Onset Paralysis

Neurological Disorders Resources. Treatment and care for pets having pain or trouble walking or standing due to spinal injuries or neurological disorders like IVDD, FCE and DM.
pbj_33
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Onset Paralysis

Post by pbj_33 »

My 4-year-old black lab, Kujo, was diagnosed with onset paralysis due to a spinal stroke about 2 weeks ago. He is home doing PT with us and still visits his vet once a week for Laser therapy. Kujo has always been very house trained, to the point where I haven't ever had him poop in the house. Now that we are home with him, we are struggling to get him to potty outside. Since he can not stand up on his own, we have a rear lift support brace that doesn't block either of his private parts. Even with that, he is still seemingly too tense to use the potty standing up. We have tried takin the harness of and straddling him to help with his weight bearing but it hasn't helped. He will give signs that he DOES need to use the bathroom. (I.E. sitting straight up when I say "potty?" & trying to drag himself towards the door. Even then, he doesn't pee a strong stream or poop outside. He has tried to run to his favorite potty bush so hard that he came out of his sling, so I believe he still feels sensation to use the bathroom. I'm wondering if WE are the problem (the fur parents)? We have had a pretty steady schedule from day one, I wouldn't say strict. He would potty before I leave for work, on my break, and always right before bed (with some trips in between). It seems as though he's holding his bladder/bowels. I've expressed his urine when it seems needed but only once or twice have we seen a steady stream. Right now, we are seeing a lot of dripping. A lot of going outside to potty only for him to come inside and use the bathroom on his pads. Even then, I know he isn't fully releasing his bladder. He is a big dog and could easily fill up 3 puppy pads with a full stream. We are changing them (since he is doing crate rest during the day) at least every 30 minutes just from the "dripping". I have been in constant communication with Kujo's vet everyday and this is something they are keeping tabs on & have prescribed meds to hopefully help.
My question is- Is it possible that he is not used to the sling yet or could he be holding his bladder because he isn't comfortable with how we're holding him? He will poop and pee, but at very weird times which leads me to think that he is holding his bladder for whatever reason. I have woken up around 4 am every day to full puppy pads of urine and he will poop about the same time. Is there any way that I can start getting him used to going potty outside again? It doesn't bother me having to clean up after my sweet boy, seeing as he is needing complete care right now. I just would like to do whatever possible to make this process of recovery smooth and comfortable as possible for him.
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CarolC
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Re: Onset Paralysis

Post by CarolC »

Hi there!

:group:

There are several things you can do, and by experimenting you will find out what works best with your particular dog.

The first thing is the easiest. I would get him some belly bands (aka malewraps). They are a wide belt that goes around the waist over the male area, and fastens with velcro. You put an absorbent pad inside the wrap, like a Poise pad, and it will catch the drips. This way you do not have to change his potty pads so often.

:malewrap:
With a big dog who voids a lot of urine, there are a couple of choices. One is to get the highest absorbency pad (Poise or similar), and if that is not enough, you can add a booster pad (aka baby diaper doubler) to give more absorbency. The other choice is to buy a high absorbency disposable baby diaper, take scissors and trim it around the edges so it will lay flat, and put that inside his wrap. That will absorb a lot! They make children's diapers for kids up to 125 lbs, so they hold a lot of urine. As long as you can keep the diaper flat against his belly, it will work.

Either way, you will want to protect him from diaper rash. There are many ointments you can use. The kind I used with my dog was original Desitin diaper cream. It contains zinc oxide, so you should only use it if your dog is not licking his private area, but with a snug belly band hopefully he will not be licking himself. If he licks, then you probably want something like petroleum jelly. I loved the Desitin, because I could butter my dog with it really good, and it would last maybe a day and a half before I had to smear more on, and it really kept his skin healthy better than anything else I tried. Here is a picture of my dog in his wrap.

MerlinRamp.jpg
I am not a vet, but speaking from experience here. On the situation where you take him out but he is not going, it sounds like you tried the right things. Using a harness is good, and propping him between your legs is also good. It is quite possible, like you say, that he is just mentally uncomfortable with trying to do this with people so closely involved. When I first got my golden retriever, he could walk fine but he had heartworms and he was on heartworm treatment, so he was not allowed off leash at any time and had to be pottied on a leash. I will never forget we walked around and around and around and around the yard forever and he would not potty, because he was not used to doing that on a leash. It's possible your dog is the same way.

