My sweet Pomeranian has been disabled for over a year. She has a neurological problem which has cut off her brain’s signal to her back legs. She can walk a short distance, but her front legs and back legs no longer work in unison. Once her back legs give out, and her bum hits the floor, she’s done because she can’t tell her legs how to lift herself.
While it sounds miserable, she’s a very happy girl and isn’t in any pain. However, her disability means that she doesn’t have full control over her bowel and bladder, so she’s prone to potty accidents. While it’s no fun helping her with her toileting needs, there’s no way I’m going to put her down when it’s a small price to pay her for the ten years of companionship she’s given me.
Having an incontinent dog is very much like having a potty training toddler in the house. Many times I can anticipate her needs just right and help her eliminate onto a pad, but other times I forget or ignore her barking assuming she’s reacting to something she hears outside, and I have to clean up the mess and give her a bath. I’ve been doing this for so long now that I have it down to an easy system, so it’s no bother. I hope that if you’re in a similar situation, you’ll consider using my suggestions so you can comfortably keep your best friend around a little longer, too.
My 5 Tips For Taking Care of an Incontinent Dog:
Caring for my Aging & Incontinent Dog
It’s my pleasure to care for my senior pet, she’s earned a cushy retirement, but there’s no reason it should be a chore for me, and I’ll take advantage of home delivered pet supplies. Amazon’s Subscribe & Save is a fabulous way to save, and it makes caring for pets so much easier. I’ll never run out of food, potty pads, or treats, again!
I adore my little girl, but I won’t hesitate to let her go when she’s ready. Until then belly rubs, ear scratching, and snuggles are what she lives for.
UPDATE 8/9/2017: We had to say goodbye to our sweet girl in December of 2016. It was much earlier than we wanted too, but she was losing weight and starting to cry in her sleep. We took her to the vet who agreed she was now in pain and it was time to say goodbye. We were also told at this time our Maltese, Gracie (seen above), had a terminal disease and we lost in her April of 2017. Our world has changed because of the love of these two little girls, and we still miss them every single day.
What a sweet girl she is! I never knew Petco offered delivery services like this; how awesome!
My friends dog has been having this issue more lately. I will have to share this post with her.
This is some very important information for pet owners. Most pet owners treat their pets like part of the family and want them to be healthy and cared for.
You are a saint! When I worked at the vet, I saw more people than I’d like to put down their dogs for convenience’s sake. Thank you for what you’re doing for your little girl. We need more owners like you in the world.
Ah, thank you. I do work from home so it’s much easier, but it’s been a year and a half and most people would have put her to sleep for sure. She’s such a sweetheart and has so much joy, it’s just not possible for me to do it. I am tied to her and the house, but I know it’s not forever. She’s been here for me for 10 years, I can give her a few years of my love, too.
Our Sal is incontinent, for a while a syrup kept her from having issues then it started again, she’s now on tablets which *touchwood* are doing the trick and she’ is much happier for not having to deal with being drippy. x
I’ve never pursued any medication intervention. I probably should, but for now, this is working for us. Thanks for the info though, we may need it soon.