What to do when gone all day?

[LouiesMommy]

We have an 8 yr old Boston Terrier who has recently become incontinent due to nerve damage with herniated discs. We've been expressing her bladder 4-6 times a day. But my husband is traveling for his job next week and I work full time so this will be the first time Louie will be home all day by herself. We've been doing diapering as well as just letting her "hang free". We have hard wood floors so cleaning up accidents is not a problem. We also have a pathway of water resistant flooring and have a water resistant cover on her pet bed under the blanket and she will get over to the resistant flooring to potty.

We are debating as to let her go "free" all day or diaper her. I could come home at lunch and change her and express her but am still wondering if 4 hours is too long to leave her diapered if she should potty or poop. Since we use Target brand size diapers it covers her anal area as well. She can still poop on her own so that is not an issue.

We are currently also dealing with a drug resistant UTI that we've been prescribed Methalaine Mandelate (sp). The neurologist vet said absolutely no diapers, so we've been trying to let her be au natural several hours daily, but still diaper her at night and sometimes during the day. We take great care in cleaning her up afterwards, wipes, use butt paste or A&D ointment, etc and waterless shampoo, but I'm still worried that we'll never get the UTI gone.

Also the vet seems to think once we get the UTI under control it will help with her potty accidents? Do you find that true as well?

Thanks.

[CarolC]

Hi LouiesMommy,

This is going to be a rambling post, so please just take it for what it's worth. I'm not sure I have the answer, just some thoughts. I read your introductory post and I want to be sure I understood--she cannot walk right now, is that correct? So she would be dragging around while you are at work? If that's the case I do not think I would want to leave her at liberty while you are at work, I would put her in a playpen with absorbent bedding. I think it's pretty much a guarantee that letting her drag for 8 hours day after day, or even one full day, would result in scraped toes and hips. Also, it depends on what position her legs and hips are in when she drags, but I would expect there to be some exposure of her private area to the germs on the floor, which might be better to avoid right now. If she drags "sidesaddle" on her hip, there is some exposure, if she drags "froggy legs" on her lower abdomen there is a lot of contact with the floor, potentially massaging germs up into the urethra. Also, if your wood floors have any kind of joints or seams, I think it would be better in the long run to minimize the amount of urine that contacts them, I am not sure you can damp mop the seams very effectively? I have oak parquet in my kitchen and a number of pets and frankly, I wish I had something without so many seams, I never feel like it is as clean as rolled linoleum would be, between foot traffic and cats spitting up and whatever. The actual surface holds up well, it has varnish or something, but I'm skeptical about whether the seams ever really get clean. But I think you'll be happier in the long run if you start out now with a policy of protecting the floors as much as possible (but bless your heart for putting your pet first above your flooring!)


My dog who cannot walk spends the time I am at work in her downstairs playpen. I come home at lunchtime and let her play during my lunch hour and express her, then she is back in her playpen till I come home. After I come home she can go out in the yard or play in the family room, etc., then we go for a stroller ride and have dinner. She is a happy, healthy dog and we avoid scrapes this way. One of the things that I think has helped us avoid UTIs is that I always express her after she has playtime indoors or outdoors, with the idea that I hope expressing her bladder helps wash any germs out that might have gotten in. Occasionally I will see a little speck of dirt or whatever on the white expressing pad, which I know was the result of dragging in the dirt and getting dirt in her private area.

They do make what is called a drag bag, which helps protect the skin from scrapes and also contains any incontinence. There are various kinds, including durable synthetic ones that would slide well on the floor, and quilted padded cotton ones that would give her a good cushion. I have never used a drag bag with my dog, partly because she is a chihuahua and I'd have to make one, and partly because I suspect she'd get out of it while I was at work, she is very sleek and her shoulders aren't much bigger than her neck.

http://www.handicappedpets.com/index.ph ... g-bag.html
http://www.paralyzedpets.com/paralyzedp ... Suits.html

It would help your situation of diaper or no diaper (because of the worry of fecal contamination) if you could express her bowel. That way you would know she would be OK to wear a diaper for a number of hours, and not soil it. There are some tips on ways to do that in this article, with some videos at the end:

https://www.handicappedpets.com/mediawiki/?title=Bowel_management_in_incontinent_pets

However, I have a partially paralyzed dog who wears a diaper and I just have the kind of diaper with a generous tail hole so that solid waste is eliminated outside the diaper. Here is a picture of her diaper, however you can't see the tail hole because the pad is covering it in the photo. Once the diaper is on the dog, the tail hole is open.

http://handicappedpet.net/helppets/view ... %5D#p79905

[Shaz]

Hi

Carol has given you so much useful information so can only add that each time my Girl has a UTI, 3 since September, she leaks Urine more or less all the time. Antibiotics deal with the issue and she's back to being Dry until expressed. She can go all night without leaking and up to 6 hours during the day (that's the longest I leave it between Express Times).

Those UTI's can be so persistent! All the very best in getting the "Bugs' under control.
Sharon:)

[Jean]

Hi Louie's Mom,
There is only one thing I can think to add.
Nothing and I repeat Nothing should take the place of a good soapy bath to her private areas at least 1 time a day or whenever she produces a stool. I don't even use wipes or waterless shampoo. There is no substitute for a soapy bath./Jean
PS: Make sure you are not using so much on her bottom that it is holding bacteria against her girl parts. This could encourage bacteria infections.
Most infections are E-Coli and are related to stool. Learn to express her stool.

[Jean]

This reply is to Sharon,
You said your girl has had 3 infections since September.
Has your vet checked to make sure you are totally expressing your doggy ?
Are you culturing to make sure you dog is on the right antibiotic ?
Are you culturing 3 days after you finish the antibiotic to make sure the infection is gone ?
Does your dog need meds to make it easier for you to express her ?
Sharon I'm not trying to scare you but those continual infections can lead to acute renal failure./Jean

[Shaz]

Hi Jean

Thanks for the reply, My Girl's Kidneys are good. Duchess is 12 years old and been a down Dog for 2 years. She alternates between 2 antibiotics and they work BUT the last 2 infections have been close together so it appears the last dose of Meds. before this one didn't clear the infection completely. She's on a 10 day course at the moment and if an infection appears soon after this Course, I will ask the Vet. to Culture. I am surprised the Vet didn't suggest.

2 tablets relieves all symptoms which is good for such an old Pug!