# Giving birth control pills to a dog to boost estrogen?



## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

This is not working dog related at ALL, but what the heck. A friend of one of my co-workers sent me an e-mail today that I just don't know about. I was hoping you guys could help me out. My first reaction was to reply back with a NO! Don't do that! but I could be wrong. Here's the e-mail:

*I have a female boxer, 8 1/2 years old, Roxy. She has been having incontinence issues for a few years. When lying down, she pees and doesn't even know it. And it seems to be worse if she is a little over weight. She drinks a lot of water, cus it's hot year round in the Philippines, but she also goes outside to pee often. She's been treated numerous times for bladder infections but the problem persists.

I researched dog incontinence on the Internet and discovered that it is a common problem related to aging dogs lacking estrogen. Birth control pills were recommended to help stregthen the bladder muscle to control the flow. I can get BCP's here without a prescription. I am desperate to help Roxy control her urine but am concerned about the dosage. Is one pill once a week OK? FYI, my vets here, never mentioned anything to me about this condition being age/hormone related.*


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

I would not use HRT without a vet..... for that precise reason (dosage).


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

If she has been treated numerous times for UTIs, then I'd be inclined to think that infection and not hormones was the basic problem.

I think that I'd concentrate on that. How I would do it is (1) checking on what antibiotic the dog was/is getting for the UTI; there are a couple that are particularly appropriate for recurring UT infections, and (2) checking her AFTER the regimen to make sure the UTI has actually been totally cleared up.


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