In that case, I wonder if you could try letting him lie down in his potty location (the one he made a beeline to), and just give him some privacy for a little while. You could either sit outside or do something in the yard, and see if he'll finally release on his own in the grass. If he urinates, he won't get too wet because it will go down in the grass, and if he goes Number 2 he'll probably pull himself away from it, and then you can tell him what a good dog he is. I would then try to express him after this potty session, to see if he got himself empty on his own. If he did not, then you'll know you need to keep expressing, because he can initiate the stream, but he only has partial control and does not have the control to fully empty yet. It is something you have to figure out, whether he is emptying or not, because it is different for each dog, and his status may change as he progresses. Perhaps he is not emptying now, but will soon, so you keep tabs on his status this way by doing a test express.

If giving him privacy outdoors does not work, then it is probably not psychological. When dogs have a spinal stroke and are affected in the hind legs, it can also affect the nerves controlling the bladder. It is not uncommon that they can feel they need to potty, they just don't have the control to initiate urination, or when they do, they may not empty completely. This sounds like it may be what you are describing. When he goes on his pads, it may be overflow. And you mentioned that you think he's not emptying. I would continue expressing him. They say you should continue expressing until bladder control is well established. This will help avoid him getting a urinary tract infection, which is a common occurrence in these situations. It can normally be cleared up pretty quickly with antibiotics, but getting him properly empty 3x a day will avoid it. It sounds like you already expressed him successfully, so that's fantastic! Are you doing it with him lying down? If you want to watch some videos of people expressing large dogs lying down, there are a bunch of videos if you scroll to the end of this article.

There is one more thing that can be a huge help, which people here call "poop on demand". You can stimulate the dog's bottom to trigger a reflex so he will empty his bowel at a time and place of your choosing. You can do it indoors on a potty pad (with a box of Kleenex handy to cover it quickly to minimize the smell) or you could do it outdoors. There are a number of different ways to stimulate him, which are described in this article. The ice cube method is an easy one, or the Q-tip method. I like the pinch method best, but you have to see what works best for you and your dog. If you can get him to empty this way, it will mean fewer surprises in his bed.

The prognosis for a spinal stroke is very good, and the great majority of dogs will recover walking and go on to lead normal lives. The first weeks are the hardest, but it gets better. I don't know your dog, but from what you say, I think I would keep expressing right now. This will prevent "sludge" or sediment in the bladder, and prevent the bladder from stretching, and help avoid an infection. When he is going well on his own, then you won't have to help him anymore. :)
pbj_33
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Re: Onset Paralysis

Post by pbj_33 »

Carol,

Thank you so so much. Everything you have said has eased my mind or given me great ideas on how to help my baby.

Yes, when we express his bladder, he is laid on his side. I try to relax him and rub his belly while saying it's time to potty and good boy affirmations. Sometimes, he will go all on his own and other times you can see him almost trying NOT to.

We brought him home friday after he was at an emergency vet for 10 days. We were ecstatic but in over our heads before we knew it. I was worried sick while he was away but didn't realize the work we would be putting in. I am not complaining, as I would much rather have him home. At first, we were scared that him being sent home so early was a death sentence. After talking with his doctor, he believes that the best recovery for Kujo is to be in his environment, getting laser therapy 1-2 times a week and doing exercises at home. Here's a quick run down of this week.

Monday, I had to go back to work. Sadly, I work a 8-5 job and have taken so much time off prior for going to see him (the vet was 1.5 hours away) so staying home hasn't been an option. I came home on break after him being alone for about 2.5 hours (my boyfriend goes into work at 11). When I got to our room, opened the door to a heartbreaking scene. He had drug himself in circles (you could see the marks on the floor) and had peed himself. He had also went #2 but he did that RIGHT by our back door that is connected to our bedroom. He was obviously frustrated and worked up. I washed him off and got him new pads. Told him he was the best boy and tried to soothe him. We got him all settled and clean and rested for the evening.

Today, I was holding my breath when I opened my bedroom door. BUT there he was! resting! clean! he had moved from the original dog bed onto the wood flooring, probably to cool off, but there was very little urine next to him/ on his pads. I took him outside before reading this and he made a nice #2 while I held him in his sling.

It is nothing drastic, but they are steps!! I'll be making a trip to the store after work for all the items you mentioned and can't wait to try these idea out with kujo!

