Urinary: More Info *LINK*

[marilynb]

I am writting again about my dachshund my dog started to howl about4months ago, I was in another room so when I went looking for him he was in my bedroom on the side of my bed he was whimpering badly. I picked him up and he was crying and shaking badly. I took him to thke vet and she put him on predasone and a pain pill.. HE WAS ON THESE FOR TWO WEEKS, he had som feelilng in his legs(back) but not much he couldn't wag his tail. I kept him in his coupe because I didn't want him to hurt himself. My dog does not have bladder control which is a problem. I used to be able to express his bladder but now I can't,nothing comes out,yet when I put him in his basket he wet or poops, then hes cries to let me kno so I can cleen him up. I woul d like to know how othe peoples dell with this.I use thick pads as I have these for my husband who is diabled.
jI have bought a wrap that goes around him and you pkut a sanitary pad in but it gets wet and has to be washed and it takes a long time to dry. I tried pampers but the ones I bought are too small,can anyone helpl me here as to what size
to buy? He is a mini and he weighs 14 pounds.
He wa litter boxed trained but of course now he can't go in,but as I said I put him in and I have been unable to express his bladder. I would appreciate any help and suggestions.

thank you,

Marilyn


Disabled Dachshund Society

[Dianne]

Marliyn,

I also have a paralyzed doxie who is incontinent. I am NOT a vet, but a pet lover.

You indicated that the injury occurred about 4 weeks ago, and that your mini was given steroids and pain pills. Did they discuss the option of surgery?

Were you told that he needed REST in a confined area like a crate? Crate resting would give the injury a chance to heal so that he doesn't further injure himself. If you are not currently resting him in a crate, DO IT NOW. Do NOT allow him to drag about the house!! Provide water in the crate.

Bladder care: Inorder to express the bladder, your dog needs to drink a sufficient volume of water. If he drinks less, there will be less urine to express, and my experience is that it is then more difficult.

Bowel care: It is possible to express feces as well as urine. Included is the letter I wrote someone else earlier this evening about how I do it. My dog no longer makes messes in his bed nor at unpredictable times. Link is below.

I really understand how frustrating and somewhat depressing it is to have a paralyzed pet. Following a routine will really make your life easier while he has a chance to heal.

Someone else is sure to come along later tonight and post about their experience. There are a lot of pet lovers on this board who have have greater knowledge than I.

Dianne



http://www.handicappedpets.com/cgi-bin/ ... read=24469

[CarolC]

Here is Lauren's message:

<a href="http://www.handicappedpets.com/cgi-bin/ ... >Lauren</a>

Here is Paul's reply to Lauren's message:

<a href="http://www.handicappedpets.com/cgi-bin/ ... 8">Paul</a>

Marilyn, I'm not sure why you used to be able to express him but now you can't. One possibility is that he has regained some bladder control and is now resisting you. I wonder if it would help to try a different expressing method. Here is a Martha's method that several people have found works better.

http://www.handicappedpets.com/cgi-bin/ ... read=15230 Martha's method

I totally agree with Dianne about managing the bowel so the dog does not mess in bed. I squeeze my dog's bottom as Dianne describes (only I do it on the bathroom counter over layers of Kleenex, she is small) so she empties her bowel and does not have accidents. It is easy to do and better for the dog, and will save you some cleaning. Did you read the link she gave you on expressing the bowel? It really helps.

[Jerry]

Have you been to your vet to see why you cant express him?? Sometimes my dog resists which makes me wonder if she has some control but she never wets herself unless she has a urine infection. If he is totally incontinent I can't understand why you cant get anything out of him? Maybe he does have some control there and resists when you try to do it for him?? Im sure someone here will know exactly whats going on!!

Jerry

[Marni]

Hi Marilyn,

Your story is a familiar one. I use clothe baby diapers on my male dachshund held in place with a male wrap. Works great. Lots of laundry but nothing new. No soiling of bedding , etc.

I had much difficulty exprssing my little male too. So I increased his fluid intake by mixing very dilute chicken broth with his water and mixing Science Diet Prescription canned A/D (A/T?)into the water/broth, one tablespoon of canned food into a bowl of water/broth as often as he emptied it. That made it easy to express him. My chicken broth is the byproduct of a pressure cooker poached chicken NO SALT ADDED.

I agree that you should be talking with your vet about these issues and, especially the crate rest. Essesntial at this time and for the next 6 weeks or more in the future.

The male wraps I have are from PomLady store on ebay. They were less expensive by half than others I found that they wash and dry quickly. Hand wash. Dry after wringing in a towel in a few hours at most. For my little guy, the wraps cost $7-8 each and I have been using three for the past four months and they are not wearing out at all.

I found clothe baby diapers folded into a rectangle worked best for me beause my guy chewed the disposable ones and made quite a mess. Also, I don't like using things that add to the glut of refuse. Lots of laundry but I don't end up laundrying his bedding as often.

Please ask any questions you have. The folks on this website saved my life when my little guy went down in August.

LOL,
Marni

[critters]

After the rest period you might use these as ideas to adapt his litterbox. These were ideas for kitties, but I doubt he'd care.

* http://www.handicappedpets.com/cgi-bin/ ... ?read=9043

http://www.handicappedpets.com/cgi-bin/ ... ?read=9043

* PetsMart no skills version

http://www.handicappedpets.com/cgi-bin/ ... ?read=7455

* Alex (direct link)

http://alexpkitten.t35.com/pics/boxdesign.jpg


http://alexpkitten.t35.com/pics/boxdesign.jpg

[Paul Coover]

Hi Marilyn. I agree that crate rest is an absolute MUST, as that is the one thing that is ALWAYS done for at least 4 weeks following going down. From the crying and yelps of pain, I would make sure that he is crated all the time except to take him out to go or clean up his area.

Johanna used to wear size 4 diapers with a hole cut for her tail. Those worked, but she developed a diaper rash. After that I started putting leak proof bedding in her playpen, so I just take it out and wash it when she goes.

If your dog can't be expressed any more but pees when put down, maybe you could put him in a sink or the bathtub and let him do his business there. The mess would be much easier to clean up. I do that with Johanna and Pork Chop, who are both incontinent. Pork Chop is also expressed to avoid any UTI's from getting him.

There are many different ways to care for a handicapped pet, and no one way is right or wrong. It just depends on what is easiest for you and your lifestyle. With a little care, I'm sure that your pet can live a very happy and healthy long life. So with that said, just one more thing.

Make sure you keep a good, positive attitude. I know it can be difficult at times, but it is very important. Your dog can sense how you are feeling and he will feed off of your emotions. If you are in a good mindset, your pet can cope with his change of lifestyle much easier. Good luck and keep us posted!