Читать книгу Animal Behavior for Shelter Veterinarians and Staff - Группа авторов - Страница 122

Incontinence is the failure of voluntary control of micturition (urination), with either a constant or intermittent, unconscious passage of urine. Several different medical conditions can result in urinary incontinence. Disorders of micturition are generally divided into two types: neurogenic and non‐neurogenic. Some animals can experience urinary incontinence some of the time and still have voluntary control of urination at other times. This is most likely to occur with non‐neurogenic conditions.

Behaviorally, incontinence can appear differently, ranging from constant dribbling, leaking during activities with abdominal push (getting up from lying down, jumping up, stretching, changing positions), leaking only when sleeping, intermittent dribbling while maintaining the ability to signal and void, and/or sometimes appearing to be under conscious control. Diagnosis may require a complete history, comprehensive physical examination including palpation of the distended and empty urinary bladder, a digital rectal examination, a neurologic examination, and a urinalysis. Obtaining a complete history in the shelter setting can be difficult or impossible, especially if the relinquishing owner is not forthcoming about the pet not being house trained or litterbox trained, fearing that the information may prevent adoption and/or result in euthanasia. Observation of the pet for postural changes during urination can be helpful in identifying the etiology of the problem. If an animal assumes the postures associated with elimination (squatting, lowering of pelvic limbs, tail position, ear position, etc.) then one can assume that the elimination is conscious. It is important to remember that these elimination processes do not always occur alone, and there may be several etiologies underlying a problem behavior. There may be neurological, infectious, anatomical, and/or behavioral components contributing to the incontinence. When this is the case, treating only one etiology is not likely to result in a discontinuation of the incontinence. Each will need to be addressed separately for the best results.