Thank you so much for your help!
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CarolC
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Re: Onset Paralysis

Post by CarolC »

Yes, you definitely feel in over your head at first, especially with a big dog, but it gets better. The more he figures out what's going on, the more he'll probably help you. That is great that he did his Number 2 in the sling. It sounds like he is already helping! :smart:

I think you're going to want his waist measurement if you shop for male wraps. They come in different sizes. My Merlin's waist was 23" when his weight was down to 55 lbs, but it sounds like your dog is bigger. The belly bands will be better than potty pads, because he won't get urine travelling under his hip or belly like can sometimes happen with a wet potty pad. Those potty pads aren't very absorbent. I think they do more to keep the bedding dry than the dog dry.

If he likes his doggy bed (when he's not hot) you could cover it with a garbage bag and put a blanket over it, and that will help keep the bed clean. A large dog bed is hard to wash in your washer at home.

It's better if he doesn't drag too much. (Easy for me to say, I know.) A dog recovering from paralysis can sometimes get a pressure sore on the hip, especially if he gets a urine burn on his skin first from lying in a wet spot, or he drags his hip and gets a friction burn from the floor/carpet, then is lying on the sore spot all day. It is less of a problem with a smaller dog, but if the dog is thin with hip bones protruding, or if the dog is simply heavy, he is more likely to get a pressure sore. I realize there is a limit to what you can do. You had him in his bed and he decided to get out. Maybe turn the air conditioning colder? Not sure. I would just keep a close eye on his hips/skin and try to keep him on soft bedding as best you can. Pressure sores are much easier to prevent than to treat once you get one, especially if you have a dog that prefers to lie only on one side, and that's the side where it develops. Some dogs are able to raise their hip off the floor when they drag. In that case they might get a boo-boo on their foot or leg, but that's less of a problem.
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critters
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Re: Onset Paralysis

Post by critters »

:whale: There's not a whole lot I can add here, but be aware that there are meds that can help with pee. The dripping sounds like he may have a floppy (hypotonic) bladder, so he may need meds to help tighten it up. There are also other meds that can help relax a spastic or tight bladder.
pbj_33
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Re: Onset Paralysis

Post by pbj_33 »

CarolC,

We went ahead and invested in those male wraps that you mentioned as soon as possible yesterday.

As far as his bedding situation goes, instead of using an actual dog bed (due to his size hah) we opted for our double papasan chair cushion. We took it off of the frame of course & laid it flat on the floor for him. We have a kind of layered set up: Base papasan pad, puppy pads, blanket, puppy pad. We set us a small isolating fan close to him so that he hopefully doesn't get too warm.

We use doggy wipes often if he happens to get pee on his leg, belly, etc. Trying not to "rub" the skin but more-so dabbing to keep from causing irritation. We have also purchased the jelly for his that small spot on his belly, which hasn't seemed to get any worse but not better either.

Critters,

He has been prescribed a medication to help with "spasms" in his tract to hopefully help with the dripping. Our doctor told us that their biggest concern was IF Kujo was going to be able to pee/poo properly. I'm not sure if there is a time line on when or if we find out that he can or can't. We're still on the fence. We can tell he knows when he has to go potty but getting him to go is sometimes difficult. He may shoot out a solid stream for 2 seconds then dribble. That's when I'll try expressing his bladder to keep from infection. Even though he is pooping & doing it outside, I can tell he isn't going on "his" normal schedule and does try holding it in until he can't. We've only had one or two #2's made inside on his pad.


Which may not be a cause for concern, but I want to felel sure of that. We are praying that he is simply holding it because things are just not normal right now. Like the doctor said, the bladder is his biggest concern so we really hope that we seem some kind of signs towards improvement so that he can feel comfortable enough to potty normally & naturally.
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critters
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Re: Onset Paralysis

Post by critters »

What is he taking for his bladder?
pbj_33
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Re: Onset Paralysis

Post by pbj_33 »

Critters,

He is currently on "Prazosin" to help with his bladder.

Earlier in the week looked a lot different than today when looking at his bathroom habits.

Kujo's personality & energy throughout this whole ordeal has really surprised the vets. He gets very excited by the everyday things that we do- coming home, eating time, potty time; he's had great spirits.

When I had come home Monday from work, there was urine all over the bedroom that had been moved about in a circular motion, from Kujo dragging himself. My vet recommend we DO NOT crate Kujo as we never have and he is rather large. They want him to be able to move and it would be hard for him in a cage/crate.

Today, I got home and there was only urine on one puppy pad in a puddle vs. "spots" of urine. I literally jumped in excitement.

I truly wish I could stay at home all day with him but I'm glad that he's becoming more & more comfortable as the days go by. We appreciate the help so much, we felt like we might have been doing him an injustice since we aren't professionals. This page has reminded me that you do not have to be "Board Certified" to keep your pet happy and content.

