Hormone Replacement Therapy in Dogs

Hormone Replacement Therapy in Dogs - Conditions Treated, Procedure, Efficacy, Recovery, Cost, Considerations, Prevention

What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Hormone replacement therapy is a medical treatment used in dogs to treat urethral sphincter mechanism incompetence (USMI). USMI is the most common non-neurogenic cause of urinary incontinence in female dogs and is referred to colloquially as spay incontinence. The goal of hormone replacement therapy is to return tone to the urethra to decrease the incontinence. Hormone replacement therapy will be prescribed by your veterinarian and given at home. 

Hormone Replacement Therapy Procedure in Dogs

Diagnosis of USMI is typically based on signalment (breed, age, sex), history, and lack of other causes of incontinence found during physical examination. Most commonly USMI is seen in spayed dogs of medium to large size. Certain breeds are predisposed to this condition including Boxers, Doberman Pinschers, English Springer Spaniels, German Shepherds, Irish Setters, Old English Sheepdogs, Rottweilers, and Weimaraners. Other factors that predispose to this condition include docked tail and obesity. 

The gold standard diagnostic test is a urethral pressure profile. For this test a urinary catheter is placed in an awake or lightly sedated dog and removed at a constant rate while warm sterile water is infused. The pressure generated in the urethra is then measured.  This is a 15-30 minute procedure that requires no anesthesia.

Once a diagnosis is made, your veterinarian will prescribe your dog the necessary medicines to treat USMI: Estrogen (DES) and/or Phenylpropanolamine (PPA), an alpha-1 adrenergic agonist. DES is prescribed as a daily pill and then slowly tapered to a low dose maintenance schedule. PPA may be used in addition to DES and will also be tapered to a maintenance schedule from a three time per day dose. 

Efficacy of Hormone Replacement Therapy in Dogs

Hormone replacement therapy is generally regarded as successful. The effects of the therapy last as long as the drug remains in your dog’s system to help with their urethral tone. An alternate treatment to hormone replacement therapy is collagen injection into the submucosa of the urethra to physically decrease the size of the urethra and improve incontinence. This procedure is done under general anesthesia. Collagen injections may need to be repeated after a year as the collagen degrades and retreatment is often successful as well. 

Hormone Replacement Therapy Recovery in Dogs

Hormone replacement therapy in dogs is an onging treatment that requires regular administration of prescribed medications.

Cost of Hormone Replacement Therapy in Dogs

Hormone replacement therapy in dogs is a lifelong commitment as these drugs serve to replace estrogen that would have otherwise been produced in an intact female. Sometimes dogs begin to show signs of incontinence even while on this therapy. In that case, the dose will have to be increased. If the dose needs to be repeatedly increased, your dog could become at risk for adverse effects of DES therapy including bone marrow suppression, estrus-like symptoms, and alopecia. The benefit of DES is that it is cost-effective and can become a manageable routine for you and your dog in time. 

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Dog Hormone Replacement Therapy Considerations

Hormone replacement therapy in dogs is a lifelong commitment as these drugs serve to replace estrogen that would have otherwise been produced in an intact female. Sometimes dogs begin to show signs of incontinence even while on this therapy. In that case, the dose will have to be increased. If the dose needs to be repeatedly increased, your dog could become at risk for adverse effects of DES therapy including bone marrow suppression, estrus-like symptoms, and alopecia. The benefit of DES is that it is cost-effective and can become a manageable routine for you and your dog in time. 

Hormone Replacement Therapy Prevention in Dogs

Preventing USMI seems like it should be as simple as not spaying your pet. However, not spaying your dog could lead to different health problems for them down the road, most notably mammary tumors and behavioral problems, and is not recommended. Knowing which dogs are prone to developing USMI will help you prepare for the possibility of needing hormone replacement therapy in the future. In addition, keeping your dog at a healthy weight could help prevent USMI and the need for therapy. Taking your dog on regular walks or trips to the dog park and carefully monitoring their food and snack intake will help keep your dog at a healthy weight. 

Hormone Replacement Therapy Questions and Advice from Veterinary Professionals

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Bull mastiff

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Five Years

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My pet has the following symptoms:
Blood Coming From Penis When Aroused
what can I do to help him

Sept. 28, 2020

Answered by Dr. Michele K. DVM

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Thank you for your question. It is not normal for him to have blood coming from his penis, and he may have an infection or an injury. If this is continuing to occur, it would be best to have him seen by a veterinarian, as they can examine him and see what might be causing this, and what treatment he may need.

Oct. 8, 2020

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springer spanieal

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lady

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5 Years

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i have a 5 yr olg female springer had a urine culcure done cbc all values were good but alp was 165. 3 weeks agr i had a urine culcher done suspectedt infection all values were good but had some bacteria in it was put on amoxsillen 250 10 days she wieghs 48 lbs in 2013 she had a laprascopic overectamy at hte university of mn. 2 weeks ago wihile on amoxsillin she had 3 epasodes of leaking urine a small spot size of quarter whent to vet and was administered estradoil 1mg 1 per day for 7 days then 1 once a week is 1 mg alot for 7 days seems like a lot woundering if half would be better then half once a week to see if it works why a hole 1 mg for 7 days load what is a load of 7 days then 1 per week im worryed about over estrgen at 1mg for 7 days but sleeps all night and no leaking

April 6, 2018


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Incurin (estriol) is normally dosed as follows: “The dose of INCURIN® Tablets is not dependent upon body weight. All dogs should receive an initial dose of 2 mg INCURIN® Tablets (2 tablets) orally once per day for a minimum of 14 days. After urinary incontinence is controlled, the lowest effective daily dose of INCURIN® Tablets should be determined by decreasing the dose in a step-wise manner from 2 mg once daily (2 tablets) to 1 mg once daily (1 tablet), then 0.5 mg once daily (1/2 tablet) depending upon the response of the individual dog. There should be a minimum of 7 days between each dose adjustment. After the lowest daily dose that controls urinary incontinence is identified, the dose may be decreased further by administering once every two days. Dogs should not receive more than 2 mg INCURIN® Tablets per day (2 tablets). If the dog does not respond to 2 mg of INCURIN® Tablets per day, the diagnosis should be re-assessed.” This information may be seen in more detail in the links below; when it comes to hormonal conditions we need to find a right balance for each patient, but we should be trying to work down to the minimum effective dose to prevent urinary incontinence. Regards Dr Callum Turner DVM www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/product/canine/Incurin-Tablets/1 https://merckusa.cvpservice.com/product/basic/view/1047505

April 7, 2018

is estradoil the same as incurin thank you for your info

April 7, 2018

lady's Owner

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