Paralyzed Foster Dog with Urinary/Bowel Incontinence

For those seeking advice on caring for incontinent pets and animals with kidney-related problems.
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crashcourse3806
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Paralyzed Foster Dog with Urinary/Bowel Incontinence

Post by crashcourse3806 »

Hi! I'm searching for help or answers if anyone has some advice. I recently started fostering a dog. Her story: She was hit by a car in Egypt, left for dead. ESMA took her in and she somehow made it to the US. She is paralyzed in both rear legs and incontinent. Not sure about the bowels exactly but obviously she can't squat to poo like a normal dog so we'll just say she doesn't have bowel control either. She was with another foster for approximately 9 months before the rescue I volunteer for took her in. She came to me with a very bad bladder infection which we are now treating. My care instructions say that she cannot wear a diaper (EVER) so that fecal matter will not enter the urethra. WHAT am I to do? Basically, I'm very frustrated. This dog is young (about 2) and has been through a complete nightmare. She is happy. I need to find a way to control the urine leakage so that her care is more manageable. Otherwise, she's never going to be adopted if we are out there saying...hey, take this dog and let her poo and pee all over. It'll be FINE......She has a lot of energy and will drag her legs behind her trying to follow me all over the house. The vet's option: keep a pee pad under her. I can't just keep her locked up in a baby play yard all day. She has a walkin' wheels wheelchair so at least i can put something under her when she's in that, but she can't be in it all day.

We did call two other vets who said that the only option is to wear diapers. I must say when I read the release instructions and they brought her out to me without a diaper and told me no diapers I felt stupid and defeated. I change her very often and generally the poo doesn't go in the diaper because I cut out a large enough tail hole. This would be so much easier if she was a male....but this is a female. Does anyone have any advice they can share?

Frustrated in INDIANA!!!
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CarolC
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Re: Paralyzed Foster Dog with Urinary/Bowel Incontinence

Post by CarolC »

The advice to keep a pee pad under her is not going to work. Let me start with that. Pee pads, in other words the typical doggy potty training pads, are not very absorbent. They are fine to lay on a floor for a dog that urinates and walks away. They are not fine for a dog that is lying down, especially on a soft surface. For a dog lying down, the urine will soak the pad immediately and also soak the dog that is lying on the pad, migrating under the dog as the liquid spreads out in the pad, because they are thin and they do not have enough absorbency to keep the urine down inside the pad. If your dog is lying on a pee pad on a doggy bed or something soft such as a padded mattress, the urine will gravitate to the lowest point, which is usually under the dog's hip. This is how you get a urine burn that can turn into a pressure sore very quickly. The advice you were given about keeping the dog on a potty pad is risky.

As for diapering, yes she can certainly wear a diaper. The difference between a diaper (or a diaper cover with an incontinent pad inside like Poise) and a potty pad is that diapers are much more absorbent than a potty pad. They contain a gel interior that absorbs and holds the liquid, and a dry weave surface layer that keeps moisture away from your dog's skin after she soaks the pad. Even if the pad is wet and heavy, your dog's skin is not getting irritated. You will need a tail hole for the stools to drop out because it is correct that you do not want the solid waste introducing fecal bacteria into the sterile urinary tract. You can use a disposable baby diaper and cut a hole for the tail. I prefer using a diaper cover with a Poise pad inside (or half a Poise pad since my dog is small). You get a LOT of absorbency that way. I lay the denim diaper cover flat, stick in the half Poise pad so it actually overlaps the tail hole a bit, and for good measure I squeeze a tiny squirt of triple antibiotic in the center of the pad where her female area is going to contact the pad. I think the main use of the ointment is for skin protection, you might be able to do the same with vaseline or something like that. You only want a small amount, so as not to affect the absorbency of the diaper, but it will protect her girl parts so she doesn't get diaper rash. I'm not sure all female dogs need this. The issue with my dog is she dribbles 24/7, rather than losing control and voiding a quantity of urine at once, so her female area is always leaking and the ointment seems to help.

The diaper with the tail hole works fine for a dog with good stools. Stool quality is key. I hold my dog over the toilet and express my dog's stools before I put on her diaper in the morning and before I put her to bed at night. Obviously whatever stools we express do not end up on the carpet or in her bed, so that's a plus. I am attaching a link to a video. The real point of the video was to show how the stool quality is so good that when the fresh waste falls on the clean pad in the video, it stays clean. Imagine if it was your carpet, and you can see how it is possible for an incontinent dog to drop stools during the day and not soil the carpet. I never have to spot clean when my dog inadvertently drops a stool out of her diaper. I just pick it up with toilet paper and drop it in the toilet or grab a kleenex and carry it out to the garbage. The quality of the stools reminds me of cookie dough, not hard and dry, but not soft and sticky, borderline crumbly in a soft way. Also well formed and low odor. My dog eats Science Diet w/d dry kibble. This has worked well for all my incontinent dogs, however people have had good results with other foods too. You just want something that agrees with your dog's system and produces stools you can live with. What goes in makes all the difference in what comes out. Our carpet here is an oatmeal color, and my incontinent dog is not a problem.

