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Old May 21st, 2010, 02:26 PM
ScottieDog ScottieDog is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 413
With one of my previous dogs, we faced recurrent UTIs, bladder cancer and kidney failure. I understand pee. I want to offer some tips to make Winnie's and your life more comfortable. If you choose to go the route of diapers, please change them very frequently and don't leave her in them all day. The diaper can actually trap bacteria and contribute to UTIs. I did use diapers occasionally with Tipper when she had massive infections and was urinating blood but only for a day or so until the antibiotics kicked in.

Find some waterproof baby changing pads or unfitted waterproof baby mattress covers. These will be soft and fuzzy/flocked on the top and bottom, but have a piece of plastic in between. Cover her bed or favorite sleeping spot with one of these, then top it with a soft towel or blanket. I unzipped Tipper's memory foam bed cover and put an additional one of these inside the bed over the foam. This is much easier to clean up. Just grab the pad and blanket and wash. The bed should stay dry.

I only dealt with true incontinence while Tipper was on strong pain medications following bladder surgery. I also used this method to protect the dog beds when my geriatric suffered an episode of vestibular disease. Both dogs would urinate in their sleep, but it was due to illness.

Enzymatic pet cleaners can really help keep your house smelling fresh. I used these in the wash with the urine-soaked bedding as well.

I tried to avoid frequent baths, but did use sensitive-skin, alcohol-free baby wipes to clean the fur. A microfiber face cloth with a gentle soap-free baby wash can also offer gentle cleaning. I wish you all the best. This is hard. If the antibiotics don't seem to help, ask for a urine culture to make sure you get the correct antibiotic. And it can take a long time to clear. My vet is great, but my dog had a raging, asymptomatic UTI that was diagnosed by a specialist on ultrasound. It took over 3 months on antibiotics to clear. She gave no physical indications of a UTI.
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