{"id":689,"date":"2020-02-05T13:15:55","date_gmt":"2020-02-05T18:15:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pawsitivestepsrehab.com\/blog\/?p=689"},"modified":"2020-02-05T17:46:26","modified_gmt":"2020-02-05T22:46:26","slug":"accidents-happen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pawsitivestepsrehab.com\/blog\/accidents-happen\/","title":{"rendered":"Accidents Happen"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Angelia Oliverei, LVT, CVMRT<\/h4>\n

\"\"Urinary and fecal incontinence<\/h2>\n

Urinary and fecal incontinence is the lack of ability to control the bladder and bowel movements. This issue can occur in cats and dogs, just like humans – after all, they make Depends for a reason! Reasons for urinary incontinence may be hormone induced, drug reactions, disease process, trauma to the central nervous system, and\/or damage to the pudendal nerve (the nerve that controls the bladder and colon). Some common causes for fecal incontinence include difficulty or pain when posturing to defecate (which happens with arthritis), or decreasing communication between the nerves of the colon and the brain.\u00a0 Urinary and fecal incontinence is unfortunately one of the leading reasons why our pets are euthanized. It is important to understand that these pets are not intentionally having these accidents and it is a medical issue so always consult your veterinarian to see if the underlying cause can be found. Sometimes, looking at incontinence from a rehabilitation perspective is also helpful. What if there was a way we could combat this issues from a neurologic standpoint?<\/p>\n

Neurologic Anatomy<\/h3>\n

The nervous system includes the brain, blood vessels, muscles and nerves. But why is that important, you may ask? Let\u2019s first go over some basic concepts of neurology (the study of the nervous system). There are two major branches of the nervous system. The first is the\u00a0central nervous system, which\u00a0includes the brain and spinal cord. The second is the peripheral nervous system which includes all of the nerves that branch out from the brain and spinal cord and extend to other parts of the body including muscles and organs like the bladder and colon.<\/p>\n

The retention center is an area in the brain that is responsible for urination and defecation. The retention center is controlled\/stimulated by the cortex, which is the outer portion of the brain. By stimulating the cortex, you can help stimulate both bladder and bowels. \u00a0Examples of stimulating your pet\u2019s cortex include:<\/p>\n