choosing the right diaper size

[jd]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to choose a baby diaper that would fit a 76 lb. lab. Are there any that would or do we have to buy something like Depends? Saw the chart of dog sizes and different diapers but still have questions. Noticed one dog..an Australian Shepherd wore L-XL GoodNites Pull-ups but weighed only 37 lbs. yet it's suppose to fit 60 to 125 lbs.

Can anyone give me some suggestions as to what would be best for him?

Thanks,

jd

[CarolC]

I don't know either, but I think you're probably right about needing the adult sizes. If you think about it, a 76 lb dog is a lot of mass in the body and not so much in the legs. A 76 lb child would usually have the mass more spread out the length of the body, so chances are the hips and rear may be smaller in a 76 lb human child vs an 76 lb dog. (Of course, there is a lot of variation in kids! )

I was going to see if there was a waist measurement guide on the Depends website, and I noticed they will send out a free sample. Did you see that? That might help you avoid a $10 mistake. Here's the link. There are also "Find your size" links on both men's and women's.

https://www.depend.com/products/get-samples

But if you are mainly getting the diapers for urine, I would go with a belly band (malewrap) for a boy dog. They are so much easier, and would be cheaper, too. A belly band goes around the waist and fastens with velcro. You stick an absorbent pad in it (like Poise) and it absorbs urine. Very easy to change, just unfasten the velcro, stick a fresh pad in, and put it back on.

Another option is boy's underwear (like Fruit of the Loom), put on backward with the tail through the fly. You want them small because dogs don't have much waist.

[jd]

Hi Carol,
Thanks for getting back to me with so much information. Went to the Depends website and ordered the free samples. It seems as tho I'll be getting quite a few. Apparently they will send samples of each different variety of Depends..which means about six female and 4-6 male. Ordered both male and female as we're beginning to have problems with two dogs now. Actually we're overflowing with pee and poo around here.

I like your idea of the belly band so looked at those. It seems like that would be the best....most comfortable Mack and easier for us to change. Probably will order one of those to try out tomorrow.

I'm also glad to have found the page on bowel management for incontinent dogs. That's what we really started out with and it's been going on for a long time. Now Mack's started to loose control of his bladder. Just recently Sadie has begun having accidents....mostly peeing related so if we could get any of that under control it sure would be nicer around here.

Again, thanks for all the good ideas.

jd

PS..is that your dog in the picture. Very good lookin'.

[critters]

Finding the right size IS hard!! Critter bodies just aren't proportioned like human ones. Hope you find some possibilities in your freebies.

[CarolC]

Yes, that is a picture of Merlin, who was in malewraps for I think three years. At first when he could still walk, like you see in the photo, I would go with him to the back door and as he went out the door I would remove his malewrap, and while he was outside I would put a fresh pad in. When it was time for him to come back indoors, I'd just put it back on him. So during that time he was always in a wrap except for his trips outside. When he lost the ability to go outside on his own, then he was in the wraps 24/7 permanently. Due to his size, he needed his pad changed several times a day...I want to say about 5. He was 63 lbs (and yes, such a beautiful dog and beautiful soul). A smaller dog might not soak the pad as much. I have one small 8-lb dog in diapers who can go all day with half a pad. You will have to see based on the size of your dog and how often he soaks the pad. I have been using Poise pads, but with Merlin I used Serenity Ultimate which I think cost a little less but worked fine. Normally a feminine pad will not work for bladder issues, you really need the urine pads.

If your dog is in malewraps 24/7, you are probably going to want some skin protection to avoid a rash. The good pads absorb the urine in a gel-lock core and they have a dry-weave type of surface layer that keeps the urine away from direct contact with the skin, but I think there is still some dampness, at least right when the dog urinates into the pad. People have used a lot of different kinds of moisture barriers. It can be something simple like vaseline or original A&D ointment. I found I had the best results with Desitin diaper cream. If you use a diaper cream with zinc oxide (the white diaper creams) you want to be careful your dog is not licking it, because if a dog licks enough zinc oxide it could be toxic. Normally with the cream under the pad and under the wrap, it isn't a problem, at least I haven't heard people talking about it. My main concern is with a dog who you let wear a wrap all day, but not at night. If you are going to let them sleep on washable blankets with no wrap, you just want to be sure you put them to bed with the cream wiped off, which takes a bit of doing because it sticks so well. My dog didn't lick it and I loved it because it stays on so well, you do not have to reapply it with every diaper change, you can go all day or longer before you need to butter some more on.

