FECAVA Clinical Question of the Month: Urinary Incontinence in Female Dogs

FECAVA is proud to initiate a virtual interactive topic to be discussed monthly amongst veterinarians who like a bit of a challenge. With the initiative ‘FECAVA Clinical Question of the Month’, we will post a companion animal-related question on our social media page, encouraging clinicians to attempt to answer the question as accurately as possible. The answer will be revealed a week after the question has been posted.

CLINICAL QUESTION FOR THE MONTH: AUGUST, 2022

QUESTION:
1. Urinary incontinence is seen in which of the following:?

OPTIONS:
1. When small breed dogs are spayed too early
2. When large breed dogs are spayed too early
3. When dogs are spayed regardless of their age
4. When small breed dogs are spayed too late
5. When large breed dogs are spayed too late

ANSWER:
The answer is 2. The estimated prevalence of incontinence in spayed female dogs ranges from 5% to 20%. In contrast, urinary incontinence is rare in intact females, with a prevalence of 0%-1%. A 2017 study found that large-breed dogs (>25 kg) have an increased risk for urinary incontinence the earlier they are spayed in their first year of life. The age of spaying smaller breed dogs (<25 kg) may not impact incontinence.

 

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