Should I put my dog down?

[gyzmo]

I know this is app is mainly for chicken and flock information but I don’t know where else to ask this question. My 13year old Maltese Sammy is old and his muscles that used to allow him to hold in his bladder don’t work at all. This means he needs to wear diapers while inside the house. The issue is the diapers don’t stay on well. I’ve tried taping them on but they don’t seem to ever stay on. He is constantly peeing in bedrooms and on carpet while I am stuck cleaning it up. It makes the house smell when I don’t find it fast enough and I don’t like living in a smelly house. He has lots of energy still though and that’s where it gets me. He still plays and runs around still.(to an extent. He’s not a huge fan of playing) He doesn’t seem to be suffering at all but it’s hard to keep up with all the pee. Any ideas?? Should I put him down just because he can’t go potty outside ever?? What would be the most logical solution? I’d love to hear all your thoughts!!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Id take him to the vet. There are lots if reasons why a dog has a hard time holding his bladder. Some are fixable, some aren't.

 

[EChicky]

I know this sounds strange but you could try to make doggy suspenders using rope to tie it to the diapers. Might be worth a shot! I think that if he is still fighting my and has energy, I wouldn’t put him down. He still has a life to live if only for a few more years.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

old and his muscles that used to allow him to hold in his bladder don’t work at all

Do you know from a vet that this is the cause of his incontinence, and not that he as a UTI? Have you discussed this with your vet to see if they have any suggestions? Surgery, possibly?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Have you tried Proin? It requires a vet prescription. I've had almost all my old dogs on it, even if it doesn't stop accidents completely it helps cut back on it a lot.

Also rather than a diaper, with a male a belly band should stay on better.

 

[AinaWGSD]

I personally probably wouldn't, but I'm not you and your dog is not my dog. I understand your frustration (more than one of my cats have had bladder problems that caused them to pee outside of the box) but it also sounds like you may not actually be ready to say goodbye yet.

Most vets would advise making a list of your dog's favorite things. If he's still able to enjoy those things then he still has quality of life. It sounds like the main issue here is your quality of life (it's no fun always being upset with your pet because you are constantly cleaning up after him).

What kind of diapers are you using? I imagine he's too small for human diapers so I'm guessing doggy diapers. Have you tried different brands to see if maybe the fit may be better or worse? Are you using disposable diapers or washable? Have you tried using doggie pants over the diaper. There are "escape proof" dog diaper designs out there (you're noy the only one struggling to keep a diaper on their dog, I can assure you). What about a belly band? Is the diaper falling off or is he doing something to remove it?

Is he constantly dripping or leaving puddles because he can't hold it to the door? If it's the latter, is expressing his bladder a couple times/day an option for you? Is there a reason you can't restrict his access to the house at large when someone isn't available to directly supervise to make sure the diaper stays on?

I wish you luck in your decision. Caring for a pet with incontinence can be daunting and exhausting, I know. One of my german shepherds developed degenerative myelopathy and slowly lost use of his back end. I never thought I would ever be willing to manually express a dog's bladder, but his quality of life wasn't yet poor enough for me to seek euthanasia. So I expressed his bladder (mostly for my convenience, he could pee on his own but he was also leaking so an emptier bladder meant less mess). By the time his qol decreased to the point of euthanasia I was starting to feel really guilty about considering it. I started to doubt if he really was trying to tell me it was time or if I was just so tired of all the intense care he required. In the end I was relieved when someone outside the family mentioned that he didn't seem his usual happy self because it wasn't just me being burnt out leading me to choose euthanasia. But even if it had been, it still would not have been the "wrong" or a "bad" choice. Burnout is very real and your quality of life is important too.

 

[Sammster]

Is this the kind of "diaper" you are talking about? I have belly bands for my male, reactive dog when he has occasional periods of anxiety, and "piddling". I also keep a small belly band here for my sister's dog, when he comes to visit and wants to mark everything in my house. They Velcro around the waist, and cover the penis. If they pee, they wet the belly band. They are washable. You can buy small baby diapers to line the inside of the belly band so that you don't have to wash as frequently.

 

[Everose]

I used a belly band on my male, and some diapers have suspenders. In my experience the disposable diapers were always a headache, the material tends to be slippery and they walk right out of them, so getting diapers with some good elastic in the legs and some tough Velcro, maybe suspenders, maybe belly bands, and then just putting a feminine napkin in there is sooooo much easier and they actually stay put.
I would also agree with taking him to the vet. If he just needs a pill, or possibly a diet change to make keeping him easier then personally I would go that route. He might have a UTI that only needs temporary medication, he could just be peeing because of a constant burning in his urethra.

 

[Sammster]

Is he drinking a lot of water? You might have him checked for diabetes.

I like the idea of the feminine napkins instead of baby diapers in the belly band. They have an adhesive strip. I just used baby diapers because I have diapers in the house for my grandson

Also - I'd keep his hair short below his waist to help with the dampness and odor.

 

[gyzmo]

Do you know from a vet that this is the cause of his incontinence, and not that he as a UTI? Have you discussed this with your vet to see if they have any suggestions? Surgery, possibly?

I’ve asked the vet and they said it is purely cause of his age.