Thank you for everyone's recommendations and remedies, you have helped me feel sane during this very crazy time in our lives.
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Re: Onset Paralysis

Post by CarolC »

I agree on not crating him, even if he was used to it. It is too hard for the caregiver to get the dog in and out. You have to more or less crawl in with him to get the sling on. If he drags himself out the door in his eagerness, he's going over that bottom wire threshold thingie that's an inch or two off the ground and you don't want him scraping himself. Also, when you go to sling him back into the crate, you are kind of bending down into it while holding the sling out ahead of you, to land him inside. A dog carries 60% of their weight on the front legs and 40% on the hind legs. So if he is 80 lbs, you are slinging 32 lbs, and you don't want to mess up your back or shoulder or elbow or who-knows-what with any awkward gymnastics.

It sounds like you have everything under control, but if needed, an x-pen would be an easy solution. You can open the side to walk him in and out, using safe body mechanics. It's big enough that he can move a little.

22932261_b6991596f7_m.jpg

That sounds like a nice soft bed. Since he isn't dribbling now, there won't be a problem. But I did learn with my first down dog about potty pads. We were actually using human incontinent pads, but as far as I can tell they're the same thing. If my dog was lying on his potty pad (for absorbency), on top of a folded blanket (for softness), and he urinated, the potty pad was not absorbent enough to soak up the urine right away. Instead, the urine tended to spread out and gravitate toward the lowest elevation, which was usually right under his hip. I always say, a dog lying on a wet potty pad is a wet dog.

The incontinent pads (like Poise) or disposable diapers are different. They have a gel-lock interior that absorbs the liquid and locks it in. And they have a dry-weave top layer that keeps the moisture away from your dog's skin. They are truly absorbent as long as they are held snug to the body. In fact, you may have already found out how well they work. My Merlin (golden retriever) had renal insufficiency, so he drank a lot of water and peed a lot, and I was changing his pad about 5 times a day. There were times I would go to change his pad, and I'd be surprised at how *heavy* it was! Holy cow! :shock: :lol: Heavy from soaking up so much liquid.

That's why I'm glad you got the malewraps. I hope they're working out for him. They make different kinds. Some have elastic and some are flat. I personally like the flat ones because they don't bunch up, but some people feel elastic is the way to go. Whatever works for your dog is what matters.

Hopefully he won't need them long term. There is no set timeline on recovery of bladder control, as each injury is different. My dog's physical therapist says that with a back injury you need to give it at least 3 months to see if bladder control will return, six months to be sure. Whatever you have after that is likely pretty much what you're going to have, but that is only a general guide. There have been a number of cases on this forum of bladder control returning well after 6 months. :wink:

Yes, thank goodness you don't have to be board certified or medical at all, to care for a dog with FCE. You might need a little physical ability, and common sense. I would guess he's glad to be home, too, and he'd rather have you than all the friendly vet techs and experts.

You said you were doing exercises at home. That's really good. They recommend aggressive physical therapy for FCE (spinal stroke). A very easy one (no lifting) would be to stimulate his feet. His body needs to remap the pathway from his brain to his feet, and the more you give it to work with, the better. So whenever you are home, you might just massage his feet every once in a while. Rub the bottoms of his feet, dig your fingers in between his toes and let him kick, tickle his feet. I did This Little Piggy with my dog and she thought it was funny! :D
pbj_33
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Re: Onset Paralysis

Post by pbj_33 »

CarolC,

The little piggy thing made me laugh. We play games along the lines with Kujo & it keeps him in good spirits.

Yesterday, he seemed a little groggy (due to his meds more than likely) and was bloated. I wasn't sure if that was from the meds or if he was full and too sedated to get up for the potty. Mind you, I'm only 10 pounds lighter than him and 5'2", so if I'm alone, it can be difficult to carry him out in the sling. I've done it, but it is not easy.

I tried the ice cube trick and it immediately worked. I mean... I was actually shocked and glad I had all the necessary cleaning supplies on stand-by. :lol:

He still seem bloated and slightly uncomfortable a few hours later. We had done his second round of meds for the day & eaten about an hour before, so I wondered if he was needing to go again. The rain stopped and I got him in his sling and to the yard we went. I've been letting him walk us to where he wants to go in the yard, letting him smell around, stand for a bit, then we let him lay. It's very rare that he will pee standing up. So, I attempted the ice cube after seeing him go #1 on his own but not seeming satisfied. Even with the ice cube, he didn't go #2. I didn't want to mess anything up so went back inside. I assumed that if the ice cube didn't work first or second try, that he would go when it was time. And boy did he. :lol:

My vet suggests we invest in a mat (she gave the example of something you'd put under a rug) for traction, so that when Kujo is ready to go from sit to stand position, the grip would be much easier than on solid hardwood.

