Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

For those seeking advice on caring for incontinent pets and animals with kidney-related problems.
MommyKa
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Joined: Tue Jun 09, 2009 7:19 am

Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by MommyKa »

Hello,

My 7 y/o dog Ginger had a seizure and is now paralyzed wait down. She is on steroids in hopes of getting her mobility back. We believe it to be a disc problem, so the vet told us to limit her movement, but said it was okay to get her out to potty. Thing is, she will not go out. The "Towel thing" doesn't seem to help. She seems to just "go" where she is laying. I bought diapers and can only get one side on because she freaks out. So I try to tuck it close to her crotch to absorb the urine. I constantly clean her and make sure she is dry. I also have puppy pads under her as well. I am going to buy the washable hospital grade ones tonite though.

Does anyone have any tips on this for me? I'm new to this as it happened yesterday morning. Thank you in advance!
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critters
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Re: Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by critters »

:slant: I LOVE the washable pee pads too; I wish we had a dozen more! If it's a suspected disc problem, is she taking anything for it? Are the seizures a new thing?
MommyKa
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Re: Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by MommyKa »

Thanks for responding!

Yes, she is on Prednisone right now. I HOPE she gets mobility back. Keeping my fingers crossed.

She's been having seizures the past couple years. They were so far apart that we were advised not to start medication as it would destroy her liver.

I also have another dog who takes Phenobarbital for her epilepsy(she has it very bad)...her liver isn't doing too great.

We can't win. = (
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CarolC
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Re: Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by CarolC »

Chances are the prednisone has a lot to do with it. It makes the dog thirsty so your dog drinks more and urinates more. It will improve when you taper off the prednisone. Right now, all your efforts at keeping her clean and dry are worthwhile.

I love the quilted pads, too, as a back up for diapering. She may still get her hip wet on a quilted pad, it is very good that you are cleaning and drying her. Urine burns on a down dog should not be underestimated, especially in a pressure area such as the hip. My dog was kept on plain disposable pads (like puppy pads) at the vet and they didn't keep his diaper on or catheterize him and he got a urine burn under his hip where he laid on a wet pad. I had to remove him from that vet. Those disposable pads are almost worthless, they keep the bedding dry but they will NOT keep the dog dry. When the urine hits the pad, it will gravitate to the lowest point of the bed, which is usually under the hip. Something like the fake sheepskin they put in whelping boxes would do a better job of keeping the dog up out of the urine, letting it trickle through.

Did they say anything about expressing her bladder? Here is a link describing it.

http://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Express_a_dog_or_cat

Is she urinating in big puddles, or is she kind of dribbling a lot all the time? Usually if a dog is really paralyzed, you need to express the bladder in order to empty it completely every 8 hours. Otherwise they get a urinary tract infection, which can be serious or even fatal if not treated. The bladder may also stretch from being overly full all the time, and then even if the dog recovers the nerve function necessary for bladder control, she will not be able to urinate normally because her bladder has stretched.

Sometimes people think that because they see the dog urinating, it means the dog is releasing her bladder voluntarily. However with a paralyzed dog, it may be that you are seeing overflow, where the bladder fills to capacity, then releases some of the urine, which looks like the dog is peeing. In that case, the bladder is not fully emptying and stale urine remains in it all the time creating an environment for germs to grow, and the dog gets a bladder infection. If your dog always urinates before you take her outdoors, you may want to try expressing her bladder while she is lying down. For that, you would put something absorbent under her bottom and press on her bladder to help empty it. There is a description of expressing a dog who is lying down in the link above.

What kind or size of a dog is she?

:welcomepink:
JMaxine
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Re: Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by JMaxine »

Oh boy I am a newbie at this expressing thing. They said it was so easy at the vet where she had surgery but we can' t get her to pee. Have taken her back to vet 3 times and they say we are doing it right but our dog has a small bladder and it is harder. She is a dachie and ruptured a disc and is paralyzed in the back legs, thus the incontinence. Any suggestions anyone?????????????????????????????
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patsy
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Re: Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by patsy »

i know how totally overwhelming it is to have pee seeminly everywhere!
i have a doxie mix that weighs approx 12 lbs. i've had her for 4 mos. she's the 6th dog i've owned, & she made me feel like a brand-new mom all over again! i get down on one knee in front of the toilet, resting her front legs & chest on my thigh (get a garden kneeling pad-easy to wash if necessary), then i express her bladder, and stimulate her to poop. i have heard of dogs so well house-broken that, if they have some control, they won't go unless they're outside. my dog was injured at 9 mos old (thrown from a car), so that's not an issue. she's got a little bit of control , not enough, tho, that she can go naked.
i clean her off with baby wipes. i get human diapers appropriate to her weight, and cut a slit in them for her tail, (she wears them backward), then i put on either a baby's onsie, again, backward (snaps down her back) or baby panties, backward, with suspenders that i made. you can find onsies and other baby gear at thrift stores for 1 or 2 bucks. please don't be afraid to put zinc oxide ointment (desinex) on excoriated (raw) skin. if my dog's skin really needs a break, she goes into the scoot sack made of waterproof bed pad. if you don't know how to sew, i suggest you take a class or start sucking up to someone who does. VERY valuable skill for down dog parent.
good luck, and never, never, never quit!
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critters
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Re: Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by critters »

:red: Patsy!! You should stick around; we always need more experienced expressing parents!!
Christine
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Re: Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by Christine »

Hi Patsy,

I want to welcome you also as well as MommyKa. Your experience is so helpful to others new to this very serious situation - thank you for taking the time to help. I used to live on 49th Street and 58th Avenue and work at the St. Petersburg Times back in the 70's. I miss the beach! Hope you will stick around, you are our kind of people.

