Decreased incidence of postoperative urinary incontinence with a modified penrose drain technique for treatment of prostatic abscesses in dogs

Drainage with multiple Penrose drains is currently recommended as the primary treatment for canine prostatic abscesses. A recent report indicated that short term and long term urinary incontinence is a frequent complication associated with this technique. In this study, a modified multiple Penrose drain technique that avoids dissection dorsal to the prostate gland was performed in 17 dogs. Long term follow up information was obtained by telephone interview with the owners. Three dogs had urinary incontinence that resolved spontaneously within 3 days of surgery. Within the first year after that period, no other dogs developed incontinence. An excellent result was recorded in 12 dogs (71%) and a good result in 5 dogs (29%) having prostatic abscess drainage.