Therapeutic efficacy of botulinum toxin in the treatment of urinary incontinence in female dogs

Abstract

Urinary incontinence in animals poses a growing therapeutic problem. Satisfactory results in the treatment of incontinence are not reported despite the wide availability of pharmaceuticals addressing the problem. The growing number of side effects and the need for sustained pharmacotherapy have prompted a search for new treatment methods. The experiment described in this study was performed on 11 bitches with clinical symptoms of urinary incontinence. The dogs underwent cystoscopy during which botulinum toxin solution was injected into the wall of the urinary bladder (50–100 botulinum toxin units were given per animal in 10 injections), causing changes in its innervation. Positive therapeutic effects lasting for 5 months in average were noted in 70% of the treated animals