My question is, should I go with something more heavy duty like a shower mat that will suction to the floor? Maybe even like a rubber kitchen mat or a kids play mat. I'm not sure if any of you guys have invested in anything similar and could point me in the right direction.

Thanks you guy!! :hearts:
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CarolC
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Re: Onset Paralysis

Post by CarolC »

Hi! :D Glad the ice cube worked. It's not exactly the "funnest" thing, but it's a relief for the dog. :lol: Wow, Kujo's about as big as you are! He must be even bigger than I thought. Hopefully this won't go too long. Recovery is the norm in spinal stroke.

I would recommend calling the vet and reporting the grogginess and bloating. Here is some information on the side effects of prazosin. They include lethargy and GI issues. I don't know if she'll want to adjust the dose or wait and see if he gets past that in a few days.

https://www.wedgewoodpharmacy.com/learn ... y-use.html

I would personally be a little concerned with the bloating. We had a quadriplegic bull mastiff here named Bully who bloated and had to have surgery. (He recovered and later walked again.) I am talking about the kind of bloat where the stomach bloats and twists on the axis inside the belly, cutting off the blood supply. In dogs it is called "the mother of all emergencies". Bloat is more common in the deep chested breeds, and can be caused by diet, or even stress. Regular gassiness is not the same as real bloat, and he does not sound too stressed, but he is on meds, so I would talk to the vet and see what she says. I am not trying to give you one more thing to worry about every time I post. It isn't a common occurence, but it's just something to be aware of and know the symptoms.

https://aspengrovevet.com/bloat-mother-emergencies/

The mat is a good idea. Another option is Dr. Buzby's toe grips.

http://muttnut.blogspot.com/2012/10/rev ... -dogs.html

You probably won't need a tub mat. The other 2 might work (kitchen mat or play mat, if I'm picturing the same thing you are talking about). People here have used different kinds of rugs and mats and runners. The kind I used for Merlin was a 3 x 5 ribbed entrance mat, the kind you see at the entry of stores. Here is a picture. At the time it was $18 at Home Depot and came in black, brown, or green. You don't want to put it on linoleum, though, as the rubber back can react with linoleum, but it was fine on oak parquet.

Merlin_malewrap_straps.jpg
pbj_33
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Re: Onset Paralysis

Post by pbj_33 »

Hey CarolC,

Thank you for being my sound voice during this time, I have mentioned you and your amazing advice several times to my boyfriend and our parents when they ask what's new with our boy.

We have noticed much less bloating today.

He was very gassy last night and ended up using the bathroom 3 times, yes THREE SEPERATE #2's!! I never thought I'd be so excited for poo, but when I tell you we get ecstatic over EVERY thing, we jump for joy when he so much as twitches a toe in his sleep, lol.

I will still call his doctor because, like you mentioned, it COULD be something more serious that what we can fix at home and I'd much rather be safe than sorry. When I got on break today, he was resting and hadn't made much of a mess on his pads. Very minimal.

So, we expressed his bladder and got a very steady stream. In the beginning, we would express and see a weaker stream than what we'd like. I might've been too worried that he was needing to go/ would get an infection and was over expressing. Which makes me feel terrible- he was probably thinking "my God, mom. I'm FINE" :lol:

He is quite the gentlest beast. Never been fiesty, we only hear his bark when someone knocks on our door, and he absolutely loves being right on top of you. One night at 4 a.m. when our water heater had busted and it only woke Kujo. I was confused as to why he would be barking only to hear gallons of water coming through the ceiling while I was half asleep. :roll:

He's intelligent beyond measure and seems like he is a mirror of every emotion we feel. I miss being able to come home and seeing him and my boyfriend in the drive, but we pray and hope to get back to those days again SOON. Since he is a mirror and reads us so well, we make sure that any tears or sad emotions are carried out away from him. Which thankfully, we haven't been needing to do. We've been doing a lot more "yay's!! Great boy!!" than "it's okay bubby" and the small signs from Kujo are big signs to us.

