About Mary Ellen Shropshire Expertise Can answer: general breed questions (including questions about the various Mastiff-type breeds, such as the Bullmastiff & the Dogue De Bordeaux); behaviour & temperament; training; basic health (please note that I am *not* a veterinarian); rescue; & breeding. Can also recommend various internet sites where further info can be obtained, as well as sites to look for reputable breeders & Rescue groups.
Experience Have extensive experience as an owner of Mastiff-types (esp. Bullmastiffs); as a long-time breeder (20+ yrs); as a Rescue volunteer; & as a vet tech.
Expert: Mary Ellen Shropshire Date: 5/7/2001 Subject: health
Question Dear Mary E Shropshire,
I hope you might be able to help me. I have a six year old female boxer. Unfortuantly over the last few nights she has become slightly incontenent. I probly would not have noticed, But she sleeps on my bed. Also she has a heart problem and is having to take Enalapril Maleate 10mg daily. This is to thin her blood and to combat high blood pressure and has been taking these tablets for exactly one year almost to the day. She has a healthy appetite and drinks normally. Also she goes out in the garden before going to bed. I hope you will be able to help with the imformation I have given.
Yours sincerely,
Andy Gowing
Answer Hi Andy:
My sincere apologies for not answering sooner! The notification of your question never made it to my inbox, for some reason, so I didn't know I even *had* a question until last night! However, again--I'm sorry for the tardiness of my reply!
I'm going to attempt to answer your question, even though, strictly speaking, Boxers are not a Mastiff breed. However, this sounds to me like a typical problem with female dogs, rather than being breed-specific. You didn't say, but I'm going to assume, due to your girl's age, that she's been spayed? If so, then the problem is most likely what is termed "spayed dog incontinence". Often, when a dog is spayed (an ovio-hysterectomy), the muscles and tendons that held the uterus in place become weakened after time; unfortunately, these muscles/tendons also control the bladder. So your girl is probably leaking involuntarily, and isn't even aware that she's doing so.
I suggest, however, that you have your vet give her a once-over, complete with a urinalysis, to rule out a urinary tract infection of some sort. There is medication that you can give your dog to help control this problem; the ones that I have used in the past have worked quite well, and I've personally had no problems with side effects. Spayed-dog incontinence is not uncommon, and your vet should be able to handle this with a minimum of fuss.
I hope this has been of some assistance, Andy--and again, my sincere apologies for the lateness of my reply! If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me--and thanks for using AllExperts at About.com!
Mary Ellen
