When the medication and special diet fail, how long did you keep your elderly dog in diapers?
Maddie is a 13 year old Springer Spaniel. This is the first time I’ve dealt with actual incontinence. Otherwise, she’s doing okay. Old dog stuff like cataracts and a tricky hip going up stairs. I’m worried about UTIs and urine scald. We just started diapers this week.
Daytime diaper
Night pajamas (so she doesn’t rub the diaper off while we sleep).
I’m sure you tried it (likely the medication that failed), but figured I’d mention estrogen to help with incontinence?
She does look pretty happy still in the photos you have posted. What a sweet old gal. I don’t personally have experience with diapers for elderly dogs, but a friend had his (male) dog in diapers for about a year. They got special ones made to help with any rubbing and were also very diligent about offering many chances to go outside, and changed the diapers frequently throughout the day.
I’m sorry your old gal is facing these troubles. It is so hard seeing them age and trying to make decisions with their best interests top of mind.
Thank you. We’ll get her through the holiday weekend and then maybe our vet can recommend something else to try.
I don’t recall exactly, but I know one of my old dogs wore diapers for 2-3 years. Urine scald and UTI were never a problem. The only problem was that sometimes I forgot to take the diaper off when I let her out to do her business.
I know of a stud dog that is not incontinent per say, but a poorly house trained dog that tries to mark everything inside and he’s been in diapers his whole life. He is about 8 years old now and does not have any scald marks, so I would think as long as your beautiful girl looks happy and comfortable, I don’t think long term diapers would be an issue.
She’s adorable by the way. I love the jammies <3
Thank you. She’s adjusting but she’s getting very good at getting the diaper off. Her hair is slick and her physique is a bit…wide, so she has more a seal shape, lol. I ordered another onesie that should work during the day.
She’s very cute💗.
No advice, but hugs–it’s so hard when they get to the age where you can see the difference starkly between now and their younger selves.
I assume youve tried Pronin, but have you tried DES? (Diethylstilbestrol) It was what was used prior to Pronin. It is harder on the liver, I believe, but I used it on one of my shepherds with success when the Pronin quit working. The young vet was hesitant to prescribe it, but when I explained quality of life vs quantity of life she did.
This really is the key, isn’t it. For all animals including us.
OP your girl is so cute! I have no direct experience with incontinent dogs, but I wish you both the best.
I’ll definitely ask about DES. Thanks.
If she has a bed she uses regularly, I highly recommend a waterproof bed spread. There are cheap ones on amazon. Get one with the little grippies on one side, they do stay in place better. I used three. One on the bed, two in the washer.
She was a big shepherd and she slept on my bed. She would wake up disgusted and looked at me like she thought I did it! I still keep a waterproof mattress pad on my bed and she passed 20 years ago!
Update?! She’s adorable.
What a sweet dog!
Our 15-year-old female terrier cross developed incontinence and started on Incurin (estriol) last week. The vet told us it would take a week or so to see results. Is that the medication you have been using?
We put puppy pads on our dog’s bed at night to catch leaks. Since she is small, we do a quick rinse of her underparts in the utility sink to make sure she doesn’t smell or have urine scald.
I can’t answer the “how long” question. It depends on her quality of life. She will let you know when it is time. Regarding the leaks and diapers, we all have different tolerance levels for what we are willing to do with our pets. My sister has three dogs who are not totally house-trained. (I don’t know why.) All wear diapers. She keeps a basket of neatly folded diapers on a shelf by her door.
Following up. Maddie is doing much better. The estrogen pills are really helping her. No more diapers, but we’re watching for leaks. So far, so good. She does need many potty breaks but she’s great about telling us. We have a vacation coming up and we’re taking her along because it’s easier to keep her on schedule. She’ll have a great time.
That’s great news! She’ll love being with you on vacation.
Our little dog made it through the night with no leaks. It had been day six on the estrogen pills. She was in and out all morning because my husband went out in the boat without her. She was looking for him. It’s HER boat and she was not happy.
By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You may also receive promotional emails from The Chronicle of the Horse. You can opt out at any time.
For Customers
Company
Terms of Use