To me an important thing about malewraps is fit. Some people like the ones that have kind of a pouch, in other words they are elasticized to give room for the male area and also make it easy to put a pad in. Merlin wore the kind of wrap that was not elasticized, it just lay flat, and it worked fine for him. To me, having bunchy elastic could be uncomfortable, and you have to have it pretty snug for the wrap to stay in place and not shift around when the dog walks or lays in bed. So the flat kind worked well for us.

There are instructions on this message board to sew your own, if you like to sew. If you would like the link, just ask.

[jd]

Thanks for sending more info on Merlin and his belly wrap. It helps to read how you went about actually using them because we're pretty sure that's the route we'll be going. It seems so much easier to get on and off.

Mack can hold his urine sometimes but it's getting to be less and less. He gets up and it just starts coming. I'm constantly taking both dogs in and out all day just in case. He seems to know when he will urinate but not poop..which is also a huge problem.

Before I posted about this my husband brought home some Luvs 35 lbs. plus. Biggest he could find. Where we live there isn't a big selection so it's all he could find. Pretty sure it wouldn't work but tried duct taping two together which is what we're doing till the Depend samples arrive and the belly band is sent for. Putting two together obviously isn't working. It spins around, falls off. Not great but it's something and sometimes we get lucky.

Didn't realize the belly band came with or without a pouch. I'll have to look at them again.

Might have something you and others would be interested in. Just recently found this place online while looking for something to fix Macks "crusty nose" which I found out is something other dogs get. It's called Snout Soother and it's from a place called Natural Dog Company. I'd planned on ordering some for his nose..but now that you've mentioned putting cream under the band or diaper thought maybe they would have something for that too. Called and asked what would work best and they said Skin Soother. Here's the website if anyone is interested.

https://naturaldogcompany.com/

I'm going to order the Skin and Snout Soothers both. A little pricey but if they work it's worth it. If the Skin Soother doesn't work with the diaper/band I'll try the diaper cream you recommended.

Thanks Carol and Critters for taking time to answer me. I'm so glad I found this place. I've gotten so much good info. and advice. I'm e-mailing my husband some of the encouraging posts from people who are in the same position. He's a pretty easy going patient guy but he's starting to get somewhat discouraged. Maybe fed up is a better word as it seems both dogs are bombarding us at once...Sadie having wet our bed more than once. Think it'll help him to see there are other people out there doing the same thing we are.

Thanks for the offer to send the link to make my own belly band but think I'll pass. Sewing machines and I don't mix. When I've tried to use any sewing machine I've ever had something always went wrong. The thread broke, snarled up or would move, I got poked with the needle, or it just wouldn't go thru the material no matter how thin or thick. Very strange.

Thanks, jd

PS. Carol, looked at Merlins picture again and yes can really see how sweet he must have been. You must miss him so much still.

[CarolC]

Wow, that company is interesting, it says their products are vegan. I hope it works out great.

I'm glad you found the bowel management page. Just adjusting the diet so the dog produces quality stools makes all the difference in the world. I know when you have such a large dog, it is a large quantity of waste, so the lower the odor and the firmer it is, the better. If you use some of the techniques to stimulate him to empty his bowel (for example when he is outside, or when you have him lying on a throw-away pad) you can reduce a lot of the "falling road apples" as the bumper sticker on the horse trailer used to say.

I did a video of my one dog to show her stool quality. She has zero control of her bowel. I express her bowel twice a day, but she still leaves stools on the floor from time to time. We have carpet so it is important that the carpet not be ruined, and frankly I can't be running around after her with carpet spray, I tried that with a previous dog years ago and quickly got tired of it. If you look at the way the stools fall on the potty pad, you can see they are not leaving a single trace (!) which seems like the opposite of what you'd expect. They also do not smell much. She gets Science Diet w/d Dry kibble, and that's what produces her stools. She likes the food just fine. I have tried the w/d canned and did not have the same results. Other people have found other brands that also produce quality stools, it's partly what works with your dog's system.