MommyKa...don't get discouraged, I am sure you can see you came to the right place for help and a shoulder. Good luck with that baby!
Image
Christine... and Bailey, playing at the Bridge
?/1999 - 10/25/08
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CarolC
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Re: Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by CarolC »

Patsy, do you mean those are human baby pants on your dog in your avatar? The ones with the ruffles? Cute! All you did make was a slit for the tail and reinforce it...with bias tape maybe? I sew and I am thinking I am going to have to learn to make diapers because the ones I'm using cost $15/pr for a chihuahua and they wear out in the wash super fast. You'd think denim would hold up but it doesn't.
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patsy
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Re: Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by patsy »

yeah!
please see my post on the "ideas for injured cat" part of incontinence & kidney problems. last time i went to the thrift store i got about 10 pr. of baby panties and shorts for $1-2 apiece (i was THRILLED!). i think i've hit up every thrift store in town. i put in a buttonhole approx. 3" long, about 2" up from the crotch. i don't reinforce, unless the panties are knit. then i just place a fabric scrap on the wrong side of the fabric, sew the buttonhole, cut it open, and then trim the scrap piece.
emma weighs about 12 lbs., and i get either premie or 0-3 mos size. look in both the girls' and boys' clothes. if i find a slightly bigger one that's just so adorable that i can't pass it up, i just take in the sides, or shorten it as necessary.
i put onsies on emma backwards. i look for the ones w/raglan sleeves, and cut the sleeves out, leaving just the bias tape. if they have set-in sleeves, i cut them out in an approximate raglan shape. they all fit a little differently. sometimes i take a small hair tie threaded thru a shank button (you might have to use a floss threader to get it through, and wrap it around the "straps," or bias tape left over from cutting out the sleeves, at the back of her neck, so that the straps don't fall off. if that makes no sense, let me know, & i'll post a photo.
i now have about 20 onsies, and 12 pr. of panties, so i'm not wearing them out quickly. sometimes she goes through 3-4 per day, sometimes only one. i still have not found THE perfect way to keep the diapers on, and leak-proof! it depends, too, on how much running around and playing w/the other dogs she does.
anyway, i usually put the panties or shorts on her backward, too, but, well, these little denim ones w/the ruffles are just too darned cute to turn around, right?
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patsy
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Re: Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by patsy »

i forgot about these panties.
this is simplicity pattern #3508. i added a small piece of ripstop to the crotch, to reduce drag. another nylon, or polyester could also be used. you can see that i cut a hole for the tail, but i don't do that anymore, i just make a buttonhole. instead of buttons, i put on snaps. this is size xxs.
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critters
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Re: Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by critters »

:idea: Methinks Patsy needs her own page in the wiki for all these GREAT ideas :!: :!: :smart:
ancona
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Re: Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by ancona »

pred contributes to the frequency. Have you tried expressing her bowel or bladder, I had to do this with my non ambulatory dachsie, who is now 9, been like this since she was 3

When she was on Pred, it was non stop urinating, I expressed her bladder but, to no avail. Perhaps there is some damage to the bladder muscle


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zolla
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Re: Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by zolla »

Our dog has been paralyzed in her back legs for 2 years. My husband invented a way of expressing her bladder that has been a life saver for us. She is able to raise herself up on her front legs into a half standing position, while her lower body is on the floor. We taught her the command "Up" to get her into this position. Then we stand over her shoulders, facing toward her bottom and scoop her up with one arm by putting one arm underneath her belly (you could also use 2 arms if you dog is too heavy). We raise her up until her feet are dangling and she has learned to sort of "squat" in mid air. We also pull up on her skin (gently) just above her tail on her lower back with the free arm. She has learned the drill and it works great. We "pee" her this way onto the disposable pads and then toss them. We also use the washable pads, which is the only thing she ever sits on.

Another great find for pads is waterproof mattress pads. We have three of these. We got the really nice cloth ones, and cut off the bottom part that wraps around the mattress, so you have a fairly flat pad. You could also hem it if you wanted to. These work GREAT and allow her to sit on our king size bed.

Diapers never worked for us. We just do the expression 2 or 3 times a day and then pick up poop.
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CarolC
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Re: Paralyzed Dog Urinating on Herself..

Post by CarolC »

Image

Welcome Zolla! That is a good description, oh boy are you ever one of us! :lol: Any chance in the world of a photo or video of this? I would quickly add this to the expressing page that teaches people tips on expressing.

Big welcome to you!
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