It is not a problem with kittens, but when you have a puppy in the house, it sometimes seems as though every square foot of carpet, tile, or hardwood floor has a bull's-eye on it -- one that he can hit every time. With patience, however, accidents become much less common.

That can change as your pets get older. Both dogs and cats will sometimes lose bladder control -- not because they have forgotten their lessons, but because they are not even aware that they are urinating when (or where) they shouldn't, says Paul Gigliotti, D.V.M., a veterinarian in private practice in Mayfield Village, Ohio.

This problem, called incontinence, tends to occur in older female pets that have been spayed. After spaying, estrogen levels decline. Since estrogen helps maintain muscle tone in the urinary tract, low levels of this hormone may cause these muscles to lose some of their holding power. The muscles will gradually become so weak that small amounts of urine will occasionally leak out, says Dr. Gigliotti. This problem is most common in Doberman pinschers, springer spaniels, and Old English sheepdogs, he adds.

In males, incontinence may occur when the prostate gland gets larger due to infections or natural changes that occur with age. If the prostate begins pressing on the bladder, urine can be forced out. Even when there is nothing physically wrong with your pet, muscles in the urinary tract tend to get weaker with age, Dr. Gigliotti adds. That is why incontinence is much more common in older dogs and cats than in their younger and stronger friends.

"When incontinence occurs in a younger animal, you should suspect a different type of problem," says Dr. Gigliotti. Some pets are born with physical abnormalities that make incontinence much more likely to occur, such as an oddly positioned bladder that gets pressed by the pelvic bones. Another problem that can cause incontinence in young dogs and cats is called persistent urachus. This occurs when a small tube connecting the bladder with the umbilical cord doesn't close after birth.

Dogs and cats with urinary tract infections will often leak a little urine because the infection causes a sudden urge to go -- so sudden, in fact, that they don't have time to get to the litter box or to wait by the door. They may have an awkward walk because of pain in the abdomen as well.

Injuries that damage spinal nerves can also result in incontinence -- not just of urine, but of stool as well. And in rare cases, pets with tumors may have trouble controlling these basic functions.

See Your Vet If...

• Your pet urinates without being aware of it
  
• Your female pet has been spayed
  
• Your pet is having difficulty walking
  
• Your pet's tail is limp
  
• A discharge from the anus, penis, or vagina has lasted two days or more
  
• Your pet is constantly licking his back end
  
• The vagina or anal area is red and swollen
  
• There is a growth on the anus or genitals
  
• Urine is dribbling while your pet sleeps
  
• There has been a change in your pet's urinating habits, or he is unable to urinate
  
• There is blood in the urine
  
• He's lost fur on the top or base of the tail
  
• The tail is greasy or infected, or it is getting thicker
  
• The anal opening stays open
  
• Your pet has been scooting for two days or more

Next Steps:

• What you can do for your pet
  
• What your vet can do
  
• Find out other causes of incontinence

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