Living With Old Dog Incontinence
By Cat Pesale
I have written about my oldest dog, Godzilla many times before. I may be repeating myself a bit here but I can’t help it. It’s the phase I am in with my baby: living with old dog incontinence. He will be 17 years old this March.
We use the P-Suit® dog diaper as a waterproof option for him so that when he pees a full bladder to contain his urine. He is old and cannot help it. I am so grateful that I have a product like this to handle this stage of his life.
I have always had a dog who pees in the house and it’s been frustrating. Territorial marking and behavioral issues are very hard to figure out and understand. For that very reason, I developed the P-Suit® dog diaper for dogs who pee. It helps stop the behavior in present time, so that I have the ability to figure out the problem tomorrow.
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How Living with Old Dog Incontinence Health Issues Can Be Manageable
Old dog incontinence is not territorial marking. It’s not a behavioral issue, either. It’s simply one of the many things that come with old age, and is tied to the many other naturally-occurring health factors that come about when dogs age. Take his hearing, for example. Two years ago, my old dog started losing his hearing. I noticed it when he would go into such a deep sleep he would not wake up when I came home. There were several times I would go to pick him up and he would be limp. Tears would come to my eyes because I thought he had passed in his sleep. Then his eyes would flutter, and I would be so relieved. I took him to the doctor to see if he was sick. His blood work came back fine. His x-rays were fine. He was just growing old.
My old dog does have some health issues, and we have tried some things to help him. He has arthritis and he had to have steroidal medication to get through some other issues he was having. He has a heart murmur. I know some of these meds will cause excessive drinking at the water bowl and, in turn, more urination. He has been off these meds for some time now, and his peeing hasn’t gotten any better. I do leave out the water for him and he does drink a lot. If the water bowl is empty, he will keep licking the bowl like it was the biggest mirage in the desert! I think he is still smart enough to get our attention. He is thirsty. He needs to eat more often and drink as much as he needs. When he struggles with controlling his bladder indoors, the P-Suit® dog diaper, helps us manage that issue. I am happy that I can do that for him and not worry about the consequences.
Embracing Our Dog’s Old Age
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I am careful and pay special attention to my old man. I don’t want him to suffer. He is being monitored by the vet as needed. Having said this, I am enjoying him so much! Watching him use his head and body to get into a rhythm to walk. We have four beds in our family room, and I always try and guess which one he will be in when I walk in. His day is about exploring the house, walking from dog bed to dog bed. If it is time for him to eat, he will find one of us and let us know it’s meal time. If he peed in his P-Suit® dog diaper, he will find one of us, and we change out his sanitary napkin and clean his belly with wipes.
I know it may sound horrible that his day is only about this. But to me, I am watching my little “old” man grow old—and it is an honor. I care for him, smile at him, hold him and tell him how special he is to me. I am grateful that at his age, all he has is some arthritis, a loss of hearing, and manageable old dog incontinence issues.
I am grateful and blessed for my little “old” dog.
