HandicappedPets.Net

Hi All!

Sam is the 15 year old lab mix who broke her leg in November if anyone remembers. She's been out of the cast for 4 months now but still favors the leg a lot. And of course she's old so she didn't move all that fast before the injury.

She has been been having accidents in the house. I have dealt with the urination issue by resuming the routine I used when she was a pup while housebreaking her. I take her outside to pee when ever she wakes or seems restless and of course first thing when I wake and before I go to bed. I don't allow her to drink or eat after 7 PM. If she has to go at night she barks and most of the time we get her out in time.

Not so with Pooping. I would find little prizes infrequently but for the last few days I've been a winner every morning. I know she goes during the day while we're at work and she's outside. Does anyone have an idea about the time frame from eating and Pooping? I'm hoping I can accomodate my wish for a clean carpet with her need to do her business by getting into a routine. It's worked for other issues, and dogs do like consistancy.

Any thoughts/advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Lee

Lee, congratulations on your 'WINNINGS'! Not everyone can say they're a winner every morning!

I'm living with CUZ KAREN and so I get to be the 'prize-winner' during the day while Karen's out earning the Kibble. Her Gabriel is house-bound, so I know EXACTLY how long it takes him to make his...deposits. He'll eat and within 5 minutes, he's using his 'deposit' slip (or sheet). Ambrr is older (and can go outside), and she's usually looking towards the door within 10 minutes too, so they've got a real schedule!

To 'accomodate' Gabriel, Karen has a doubled plastic sheeting on the carpet with old sheet and/or rubber backed rugs (my favorite) on top of the plastic. Gabe knows where they are and can 'hit the spot' every time (usually) - which isn't so bad for a deaf/blind from birth pup! Maybe you can train yours to use an area that at least will protect your flooring and help in locating the 'winnings'. Gabriel just turned 2 years old (July 4th), and is surely a 'WHITE WONDER'.

(Wish my kids had learned so quickly!)

Unless you're also interested in MY scheduling - that's about all I can offer!



Gabriel and Allicks On Line

Bowel management info
Diapering info

Gabriel won't wear ANYthing - he freaks. Got a phobia that he can't get rid of. But the diapers DO work for others - that's for sure. He DOES do things by touch command though - so he's not completely un-teachable. Just doesn't like confinement. Being claustrophobic myself, I guess I understand. Thanks


Gabriel The White Wonder

ok.... I'm going to try different food as a first step. Well actually I think I'll start with just the Purina dry (have a big bag) instead of the mixing a can of canned like I usually do. If no change this weekend then I'll try the premium stuff.

I'm kinda leary (ewww lol)of the poop on demand, but it can't be worse than the cleanup I'm doing now (hella ewww).

I still don't have a sense of the timing from eat to poop. Someone said 5-10 minutes but that doesn't make sense to me nor have I seen anything from Sam to match that. It'll be hard for me to catch her in the act, since of course like probably most of you I work full time, and because she's always been really shy about pooping for an audience.

thanks for the ideas and please if anyone else has any I'm listening.

Gotta go to the store now to buy gloves. (Ewww LOL)

Thanks
Lee

Hello Lee,

I think we are talking about the gastrocolic reflex. In puppies it is rapid, as the food enters the stomach, the colon reacts by getting ready to expell feces...soon. It is almost Pavlovian in that the sight of food can cause the reflex. However, in older pets, it is slower.

My dog is about 7 years old; a paralyzed, middle-aged doxie. His gastrocolic reflex is about 1 hour from eating to expulsion of the "doots". Even if he has a BM before bedtime, he still needs to "go" immediately upon rising at 5 AM. Yep, he's an early bird. I suspect that if you observe your dog on weekends, you will soon see a pattern within about 30 minutes.

Because he is paralyzed, and because we got sick and tired of picking up doots in the living room, dining room, under foot, in his bed, etc., we learned to stimulate him to evacuate his bowels at more appropriate times. "Poop on Demand" does have a certain "Ick" facor, but you will quickly decide that it is either where you want it...or wherever he deposits it in the house.

Get some latex gloves if you want them, but you will soon be a pro at this, and will toss the gloves in the trash. As you become an expert, your friends will be aghast, and your family amazed at your newfound skill. My vet certainly was amazed. It is a skill that I never thought I had.

Good luck. Let us know which of the methods work for your pup.

Dianne

P.S. We use Iams and have good results.

hi,
after i feed cricket, i play ball with him, anything to get him to move. about 30 minutes later , he has bowel movement. if he doesn't and i have to leave for work, i use poop on demand. hardly ever has too tho, his moving around makes him go. hope this helps.

connie

I have only put dry food in her bowl as as of yet is unenthusiastic. She didn't eat it at all yesterday. This morning I added chicken broth to it but she only sniffed. She was waiting on the good stuff.

This afternoon she ate less than a cup of food from the bowl. I know eventually she'll give in.

I waited for an hour and a half, looking for the anxious restless signs but there were none. I took her for a short walk and she peed but no poop.

She got winded sooner than I thought she would, and I could tell that she shifted most of her weight to the front legs. That's why it was a short walk.

I'm thinking now the issue may be a lack of exercise as well as possible lack of hold time due to age. Time to start playing the Rocky theme song and get us both back in to shape.
Cesar Milan has been a bad influence on me LOL.

Thanks for your warm thoughts and well wishes; We'll let you know how it goes.

Lee