Are You Ready to Thrive?

Incontinence is a very common condition in older dogs, particularly females.  It’s often called “spay incontinence” with the assumption that it’s due to the lack of hormones caused by the removal of the ovaries and uterus in female dogs.

Common biomedical treatment is with a drug called Proin, and while some owners have found that it works for their dogs, other see little difference in the “leaking” experienced by their dogs.  This can be a very frustrating condition, as the dog has no control over her bladder, but the owner has been used to a potty-trained dog up until this point! 

I’ve found that an integrative approach has been best for the dogs that I’ve worked with who have this condition.  Proin, with the addition of acupuncture and Chinese herbs works beautifully for helping a dog regain control of her bladder!

In Chinese medicine, the Kidneys are responsible for many bodily functions, including bladder control, hormone regulation and aging, just to list those that factor into incontinence.  As we age, our Kidney energy declines, giving rise to a propensity to incontinence.  Treatment consists of increasing Kidney Qi through acupuncture and herbal formulas.

Herbal formulas, specific to each dog’s exact health situation, are key to the treatment of incontinence.  While acupuncture can increase Kidney energy, it tends to be slow, while herbs are much quicker at achieving appropriate levels of Kidney Qi.

What I have noticed is that with acupuncture and herbal treatment, many dogs’ doses of Proin are able to be severely reduced in order to control their incontinence; some are able to come off of the medication completely! 

It’s such a relief when a solution is found to help your dog stop leaking urine! No longer do they have to be embarrassed by their lack of control, and no longer do you have to clean up the endless drips of urine!