Hi guys,
My Louie a shih tzu / poodle mixed was diagnosed with IDVV Last Wednesday. He is completely paralyzed in his back legs. he is able to void himself the issue I am running into is that he is on stric cage rest and he ends up going to the restroom on himself. I was told by the vet to not take him out the cage. but now he has peed on himself a few times and is a little funky! Is it ok to bathe him or what is my options as far as getting him to pee outside the cage if he can not stand up on his own. HELP
Potty Options
Re: Potty Options
You've kind of got 2 different issues here. One issue is to keep him dry, as you say. The other issue is to be sure he is fully emptying his bladder. Let me start with the second issue first.
When a dog has rear end paralysis, it can be hard to know at first if they really do have bladder control. Some dogs leak and dribble all the time, and those dogs you can assume do not have bladder control. But some dogs will stay dry for a while, and then wet the bed. In that case you do not know if they have bladder control and just didn't know how to tell you they needed to go outside for a potty break, or whether they really don't have control and the bladder just filled to a certain point and then released involuntarily. It is hard because he can't run to the back door to tell you he needs to go out. Some dogs will begin to whine and act restless and they can manage to communicate to the caregiver that they know they need to potty and they would like to go out, but not all dogs communicate this well. In the case of your dog, if I were in your shoes and just knowing as much as you have posted, I would assume maybe he doesn't have bladder control, or he has incomplete bladder control. Incomplete bladder control can occur during recovery from spinal injury, when the dog may be able to hold it for a while but not as long as before, and may have little accidents.
I know your vet said not to take him out of the cage, and it is true that crate rest should be as strict as possible, no sitting on the sofa watching TV, not sleeping with you, no playing or handling except as absolutely necessary. But crate rest does include "out to potty" and of course out for bedding changes. When I changed my dog's bed, I put her in a cardboard box so she wouldn't try to go anywhere. Since your dog cannot stand up, you may think won't try to go anywhere, but really they can scoot with their front feet much faster than you would think, and if he sees a cat on the other side of the fence he could be off across the yard in a flash. This is why you need to keep the dog in your direct control when taking out to potty, and when he begins to be able to stand and is still on crate rest, he will have to be on a leash and only allowed to take the number of steps needed to do his business, then back into the crate he goes. So yes, strict crating is extremely important, but nursing will include being out as briefly as possibly for true necessities.
If he has a poodle coat, can you maybe try doggy pet wipes to see if you can get him clean enough for now? If he has the thick shih tzu coat, you might just carefully hold his hindquarters under running water with as little movement as possible. If he is able to sit, he could sit in the sink and you could use the spray attachment or pour water over him. Whatever is the least movement and strain. You are right, it is important to keep the urine off, not just for the smell but also because it will irritate the skin.
The best way to keep him dry involves 2 things. One is expressing the bladder. That means you squeeze his tummy in a certain way to make him pee onto a potty pad. Your vet should show you how to do it. Whatever urine you can express out of him will not end up soaking his bed. Also, expressing the bladder allows you to be sure he is really getting empty. Some dogs with partial control may urinate voluntarily but not fully empty, and that can cause a urinary tract infection if there is a little bit of stale urine remaining in the bladder all the time. You can see a lot of video demos on expressing the bladder at the end of this link, scroll all the way down. (Sorry the photos in the article are not displaying right now.)
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=16027
The other thing that will help a lot in addition to expressing, is to put him in a male wrap. Male wraps are also called belly bands or male doggy diapers. They are a wide belt that fastens around the waist with velcro and holds an absorbent pad over the male area. Male wraps are your friend! They will keep his bedding dry, and they are also a good way to monitor him for infection (if you notice a change in urine color or a new odor, it can clue you in that he might be getting an infection). It is important for the male wrap to hold the pad snugly, and it is best to use real bladder pads, not feminine pads as they are not absorbent enough. You can buy malewraps online or at PetsMart (don't know if the PetsMart brand is snug, have not tried them). You can also make your own at home, it is an easy sewing project even if you don't sew a lot. And one last thing, you may want to put a little vaseline on him to protect his skin under the pad. Hope this helps!
When a dog has rear end paralysis, it can be hard to know at first if they really do have bladder control. Some dogs leak and dribble all the time, and those dogs you can assume do not have bladder control. But some dogs will stay dry for a while, and then wet the bed. In that case you do not know if they have bladder control and just didn't know how to tell you they needed to go outside for a potty break, or whether they really don't have control and the bladder just filled to a certain point and then released involuntarily. It is hard because he can't run to the back door to tell you he needs to go out. Some dogs will begin to whine and act restless and they can manage to communicate to the caregiver that they know they need to potty and they would like to go out, but not all dogs communicate this well. In the case of your dog, if I were in your shoes and just knowing as much as you have posted, I would assume maybe he doesn't have bladder control, or he has incomplete bladder control. Incomplete bladder control can occur during recovery from spinal injury, when the dog may be able to hold it for a while but not as long as before, and may have little accidents.
I know your vet said not to take him out of the cage, and it is true that crate rest should be as strict as possible, no sitting on the sofa watching TV, not sleeping with you, no playing or handling except as absolutely necessary. But crate rest does include "out to potty" and of course out for bedding changes. When I changed my dog's bed, I put her in a cardboard box so she wouldn't try to go anywhere. Since your dog cannot stand up, you may think won't try to go anywhere, but really they can scoot with their front feet much faster than you would think, and if he sees a cat on the other side of the fence he could be off across the yard in a flash. This is why you need to keep the dog in your direct control when taking out to potty, and when he begins to be able to stand and is still on crate rest, he will have to be on a leash and only allowed to take the number of steps needed to do his business, then back into the crate he goes. So yes, strict crating is extremely important, but nursing will include being out as briefly as possibly for true necessities.
If he has a poodle coat, can you maybe try doggy pet wipes to see if you can get him clean enough for now? If he has the thick shih tzu coat, you might just carefully hold his hindquarters under running water with as little movement as possible. If he is able to sit, he could sit in the sink and you could use the spray attachment or pour water over him. Whatever is the least movement and strain. You are right, it is important to keep the urine off, not just for the smell but also because it will irritate the skin.
The best way to keep him dry involves 2 things. One is expressing the bladder. That means you squeeze his tummy in a certain way to make him pee onto a potty pad. Your vet should show you how to do it. Whatever urine you can express out of him will not end up soaking his bed. Also, expressing the bladder allows you to be sure he is really getting empty. Some dogs with partial control may urinate voluntarily but not fully empty, and that can cause a urinary tract infection if there is a little bit of stale urine remaining in the bladder all the time. You can see a lot of video demos on expressing the bladder at the end of this link, scroll all the way down. (Sorry the photos in the article are not displaying right now.)
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=16027
The other thing that will help a lot in addition to expressing, is to put him in a male wrap. Male wraps are also called belly bands or male doggy diapers. They are a wide belt that fastens around the waist with velcro and holds an absorbent pad over the male area. Male wraps are your friend! They will keep his bedding dry, and they are also a good way to monitor him for infection (if you notice a change in urine color or a new odor, it can clue you in that he might be getting an infection). It is important for the male wrap to hold the pad snugly, and it is best to use real bladder pads, not feminine pads as they are not absorbent enough. You can buy malewraps online or at PetsMart (don't know if the PetsMart brand is snug, have not tried them). You can also make your own at home, it is an easy sewing project even if you don't sew a lot. And one last thing, you may want to put a little vaseline on him to protect his skin under the pad. Hope this helps!