Yes she is spayed. Maybe that is it. I was hoping that maybe there was something I could give her that would help. Is your friends dog old? Nikki has been spayed since shortly after we got her, and she's never had this problem before that I noticed.
Becky
Dogs have a sphincter in their urethra that helps to hold urine in the bladder. This urethral sphincter has receptors on it that respond to estrogen and contracility agents called alpha adrenergenic agents. As dogs get older, the urethral sphincter can lose its tone. Urine leaking occurs if the urethral sphincter gets too lax. Urine leakage due to loss of tone in the urethral sphincter is more likely to occur when the dog is in a relaxed state, especially when it is sleeping or resting. It is also not uncommon for the urine to leak out when the animal is walking. Urine can pull in the urethra, and movement can cause it to spill out.
Medium to large breed dogs are more often affected. It is most often seen in spayed female dogs... [snip] Incidence can reach 20% in all spayed female dogs and 30% in spayed female dogs weighing forty-four pounds or more. It usually responds well to medication. The most commonly used medications are either estrogen supplementation or alpha adrenergic agents, such as phenylpropanolamine.
We started Sandy on the phenylpropanolamine. After being on it for a couple of weeks, I got progress report on Sandy. She had stopped leaking. We then started adjusting the dosage down. We like to get them down to the minimum amount that will keep the leaking under control. Hormonal urinary incontinence is usually easily diagnosed. Sometimes history is enough. Your veterinarian may want to do a urinalysis to rule out a bladder infection. He or she may also want to do bloodwork to rule out things like diabetes or kidney problems. Once your veterinarian diagnoses a hormonal problem, he or she will probably start medical treatment. Do not despair. It is unlikely that your dog will have to wear bladder incontinence underwear. The medicine usually works.