The reason I think stool quality is important is, I prefer for my dogs to have a hole for the tail in their diapers so the stools fall out. With female dogs, if solid waste collects inside a diaper, you have a risk of getting fecal germs in her urinary tract. Boy dogs do not have the same risk, but I have always used a tail hole for both sexes. I find it easier to pick up a stool with kleenex and toss it in the trash, rather than to remove a diaper at the end of the day and have to use a bunch of baby wipes to clean him because the dog went in the diaper and then sat on it and it stuck in his fur. I think it's nicer for the dog, too, since they often sleep nose to tail and they have very good noses, and I really think they would prefer to stay clean.

Anyway, here is the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iTCT-ikirs

[jd]

We've been reading the bowel management page and there are some good ideas. Our problem is Mack doesn't like his rear end touched so it's a challenge.

Think that we agree with you as to not holding the poop in with a diaper..that seems pretty messy and he can get that way even without it. More than once we've cleaned it smashed between his bed and the bottom base of our bed..or in his sleep he lays on it and gets it on him and everywhere else. We've taken to putting a piece of plastic under his bed and up the side of ours.

Have been trying the canned W/D mixed with his regular dry dog food. It works sometimes but your right not great. A couple years ago the vet had us try some dry food..maybe it was W/D but it made his stools light colored and crumbly...it was really tough for him to get them out. So we stopped that.

Your video was really interesting. Too bad we can't lift up Mack and do that..ha ha. That'd be a picture. I'm sure tho that the other techniques will work. They do look firm tho..and not much smell would be great. Mack seems to vacillate between fairly firm, semi soft and cow pies. Believe me it sure can wake you out of a deep sleep. Plus like your dog he doesn't have any control either. It just comes whenever.

Finally sent for some belly bands. Boy there are so many to choose from. This one is from Happy Paws. The reviews seemed really good. It was a choice between those and some called Wegeego. Both were washable.

Sending a picture of Mack on one of the better days..when it was firmer. Since we recued him 2 years ago he's way worse. Sometimes it's all over as he'll run if you try and hold him in one place. He looks so innocent..

Thanks for the video..

jd

[critters]

He couldn't possibly have done that, could he??!!

[CarolC]

I wonder if the vet could check your record and see what kind of food he had you try a couple of years ago? They seem to have reformulated w/d dry a few years ago but I don't remember exactly what year it was. I've had really good luck with the w/d dry for a series of senior dogs. The stools are not light and crumbly, or you could say they are a little crumbly in the same way that refrigerator cookie dough is crumbly? Or Play-doh? If that makes sense? It's mostly not, but like if a stool crumbled slightly, I could pick up the main part of the stool with a kleenex, then press it down onto the crumbs, and the crumbs are picked up that way in one "press".

You can accidentally step on one and track it few steps without any horrible disaster to the flooring. Yeah, you have to clean out the treads of your shoe, but it isn't gross. How would I know this??

One of the things I have said repeatedly, especially with Old Dog, my first incontinent dog, was that if he doodled in his bed and a stool rolled under his hip, it did not get stuck in his fur, which was a huge help because he had to be blow dried after baths.

I don't know about your vet but my vet will give a ziploc baggie of Science Diet to try instead of buying a whole bag. However, I think Science Diet still has the guarantee that you can return it for a refund if it doesn't work for your pet, but I would ask to be sure it's still true. If it makes him constipated, you could return it, just an idea...

[jd]

I'm pretty sure the food we got from our vet was the W/D. I can't think of any other type that would be able to firm up his stools. Your description of picking up the poop sounds like "heaven".. If our's were only that good.

We're definitely used to the tracking all over. Many times we've had to retrace our steps through out the house scrubbing. Plus the shoes are another story. Just the other day both my left and right boots managed to hit it..that was outside too. It took forever to get out of the treads as for some reason it seemed glued in.

Am sure the vet would give us a small sample of the dry W/D to try. Right now I'm using the canned W/D mixed with some reducing food from Fromm. The vet said if he lost a few lbs. he might get around easier with his arthritis. Plus (and we're crossing our fingers) his stools have finally "seem" like they're getting harder. Just in time for his incontinence to get worse. Just finished washing 4 old bed sheets we've put over his bed. He wet them all in one day.

Still waiting for the samples of Depends your recommended to come. They said 3-4 days but we haven't seen anything yet. In the meantime we're still using the Luvs 35 lbs. plus and taping two together. That doesn't work tho. Fortunately yesterday we located some Goodnites for 80-120 lbs. or close to it. Tried one last night. It JUST fit and did hold all night..just ripping slightly. He did wet his bed tho but the diaper stayed on.

