Some dogs as they get older develop bladder control problems...just like some people. My old bull dog started having accidents in the house also about a year before she died. It was obvious she wasn't doing it on purpose. It was more like she could no longer control the urge. She would be in the middle of doing something and just have to pee NOW. My vet prescribed PROIN for her it seemed to work...we stopped having accidents until the very end. Of course later on we found out that some of her bladder control problems could have come from a spinal infection she had that was causing nerve damage. By the time the vets diagnosed the nerve damage it was pretty much too late for her. But the damage caused her to have problems walking as well. Have the vets checked the dogs spine? I only ask because you say she no longer greets them at the door, and that coupled with the accident make me have bad memories.

Sounds to me like a spine problem. A problem with the lower spine could cause urinary and bowel incontinence, trouble walking, inability to wag the tail, problems walking with rear leg incoordination, and other problems.

X-rays may show the problem, but an MRI would be indicated if the problem could be surgically corrected. Medications may also help if there was an infection as in trinihemini's case. The key is of course getting a diagnosis.

Your dog could be experiencing nerve issues with regard to the spine or other issue...could be many things. Age is probably a determining factor. Hope your pup gives you many happy years to come despite its physical limitations

You said the dog is not greeting them. I would suspect that there is a great deal of pain related with the problems. When animals don't feel good they will go and hide.

Have they done a blood test to rule for cancer, specifically of the bladder?

How old is the dog? What food do you feed?

Where did you get the dog- shelter,pet store, BYB- note I say this because mixes are sometimes made from them.

Runs, the OP said the dog is 9.5 years old. Also, I'm not quite sure what difference it makes where they got the dog. As for food, not every health problem has to do with what food the dog gets...and I especially don't think this one does.

Ivamae,
My dog (also a lab) has similar issues. Initially (4 years ago) they thought she either had Degenerative Myelopathy or some sort of spinal problem (I wonder if one of these can be what's going on with your dog...either way it seems like an issue that affects the spinal cord). An MRI showed a spinal tumor on my dog. It was surgically removed and radiation treatment was given. So I wouldn't give up...things can be done. My dog is very healthy now (despite the incontinence and UTI's, which are dealt with...Proin, diapers, wee-wee pads, etc.) - she also has almost complete rear leg paralysis because scar tissue has developed on the spine (but she uses a wheelchair which helps so much).

I would agree that your dog needs an MRI. I would go to a specialist (such as a neurologist), or a different vet if your vet is telling you nothing can be done. How can he say this if he doesn't even know the diagnosis?

I wish you and the pup the best of luck and I hope you keep us posted.

Gabro.....if our dog gets frequent UTIs you should ask the vet about keeping her/him on a low dose antibiotic. Its the same thing they do for people who get frequent UTI's.

Wait, wait. As a microbiologist, I have to express great concern about the continued use of low dose antibiotics. This is one of the very worst things that can be done as it promotes the growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria in our society. I actually just lectured on this topic this morning. Do not ask doctors or vets for low dose antibiotics as a prophylaxis measure, please.

Thanks for all the replies. I am passing everything on to them.

Thanks again for such kindnss.
ivamae

Thanks Trinigemini. I already do have her on some type of antibiotic (Nitrofurin). It's an antibiotic that she can take daily on a long-term basis, as per my vet. My vet has tried pulse antibiotic treatments, but that didn't work. This seems to work well, and I take her in every few months for bloodwork and urinalysis/culture. The main problem is that she has neurogenic bladder, and cannot urinate on her own (I have to manually express her bladder), and therefore she leaks when it "overflows", hence the incontinence. Also, even though I express her bladder very thoroughly (and 3-4 times a day), I was told that it will never be fully emptied, thus causing the urine left behind to become stagnant. That's what is causing the infections. Ugh....sorry that was so long!!

Prairie Love,
Yes, continued use of antibiotics (even low dose) is not good. I was told that the Nitrofurin is ok on a daily basis, at least for now. The alternative is kidney failure, if my dog continues to have constant UTI's. However, I have been giving her probiotics (Acidophilus) on a daily basis since she's started taking antibiotics. Thanks for the warning though...I will be seeing my vet next week and will ask him how much longer she will be on the Nitrofurin (that's some expensive stuff too!!! 77 bucks for a 2 month supply).

gabro, sorry, I didn't read your post carefully (even though I do vaguely remember reading about your dog in other threads). Of course you have to do something to control the infections in this case. I have to say though, it still makes me cringe. I know bacteria too well and what they are capable of doing. You say continued use of antibiotics (even low dose) is not good. - actually low dose is especially dangerous (for development of resistance), much more so than higher doses. OTOH, you can't just give your dog high dose antibiotics forever. Good luck with your pup.

Also to the OP (since I got off topic), good luck.

Prairie Love,
I hear you. I don't like giving her antibiotics on a daily basis either. Since you know a lot about bacteria and antibiotics, do you happen to know if Nitrofurin is high dose or low dose? Also, would Acidophilus counteract the negative effects of long term use? Thank you for any feedback you can give me.

Ivamae,
Sorry to hijack your thread! Glad you got some good information. Again, a diagnosis is the most important thing right now...then they can make decisions from there. Glad you will be passing on the information to them. Best of luck.

Gabro,

I didn't really mean that a particular antibiotic is "high dose" or "low dose". What I meant by low dose is when an antibiotic is used at lower levels for a longer period of time. This is done a lot in agriculture as a means to promote feed efficiency and stave off infection. So a given antibiotic could be used either high or low.

I don't know if Acidophilus would counteract the negative effects, but I don't think it would hurt.

Prarielove....I agree taking a lowdose antibiotic everyday is not normally good....for dogs or people....but if the alternative is guaranteed infection what are your options. I especially worry that constant UTI's will weaken the bladder and kidneys and I don't know what else constant infections can cause. So unless they can cure the problem I think low dose is better than every couple weeks going on full strength...especially since UTIs are so persistent and the more you get them the more prone you are to get them. I assume the same for dogs? I'm no microbiologist though so if you say otherwise I'll think about it :-)

I hope everything goes okay

Suggestive of Cauda Equina (Lumbosacral stenosis). Starts with hind end weakness which progresses if untreated. Loss of anal tone and loss of ability to control urine are usually later symptoms. Prednisone can be very helpful fo comfort while working on diagnosis. MRI is a very good idea to narrow down the dx. Can also be surgically corrected. Cranberry capsules can help to minimize UTIs with this condition.

I'd be careful with the cranberry pills....they can cause irritation in the urinary tract which also feels like a UTI. Maybe use every other day or even less.

To add to what Trinigemini posted, my dog took a cranberry capsule every day for several months for her constant UTIs, and they did absolutely nothing.