Here is my gentleman below. This picture was actually taken at the Capital Veterinary Services in Tallahassee when we got to see him for the first time after 2 very long days. He is quite the ham but I love how big he is. Just gives me that much more to love. :wub:
IMG_8173.jpg
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Re: Onset Paralysis

Post by pbj_33 »

CarolC,


Can I ask where you purchased that accessory that your baby has on? It looks to be a potty wrap and the quality looks amazing. If that wasn't what it is, then please correct me. I'm no professional, so I'm finding new things every day for Kujo.

Thank you. :wub:
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CarolC
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Re: Onset Paralysis

Post by CarolC »

What a sweet picture! He looks SO glad to see you in that picture. And I see what you mean about the size!

That's really cool that he's urinating a better stream. It could be the medicine or it could be improvement, or he could be helping when you squeeze. Here is something I wrote about my dog.
https://handicappedpet.net/helppets/viewtopic.php?p=20225#p20225 wrote:My dog also regained a degree of control so that about 5 or 6 months after her injury she became able to help me as I expressed. This is part of the reason we are able to get it all, because I am squeezing as well as I can but she is also using her inner muscles so we express together. I ask her, "Ready, Freddy?" and then we go, and we pretty much get it all.
I'm glad he got his other pottying taken care of, too. He must have been a little constipated or backed up from being in the hospital and is now getting back to normal. Yay!!!

You are right about the wraps. Here's a long answer. :D They were recommended by someone here, and I tried them and think they are wonderful. They are still available, but let me explain the whole thing. They are sold through a place called the Tiny Dog Store (aka Unique Accessories or indogneeto.com), but don't worry, they make big sizes, too. However, when I looked, I saw they no longer made the XXLarge size, which I think your dog might need (but I'm not sure). So I went on the website and found the phone number and called Customer Service and asked. The lady was super nice. I think she was the owner, and a real dog lover. She said they quit offering the XXLarge size because it takes so much fabric to make, but they will make some for you, they do that for customers, they just need to know the waist size. (And it sounds like it's no big problem and nothing out of the ordinary, they're glad to do it.)

They come in tan or black. When you read the website, I would ignore what is says about weight in lbs and only look at the waist measurement in inches. For example, my dog had a 23" waist and wore an XLarge, and the website says XL is for up to 35 lbs, but Merlie was 55 lbs. That's why I say just go by the inches, not the pounds, if that makes sense.

Anyway she invited you to call her and give her his waist measurement, and they would make some for you. I do not know what it will cost, but you can probably get a rough idea from the cost of the XLarge. I always recommend having 2, one to wash and one to wear. I machine washed Merlin's wraps and hung them on the shower rod where they dried in no time because of the fabric they are made of. They never seem to wear out, they pretty much last forever. Here is the link and the phone number.

https://www.tinydogstore.com/index2.asp?id=&cid=68 wrap
https://www.tinydogstore.com/cust_svc.asp Customer service

The last thing is, in the photo of Merlin, I had actually altered his wrap. It did not come with straps attached. He was a senior dog and he had to wear a belly band 24/7. Since he was older, he would have trouble getting to his feet, and I would need a sling to help boost him. It was a hassle to have to get the sling every time he wanted to get up, so I finally tried sewing handles onto his wrap. That way he was wearing a wrap 24/7 that doubled as a sling 24/7. I never had to put a sling on him because he was always wearing it.

Sewing on handles works with this kind of wrap, because they lie flat and do not bunch up (unlike the ones with elastic). I should add that I was not using it to sling him long distances. At first it was to get him to his feet. Later it helped get his feet in his wheelchair (lift and drop). Anyway, here is the link showing how to add straps. I am not sure that would be appropriate in a case where your dog is not weight bearing yet. When he can stand a little if you only help him up, then it might be very handy.

The other thing I might mention (regarding making a wrap into a sling) is that different male dogs have their manhood in slightly different places. In some dogs the p*nis is closer to the ribs, in some it is closer to the tail. Merlie's anatomy was pretty far back, which made the wrap with handles work well for him.
:pardon:
https://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/?title=Male_wrap_with_handles
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critters
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Re: Onset Paralysis

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CarolC wrote: Thu Jun 24, 2021 4:46 pm

That sounds like a nice soft bed. Since he isn't dribbling now, there won't be a problem. But I did learn with my first down dog about potty pads. We were actually using human incontinent pads, but as far as I can tell they're the same thing. Largely, but human ones are usually thicker and more absorbent.

Yes, thank goodness you don't have to be board certified or medical at all, to care for a dog with FCE. You might need a little physical ability, and common sense. I agree, although vets don't always!I would guess he's glad to be home, too, and he'd rather have you than all the friendly vet techs and experts. No doubt!! :mrgreen:
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