Diagnosis of urinary incontinence in dogs: role of the urethral pressure profile.

Nine cases of urinary incontinence in dogs were evaluated by various diagnostic methods, including the urethral pressure profile (UPP). The UPP was derived from a need to study th dynamics of the urethra in patients with urinary tract obstruction or incompetence of the urethral sphincteric mechanism and was obtained in dogs with similar problems. The method involved slowly withdrawing a fluid-filled catheter through the urethra while a chart recorder graphed the pressure changes within the urethral lumen. The graphs obtained from clinical cases were compared with normal values established for the UPP in dogs. The UPP proved to be a simple and reliable means by which to determine intraurethral events and aided in establishing the cause of urinary incontinence in several dogs. The profile provided a graphic description of intraurethral resistance in each case and was valuable in localizing areas of increased urethral resistance or obstructions and decreased urethral resistance or incompetence. Frequently, specific therapy for the urinary incontinence was instituted on the basis of the UPP.