups under 6 months, although housetrained thought they were just accidents. After trying to work out who was where, I have realised it was Penny who was sound asleep beside me on the sofa. I have heard that dogs with bad hips can be prone to incontinence occasionaly so I am quite happy to accept that the accidents are going to happen, such is life. Can anyone give me any information on the relationship between HD and wetting when asleep. or any advice. I have tried some websites but none seem to apply. Penny is very happy and doesnt realise she has done it, so there is no problem there. Also it is not just a dribble or leakage, it is the full contents of the bladder

I would take her to the vets, they should be able to give you something for that.

Has Penny been spayed and how old is she? 

Our Lab Jemma was occassionally incontinent from about the age of 7 (she was spayed and is supposedly more comman in spayed bitches) and was not aware of it, usually it happened while she was sleeping or when getting up.  We took her to the vet and she was put on propalin syrup.  This was given twice a day in her food and helped to tighten up the muscles and we had no more incidences until she reached 13.  She did have arthritis and spondylitis of the spine - excuse the spelling - so there could have been the possbility of nerve damage affecting her bladder.  I certainly believe that towards the end of her life the incontinence was due more to the arthritis etc and the fact that her back legs were wobbly and she couldn't hold on as long.

Hope this may help!
A

Take her to the vets and they may put her on Propalin syrup which is a treatment for urinary incontinence associated with urethral sphincter incompetence in a bitch.

Its very good and will start to work in 24 hrs.


However you may have to keep her on it for the rest of her life but you may only have to use it occasionally.

Thanks to both of you for that. Going into vet on Monday, although it hasnt happened again since posting, but it will.
Penny was only 4 in November, but has had arthritis for at least 3 of those years, it was detected with x-ray for hipscoring.  And no she is'nt speyed. Although she will never be bred from I dont believe in spaying unless absolutely neccessary. Will talk to vet on Monday about the propalin, thanks again.

kayc, hope it goes well at the vets

I found Propalin worked really well for a very similar problem with our Boxer bitch, Holly.  She had a similar thing to Penny where her whole bladder emptied while she was asleep, and then it progressed to little accidents while she was awake too.  I eventually took her to the vets, got prescribed Propalin, and it solved the problem within hours. 

Sadly, Holly died of cancer a few weeks ago, and we have a nearly full bottle of Propalin which it would be a shame to throw away.  If anyone would like it, let me know ( but ONLY if you have a vet's prescription please)

I had an incontinent male Boxer who was on Propalin tablets.  He dribbled all over the house, never really having a full bladder accident because his bladder was never full.  His urinary sphincter muscle didn't work properly.  The Propalin was great!  Solved the dribbling in about a week although be sure to ask about long term side-effects of whatever your girl gets put on as it will probably be a life-long med.

Propalyn syrup and Incurin tablets are the two main drugs prescribed for incontinence problems, best of luck at the vets!!

A herbal alternative that worked very well for my old lady was Denes Greenleaf Tablets.

Hi, We have just been to the vets regarding the very same thing. Our  vet has ex-rayed our setter pup and has discovered that her bladder is too far back in her pelvis. The propalyn syrup is working nicely, butas the vet pointed out, every time she lays down, her pelvis squashes her bladder. We have been assured that 50% of bitches get better after their first season, and if that doesn't work , there is an operation. Apparently this happens mostly in Irish setters, Old English Sheepdogs, and Weimeraners, according to the urology specialist.(sp)