IF you prefer not to have your dog dropping stools as she plays and moves about the house during the day, you do have another option, which is to double diaper. That is where you put a snug fitting diaper on your dog with a tail hole, and this absorbs urine and protects the female area from contamination. Then over that you put on another diaper with either no tail hole (if your dog has no tail) or a cord lock tail hole that snugs up around the tail and does not allow stools to escape. Let me know if you need links to find them. The outer diaper needs to be a generous fit so as not to smoosh the stools against her bottom or it will be a mess. There used to be some doggie diapers called Pouch Panties with a kind of pocket to hold the stools, I don't think that brand is made any more. I seem to remember there is a new supplier and I could look for the name if you need it. However, I think a drag bag is easier than double diapering, let me know if you need a link for that or do not know what I am talking about.

My one dog wears a diaper all day from morning till night. At night she does sleep in a baby playpen, but not with potty pads. She sleeps with a quilted cotton mattress cover over her playpen mattress. Under the quilted cover is a fleecy waterproof crib pad like they sell at Wal-Mart. She also has a blanket to go under when she sleeps. I will try to put some photos at the end. You can use the fleecy waterproof crib pad alone if you want, I just liking having cotton under her and the quilted mattress cover helps keep the fleecy pad in place if she bounces around. The fleecy crib pad is good for keeping the urine away from the skin, kind of like a sheepskin. We have never had a urine burn this way. Her skin can air at night, which is healthy for her skin. You end up doing a lot of laundry this way because the bedding needs to be washed, but it is worth it for a healthy, happy little dog.

The main thing at first is finding a diaper that will fit her well. You may end up trying several before you get one you are happy with. So when you set out on the quest, just tell yourself "I may strike out a few times and I may even waste some money, but it is worth it because once we find good diapers she will be all set".

I am going to post a second message with photos or links to photos because this is long.
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CarolC
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Re: Paralyzed Foster Dog with Urinary/Bowel Incontinence

Post by CarolC »

Video expressing the bowel demonstrating stool quality here (graphic):



Pictures of the diaper:
diaper_and_pad.png
Example of playpen sheets:
playpen_sheets.png
Example of the fleecy (non fitted) crib pads from walmart.com:
Garanimals_crib_pads.jpg
Picture of playpen:
playpen.png
Video of female dog in diaper:



Picture of carpet, it's dark but you can see what I mean about the oatmeal color:
carpet.png
crashcourse3806
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Re: Paralyzed Foster Dog with Urinary/Bowel Incontinence

Post by crashcourse3806 »

Thank you! I didn't think I had it totally wrong. I'm not sure how to post a photo of Cleo. I'll try. I'm just not going to have her euthanized after all she's gone through just because she's incontinent! As you said, I will try different methods and we'll figure out a way. I feel like I was given no option from our vet. We've receive a very generous offer from a lady who donates to rescued animals. She is going to match whatever funds we raise for Cleo! We are having an event tonight in our community so Cleo will have her first public appearance. This dog is special and I want to make the rest of her life as easy as possible, and of course pass that knowledge on to her future owners :)
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CarolC
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Re: Paralyzed Foster Dog with Urinary/Bowel Incontinence

Post by CarolC »

She looks sweet. :angel: Yes, it is great if you can pass along what you know. I had the advantage with Dolly that the rescuer had already found diapers that fit, saving me a lot of trouble! :-) Good for you!
crashcourse3806
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Re: Paralyzed Foster Dog with Urinary/Bowel Incontinence

Post by crashcourse3806 »

It would be WONDERFUL if our vet was on board. We may have to search elsewhere. She wants to use her right leg and so far I am left to do "therapy" on my own. I know nothing but trying to help her strengthen it. She is regaining some control over it. This is NOT the end of the road for her. This girl is really trying!!! I'm really upset with how we were left with no information! Frustrated isn't the word for it.....I'll check back in soon! I have to get some things around for her fundraiser tonight. Thanks so much for the detailed response. I had requested diapers and received so many. I'm sure we can find something to work. :) Have a wonderful 4th of July!!! Good luck to you and Dolly!!!
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critters
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Re: Paralyzed Foster Dog with Urinary/Bowel Incontinence

Post by critters »

Many vets are just not willing to deal with handicappers, so you may well have to just move on. The ones that are willing to do the extra time and study are gems!!

Your baby is a cutie. I was going to suggest hitting up people with babies for trial diapers and having them write the brand and size on each diaper with a pen or a Sharpie to save a lot of time and money. If you buy packs of sizes that don't fit, you can share them similarly. You might ask Handicapped Pets for a trial diaper of their tail-hole disposable diapers; I've never heard of them doing that, but it's a reasonable request. Their customer service is usually terrific! You might also see if she qualifies for help via the Handicapped Pet Foundation, and you might be able to get her wheels that way.
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