She won't pee! GAH...

[BoldChance]

I am frustrated beyond belief, this morning.

Some backstory:

19 month old Border Collie. Spayed her at 7 months. Kind of regret it.

Yard is not fenced, so I take her and her brother out on leash for bathroom duty.

When the snow melted this year, she started to get “funny” about peeing. Would only pee on snow, etc. Last summer peeing on grass wasn’t an issue. This spring, she was funny the first couple days she didn’t have snow to pee on, but then got over it.

Then, towards the end of our busy season at work, she started “leaking” in the house. At first I thought she was peeing, but then when I saw her do it involuntarily, while lying down (and awake), realized there was a problem.

Ran a urine sample in the next day. This was about 3 weeks ago. They insisted on seeing her, ran the urine, it was fine. Concluded she likely has estrogen incontinence.

Started her on Stilbesterol, things improved. She was still on and off odd about peeing outside…starting to squat, changing her mind, spending more time seeking out places to pee.

This week I forgot her pill, gave it to her a day late. She leaked a bit that night - whatever, no big deal.

But all week since we got back from our trip to the farm she’s been a nightmare about bathroom breaks. Won’t go, ignores me (she has a “go pee” and “go poop” command.), stares at bugs, and is in general distracted. Aggravating as WTF? because she does her “potty dance” and trots from the door to me repeatedly to go out, and then… stands around staring at bugs.

Last night she would. not. pee. She peed when I got home from work and that’s it. I contemplated crating her for the night, but, whatever. So I woke up this morning and she was leaking on the bed. :uhoh: Irritating, but understandable I guess. Take her outside figuring she’ll empty her bladder now… NO PEE.

So I crated her while I got ready for work and then took her out, and after poking around and in general procrastinating, she FINALLY peed.

So…UTI? Maybe? Even though her last urine tested clean?

Whatever it is, I am unbelievably frustrated and at a loss. And when I say “Lex, go PEE” and she stares at me with a “duhhh” blank look, I’d kinda like to smack her. (I don’t, though).

Now…we haven’t been “out” as much since getting home from the farm…a combination of the dogs are tired, and Lex got run overand bowled around by a horse and is somewhat stiff and sore. But normally this doesn’t affect potty routines.

Just frustrated, and doubly so because while my horse vet will discuss stuff with me, I’m not sure we’re even allowed to just call in and confer with my dog vet to see if I need to bring her in, or can just bring in another urine sample (and then bring her in if that doesn’t show anything…again).

I’m not po’d that she leaked (slightly exasperated, as she shouldn’t have, but I understand it as I’m sure her bladder was full and putting lots of pressure), but that she just. won’t. go. when we’re outside.

Hoping maybe someone else has experienced something similar…

I am also wondering…can stilbesterol suppress the “urge” to pee, making her think she doesn’t really have to???

[craz4crtrs]

Her bladder may be so full she can’t go pee, and it probably hurts. You can express her bladder to empty it, but it really sounds like she needs a full vet exam to figure out what is really going on.

[jetsmom]

Do you take her for long walks? Sometimes that will help make them pee. Or try putting her on a long line and taking her out. Sometimes they get “shy” and won’t pee with you standing right there.
Did the vet ultrasound/x ray for stones?

[Burbank]

just sympahty here, my dobe will pee on a leash ok now but she will only poop on a leash if there is no other option

she just perfers to have a bit more privacy

[Simkie]

Sterile cystitis, maybe? Lining of bladder gets irritated and it hurts to pee?

Perhaps try her on some pain meds and/or cosequin?

[wendy]

I don’t know, something about it says “health problem” to me that you haven’t gotten to the bottom of.
You could try one of the other drugs for spay incontinence (proin, incurin); proin isn’t a hormone and has a different method of action.
I’d probably try a brief “housebreaking 101” session, say for a week, where she goes from crate to potty spot on leash, if she pees, you reward her with some fun games or a walk, if she doesn’t pee, back in the crate. Border collie should catch on pretty quick if it’s just a bit of confusion in her mind about where she’s supposed to go (on snow? no snow! what to do!!!).

