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My dog has bladder control problems. What causes puppy incontinence?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | 4 years and 5 months old | 70 lbs

My 5 year old chocolate lab lacks bladder control since he was a puppy what could cause that

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Maria DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 5th, 2018

I am so sorry Buck is having this issue. If this has been going on since Buck was a puppy it could be a congenital problem (he was born with it. The most common problem is an ectopic ureter where the ureter (this carries the urine from the kidneys to the bladder) is actually attached in the wrong location on the bladder. This can cause leaking starting from an early age. To diagnose this in the end Buck would need an ultrasound. I would recommend a visit with your veterinarian and bringing a urine sample. This is to make sure that he does not have a urinary tract infection since dogs can have some increased frequency of urination if they have one. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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