Why did my senior dog's incontinence and weakness suddenly improve?

Question

12.5 year old lab has been incontinent for four weeks, back legs very weak, antibiotics given, not helped. Not eating well. Decision taken to euthanise and 3 days before she suddenly perks up and isn't incontinent any more?? Why is this? Pet's info: Dog | Golden Labrador | Female | spayed | 12 years and 5 months old

Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH · Accepted Answer

We commonly see some variability in urinary incontinence. I think it probabably has to do with the cause of the incontinence and secondary issues. For example, some dogs are not necessarily incontinent (they have some ability to control their urine), but they are not strong enough to get up on their own, so they urinary where they are lying. We can also see variability in incontinence depending on water intake. If they are drinking a larger amount of water, they will have to urinate more and may not be able to control it. Finally, I think there are some nerve conditions that can vary. If the nerves that help control the bladder were affected by something like a bulging disc, those nerves can recover if the swelling associated with that condition decreases. But all of that is theoretical, and often we don't know why they improve. If bloodwork and urinalysis were all normal, you might consider asking your vet about medication for the incontinence if it occurs again. I hope that was helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Why did my senior dog's incontinence and weakness suddenly improve?

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