[Sonesta]

Could be stones making it near impossible for her to pee, but will cause them to leak while lying down. Did they x-ray her?

Another vet trip is in order here.

[Horsegal984]

I would second another look, to rule out medical issues first. Personally I would go to Proin first for leaking, ESP in a young dog.

You mention she seems stiff and sore, is it hind end or possibly back? If so it may be painful for her to posture hence the hesitation and trying to hold it.

[BoldChance]

Thanks guys… I already kind of figured still vet issue, but am frustrated non-theless. To be honest, she can be really ADD (Border Collie trait?) … like…“focus focus OOOH SQUIRREL!!! half-focus, oh yeah, focus, fo–SQUIRREL!” ADD… … and she can be really obsessed with watching and chasing bugs… so the “not peeing” could just be her being ADD … but what is weird, and picking at the base of my brain, is sometimes she’ll start to squat, then quit…then eventually find a different spot to pee. Or not.

Booked her in with my vet for tomorrow in the am. Could have gotten her in today, but not with my vet of choice. I’d have gone with anyone at the clinic if necessary, but tomorrow morning is soon enough, I think.

No, the vet didn’t x-ray.

I’ve already been contemplating an abbreviated “housebreaking 101” and seriously debated crating her last night for the night when she wouldn’t pee…except she doesn’t go in the house deliberately anymore, so I figured she’d wake me up if she had to go. Nope. She leaked on the bed this morning (I was half awake, she was upside down on the bed passed out…then she shifted, started licking herself, and I knew what THAT meant…sigh)…

however…I’d rather clean her crate than four layers of bedding… so tonight if she doesn’t pee before bed, that’s where she’s going. I think I’ll go back to that with some consistency, so that if it’s just “more fun to stare at bugs than pee” she gets a clue that no-pee = inside-and-crated.

She used to go out on a chain to pee, but has been good on a leash consistently…until this years snow melted. So, for that matter, is her brother. I might try the long line, though.

Sigh. It’s always something. My parents late lab LOVED the vet…so much that he’d find an extra reason to go at least once a year (when all else fails, chew a chemical jug. That’ll get a trip, even a sleepover!!!)… Guess Lex is trying to fill his shoes. She loves the vet…liver treats and interesting smells…her favorites!

:sigh:

Stinker’s lucky she’s cute. And that I love her.

[BoldChance]

@Horsegal984;6337021

I would second another look, to rule out medical issues first. Personally I would go to Proin first for leaking, ESP in a young dog.

You mention she seems stiff and sore, is it hind end or possibly back? If so it may be painful for her to posture hence the hesitation and trying to hold it.

In Canada the only options are stilbestrol administered on a weekly (ish) basis, and a product containing PPA that needs to be administered three times daily. The stilbestrol is the best option. PPA on its own is available in the US, but not Canada, although my vet has used it in other countries and recommends it AND said if I could get a vet friend to ship me some, have at it. Lol. Unfortunately, pretty sure my US vet friends can’t do that.

What little soreness is left (she was moving pretty darned good this morning) is all in her front end…she got bowled around the front end. And the weird peeing behaviour (starting to, then not, then finally peeing), although worse last night/today, has been going on for a while.

[irkenequine]

Also would just like to say to the above user who suggested expressing…I would NEVER express a dog unless instructed to…you could do some horrific damage if you went to express and it did indeed turn out to be bladder stones. My two cents on the issues.

I hope you find a solution! I would have zero problem buying you a bottle of Proin and having it shipped to you if your vet would OK you trying it out.

[craz4crtrs]

[QUOTE=irkenequine;6337671]
Also would just like to say to the above user who suggested expressing…I would NEVER express a dog unless instructed to…you could do some horrific damage if you went to express and it did indeed turn out to be bladder stones. My two cents on the issues.

I hope you find a solution! I would have zero problem buying you a bottle of Proin and having it shipped to you if your vet would OK you trying it out.[/QUOTE]

I didn’t mean SHE needed to express the dog, I said the dog may need to be expressed and to go to the VET.