If all that wasn't bad enough our other dog Sadie who's 15 next month peed on our bed this morning. She started having problems awhile ago but by taking her out frequently we managed to avoid that for awhile. This morning she was out at 8 a.m. and by 9 I felt the plastic sheet we put over the bed was wet. First thought it was from the rain but there was way too much. Then looked over and say two huge pee spots just where the plastic did not cover..nice. So the cleanup began.

She was just in yesterday for her annual checkup. The vet asked if she was on meds. for incontinence. Didn't know she could really take it for beginning kidney disease. Maybe we'll get some. She also has a swelling on her leg around the front joint. They took a small amount of fluid out and blood tests. She checked the fluid right then and said it was like fatty tumor tissue but then a harder spot so isn't quite sure what's going on. Going to have it biopsied the end of the month as she said if it grew any more there wouldn't be skin enough in that area to close it up if they took it off. That meant cancelling Macks appointment to have his teeth cleaned and putting Sadie in his place. He's also on antibiotics for the teeth but now having episodes that look seizure related and collapsing...so she indicated that maybe it might be somewhat risky for him to be anesthetized.
Other than that Sadie's fit as a fiddle. We've actually been very fortunate with her..she's very healthy, never been on medication, still runs like crazy and eat like a horse.

Sorry this post is so long and complaining but sometimes everything comes all at once. It's really strange. We've had many pets, cats and dogs and just about all of them with very few exceptions have lived to old age.. healthy, no meds. and no disease. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore..with animals anywhere.

Well now have got to go try and put together the Walkin' Wheels we ordered that we can't afford and hope that Mack lasts long enough to use it.

[critters]

At least WW should be easy to get rid of, when necessary, since they're so adjustable! Or you could keep it, just in case.

[CarolC]

I love the clean-up smilies, they're some of my favorites! PetsMart used to have an equine department and they used to sell a nifty tool for cleaning horses' hooves. It would be perfect for the treads of boots, if you have a feed store anywhere nearby. If Sadie is 15, do they really want to put her under anaesthesia? I hope that swelling will go down and they won't have to. I wonder if she is drinking extra water now with the beginning kidney issues? Do any of the diapers you got for the male look like they would maybe fit her? I've never had to deal with seizures and hope I never do. Did the vet have any idea what might have caused that? I didn't think you were complaining, you just really do have several things needing attention all happening at once.

[jd]

Oh wow Carol, I could have used that tool for cleaning horseshoes today. My shoe found some once again...which really puzzles me as I follow them around picking it up as they go so who knows when it was dropped but I'm figuring not too long before I stomped it..

Am worried about anesthetizing Sadie but they seem to feel it will be ok as long as they can keep her blood pressure steady. Her kidney disease is beginning stage 3 but the vet said since she's eating well and doesn't have alot of symptoms they'll classify it as stage 2. We can't wait on her leg because of possible enlargement so we thought since she needed her teeth cleaned if it was safe to do it both at once.

She doesn't seem to be drinking any more water than normal, but I know that her urine is dilute as it was last time it was tested. Pretty sure one of the two kinds of diapers we have right now would fit her but just haven't put her in them because she seems to know when she has to pee..it's just early morning accidents or if we wait to take her out.

Tomorrow they both go to the vet. Mack has to have blood drawn. They don't say much about his seizures..not even medication altho he's on plenty other stuff already. Sadie had her blood taken last week but they want a urine samples from both and to bring her along just in case they find anything in the urine.

We still haven't gotten those belly bands yet. Order them from Amazon along with other items and none have come. It seems like forever. Every time I tracked the packages it said..shipment pending. Said that for about a week..don't know why. Maybe Macks name was being embroidered on them. Now it says they will arrive tonight after 8 p.m. So one more night of wrapping him in duct tape that doesn't work and things will hopefully be drier around here.

You're certainly right about everything happening at once. If we can get the belly bands and they work things will be much improved at least as far as that goes.

Mack still hasn't gotten into the wheelchair yet but very soon. Sure hope it works for him. I'd really like to see him have something to look forward too instead of trying to plod around here struggling to make it three steps.

You right Critters..Walkin' Wheels chairs seem to be really easy to resell, altho when Mack is gone or can't even use it I think Sadie might be the next in line..so plan on keeping it awhile.

[critters]

I don't blame you! I have a small WW squirreled away, too, just in case! Nevermind that we'd probably need the new mini, but so it goes!