potty training/bladder issues

Question
I have a 6 1/2 month old lab/pit mix. We trained her to go to the bathroom outside and she was doing very well, with a few mishaps as expected. But it seems as soon as we got her spayed she just doesn't try much anymore. She will let us know if she has to go poop, but when she has to go pee she will just sometimes not bother to tell you and just pee anywhere and if you tell her no she acts like she can't stop. she knows she gets in trouble for it, but its like she cant control it. example today she was walking down the steps and just starting peeing all the way down. and at night we take her out and take away the water and food. and she will just pee on the bed. I feel so bad for her, i was just looking for some answers or suggestions.
thank you.

Answer
Greetings, and thank you for contacting All Experts,
If she was doing very well in potty-training and now you are suddenly seeing accidents after spaying her, I am afraid there may be something physical going on. I am not a veterinarian but have worked alongside vets for some time, and your description sounds like something not directly related to potty training. The fact you mention that she acts like she cannot control her bladder and behaves as if she can't stop, further convinces me that this is something related to something medical. The accident on the stairs sounds like she really had little control. Please do not scold your dog and assume it is house-training-related until she sees a vet. The following are therefore some potential causes for a sudden increase of accidents around the house. Of course, these are just assumptions; you would have to obviously consult your vet for diagnosis. The following therefore should not be used as a replacement for professional veterinary advice.


Your Dog is in Pain
If your dog came home from a spay surgery recently(I am not sure how long ago she was spayed), she may still be in pain and not feel too well to attend to her bladder needs as she would normally do. Many vets will send recently spayed dogs home with a bottle of pain medications to expedite recovery. If you suspect she is pain, consult with your vet about this option. However, since you mention she does well with bowel movements, this may not be exactly the case. What I suspect more is an urinary tract infection as described below.

Urinary Tract Infection
It is not unusual for a dog to develop a urinary infection after a spay surgery.
What are some potential causes for this? Because after a spay surgery a dog is recovering and at times is in pain, chances are she may hold the urine for a longer period of time then usual, explains veterinarian Dr. Fiona in her answer to a person going through a similar case as yours. This causes the urine to concentrate and create the ideal environment for bacteria to thrive. Here is the reference link for this:
http://www.justanswer.com/dog-health/2jt0q-dog-just-spayed-noticed-day.html

Another potential cause is the fact that the urethra is typically relaxed when the dog is anesthetized and this makes it easier for bacteria to travel up there causing an infection.

A dog with a urinary tract infection will urinate more and more frequently. Often, only a few drops will be expelled and the dog may be seen squatting frequently. At times, blood is seen in the urine. You can read more about signs of a urinary tract infection in the link below:
http://www.vetinfo.com/urinary-tract-infection-symptoms.html#b

If a urinary tract infection is suspected, the dog will have to be on antibiotics for a couple of weeks. If your girl has a urinary tract infection, she will have to be on antibiotics for a couple of weeks. I would give your vet a call to schedule an appointment as soon as possbile and bring in a urine sample. Try to catch a sample using a sterile container and have your vet run a urinalysis. The sample needs to be fresh -not older than 4 hours or it may be older than that but it needs to be refrigerated- (the fresher the better) and to make things easier for your vet label it with your name, pet's name, phone number, time it was collected and if the sample was refrigerated or not.

Other Causes
There are of course many other potential medical causes such as bladder stones or a mass in the bladder wall, but it would take a coincidence to make such conditions to show up right after the surgery.

As mentioned, these are just a few potential causes for the behavior you are seeing and you should really consult with your vet that did the surgery for a better idea of what may be going on. I really suspect there may be something medical going on so this really warrants a vet visit to rule medical conditions out and then go from there. If your vet gives you the all clear from a health stand-point, then please feel free to follow up and I will be glad to further help you out, but at this point it is fair to strongly assume that something is not right. I hope this helped, please take a moment to rate my answer when you have a chance, my very best wishes!

Disclaimer:I am NOT a veterinarian and this answer is not supposed to be used as a substitute for professional veterinary advice. If your dog is sick or not acting normally, please consult with your vet for a hands-on examination, diagnosis and treatment plan. By reading this answer, you automatically accept this disclaimer.