Incontinence in Older Dogs
Leaking urine is more common in older and spayed female dogs. What a UK study of 2,135 dogs found, and why a vet should check the cause first.
Written by thecanineledger
If your dog has started leaking urine, see your vet rather than assuming it’s age. Go sooner if your dog is drinking more, peeing more often, straining, passing blood, or seems unwell. These can be signs of other illness.
Our note: This advice is ours.
A 2019 UK study found that “Prior spaying was associated with increased odds of urinary incontinence (odds ratio: 3.01; 95% CIs: 2.23 to 4.05).” It added that “Increased odds of urinary incontinence were additionally associated with increasing age and increasing bodyweight.” (Pegram et al., Journal of Small Animal Practice 2019).
While leaking urine is common in older dogs, it isn’t something to put down to age alone. A 2019 review says “most causes are easily diagnosed and most dogs respond to appropriate therapy.” This page sets out what the research found.
1. What incontinence is
The definition. The UK study uses this: “Urinary incontinence (UI) is defined as the involuntary escape of urine during the storage phase of micturition”. In plain terms, urine leaks out when the dog isn’t trying to pee.
Not the same as accidents. A dog that squats indoors is peeing on purpose. That has different causes, including behaviour and changes in the brain with age.
Our note: The distinction between leaking and indoor accidents is ours. Drinking more than usual is worth raising with your vet too.
→ Canine Cognitive Dysfunction: Signs, Rating Scales, and What Helps
2. What the UK study found
The study. Researchers used vet records from UK practices. They compared “427 incident cases and 1708 controls”, all female dogs.
Spaying. “After accounting for the other confounding factors, spayed bitches had 3.01 (95% CI: 2.23 to 4.05) times the odds of UI compared with entire bitches.” An entire bitch is one that hasn’t been spayed.
Age. Compared with dogs under three, “Bitches aged 9.0 to <12.0 years and those ≥12.0 years had increased odds of UI”. The odds were about four times as high in dogs aged 12 or more.
Age at spaying. “Age at spay was not associated with urinary incontinence.”
Breed. Four breeds had higher odds than crossbreeds: the Hungarian vizsla, Dobermann, Weimaraner and boxer.
What it doesn’t show. It looked at female dogs only. And an odds ratio from records can’t show that spaying causes the leaking.
Funding. The authors thank a UK veterinary charity for supporting the study, and declare no conflict of interest.
→ When to Spay or Neuter: What the Breed Studies Show, and What They Don’t
3. What a vet can do
Find the cause. The 2019 review covers “causes of incontinence, typical clinical presentation, diagnostics, and treatment” (Acierno and Labato, Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice 2019, abstract). A vet may test the urine and look for infection or other illness.
Treatment. Medicines are available for some types of incontinence. Which one suits your dog depends on the cause. We don’t name them here.
Our note: We don’t name the medicines or say which are licensed where.
Keep the skin clean. Urine on the skin can cause soreness. Bedding that washes easily helps.
Our note: The skin-care point is ours.
→ Is It Old Age, or Something Treatable? A Guide to Your Senior Dog · → Chronic Kidney Disease: What the IRIS Stage Means
4. What we could not verify
| Commonly said | What we found |
|---|---|
| “It’s just old age” | Partly. Older age was linked to higher odds, but a vet should check for other causes. |
| “Spaying early causes incontinence” | Not in this study. Age at spaying wasn’t linked. A separate 2024 UK study found a link with early-onset cases, covered on our spaying page. |
| “Only spayed females get it” | No. Unspayed females were affected too, at lower odds. Males weren’t studied. |
| “One in five spayed females is affected” | Not verified. We found no study giving this figure. |
Sources
- Pegram C, O’Neill DG, Church DB, et al. Spaying and urinary incontinence in bitches under UK primary veterinary care: a case-control study. J Small Anim Pract 2019: case-control study, 2,135 female dogs, UK primary-care records. Supported by a UK veterinary charity
- Acierno MJ, Labato MA. Canine Incontinence. Vet Clin North Am Small Anim Pract 2019. ⚠️ abstract read. Review
Always confirm with your vet before acting on anything on this page.