Author Topic: Toileting has gone haywire  (Read 3037 times)

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Offline howells

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Toileting has gone haywire
« on: September 23, 2018, 06:42:36 PM »
Any advice please. Barnaby will be 15 in November but lately all his problems seem to have worsened but in particular urinating and defecating in the house. It's not exactly incontinence it's just that we are getting up several times in the night to let him into the garden; we can hear him crashing around in the kitchen (he is totally blind now) but he doesn't bark to warn us, he sometimes barks after the event when it is too late. Sometimes during the day he will just squat and relieve himself wherever he is even though he is never left alone and could bark for attention. We believe he has dementia as he will spend ages just walking round and round in circles, so is this just how it's going to be from now on? Has anyone else had this problem?

Offline RobinRed

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Re: Toileting has gone haywire
« Reply #1 on: September 23, 2018, 07:29:06 PM »
Hi poor you and Barnaby. We are currently going through this with Missi, 15 next May.

Interestingly she doesn?t mess in our bedroom where she likes to spend most of the day sleeping but when she?s wandering around she can poo/wee without even noticing or reacting in any way. She has been clean all her life until now. We put her straight out as soon as she wakes where she?ll happily do her business but within minutes of coming back indoors she?ll do it all again on the carpet! It is so hard to see our oldies like this after they?ve given us so much over the years.

Her vision is limited but she still has some sight and her back legs are very weak.

She does have a swollen/distended abdomen now and the vet has arranged a scan as they think there may be something on her spleen but I have no idea if this could be connected. I don?t  think she?s in pain but I worry that?s just my wishful thinking.

On a positive I?ve just been reading that Zoflora is a safe disinfectant to use around pets so Ill be buying some tomorrow to try to limit the damage to the carpets.

I?m sorry I don?t have any advice but I shall be following in case any one does.

I wish you and Barnaby all the best as it is a difficult time x

Offline vixen

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Re: Toileting has gone haywire
« Reply #2 on: September 23, 2018, 07:44:02 PM »
There are incontinence pants for pets that have disposable liners.  You can get them from Amazon.
Although they are not going to stop your pets toileting in the house,  at least what they do do will be contained so you are not going to step in it. It must be extremely exhausting to be constantly cleaning up after your oldies.
Max (GSP)  always in my heart

Offline RobinRed

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Re: Toileting has gone haywire
« Reply #3 on: September 23, 2018, 10:11:47 PM »
Hi Vixen, thankyou. It is exhausting but I take the view it?s a small price to pay for everything she has given us over the years, and she continues to be our gorgeous girl regardless.

Offline vixen

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Re: Toileting has gone haywire
« Reply #4 on: September 24, 2018, 08:30:51 AM »
Hi Vixen, thankyou. It is exhausting but I take the view it?s a small price to pay for everything she has given us over the years, and she continues to be our gorgeous girl regardless.

Yes I agree with you.  My two are now 11 and I treasure every day with them.  If (hopefully) they reach the age of Missi I would also consider the inconvenience a small price to pay for the love and joy they have given me over the years,  :luv: :luv:  I would consider the pants though  ;)
Max (GSP)  always in my heart

Offline howells

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Re: Toileting has gone haywire
« Reply #5 on: September 24, 2018, 01:04:15 PM »
There are incontinence pants for pets that have disposable liners.  You can get them from Amazon.
Although they are not going to stop your pets toileting in the house,  at least what they do do will be contained so you are not going to step in it. It must be extremely exhausting to be constantly cleaning up after your oldies.

Hi Vixen and Robin Red, thank you both for your replies. Yes we have considered the 'nappy' option but we think the mess it would create on a poor Barnaby's fur is too big a price to pay, for now he is contained on hard flooring except when we are in the room with him. Back to the vet this afternoon to see if there is anything that can help with his dementia as we are sure most of his stress and toileting issues are down to that. I am surprised that more forum members haven't had this problem as there are certainly some very old 'oldies' out there.

Barnaby fast asleep now as he had such a busy night!!  ;)

Offline aliceandlouis

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Re: Toileting has gone haywire
« Reply #6 on: September 25, 2018, 10:08:30 AM »
We had a 'young' teenager with dementia - the pacing you describe was something she did, especially in the evenings and she had the occasional poo accident indoors.  On the advice of the vet we bought her an Adaptil collar and it seemed to help her become less agitated, although it didn't remove it entirely. It wasn't until she had had to be pts that we realised that she must've been giving off very subtle 'anxious' signals because our younger male cocker visibly relaxed and became a very different personality.

Good Luck, and hope that your vet has some useful suggestions.

Offline howells

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Re: Toileting has gone haywire
« Reply #7 on: September 25, 2018, 08:33:45 PM »
Thanks aliceandlouis, I'm sure Barnaby is very anxious, he only seems relaxed when fast asleep. He is very active during the night and when he sleeps during the day he rarely lies flat out, looking relaxed. At the vet yesterday, no real ideas about the dementia but he has said he has given Prozac to a couple of anxious dogs; not sure about that! He took bloods to check for underlying issues. Not all results in but he has said that B's liver values are high; an ultrasound would reveal the cause if we want to go down that route. Have ordered some nappies and some non slip boots this evening to relieve the symptoms if not the cause. I will check out the Adaptil collar idea, thanks again.

Offline PennyB

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Re: Toileting has gone haywire
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2018, 12:19:49 AM »
Lady was the same as was a cat I had too - it was as if sometimes they forgot where they were and just went. I think its old age does funny things to them as happens to humans. Its not they are incontinent they just don't always know the right thing to do. I have gallons of mistral disinfectant and just used to mop it up when it happened
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Offline Mudmagnets

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Re: Toileting has gone haywire
« Reply #9 on: October 08, 2018, 02:34:27 PM »
Lady was the same as was a cat I had too - it was as if sometimes they forgot where they were and just went. I think its old age does funny things to them as happens to humans. Its not they are incontinent they just don't always know the right thing to do. I have gallons of mistral disinfectant and just used to mop it up when it happened

Not only old dogs, Branston has just turned 4 and he sometimes just forgets himself and pees on the carpet, usually if he has been asleep, if I can catch him quick enough, he will wait for me to open the door.
Remembering Smudge 23/11/2006 - 3/8/2013, and Branston 30/8/14 - 28/10/22 both now at the Bridge.

Offline Darwin

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Re: Toileting has gone haywire
« Reply #10 on: October 09, 2018, 10:18:10 PM »
We?ve had major issues managing Darwin, since his paralysis and spinal  surgery in spring 2016.

He?s dry in the house, but his aim is terrible so he always wees on himself.  He has no control of his bowel movements.  We try to keep to a very strict routine.  (In the Garden at 5.30am,  Breakfast and 10 min walk  at 7.15am.  Carrot at 1.30pm. 10 min walk at 3pm.  Tea at 5.45pm. 10pm 10 min Walk) we either have good weeks or very frustrating messy weeks.  The vet always ask now Darwin is managing his bowel movements, but we?re doing the managing not Darwin