How to handle a costly, weak-bladdered dog?

March 6, 2009 5:56 PM

Our six-year-old diabetic maltese is getting progressively more difficult to care for. He has frequent accidents on our and our two young daughters' beds; he needs regular insulin injections every 12 hours; and the cost between insulin, allergy shots, and a host of pills is challenging. How can we make things easier on ourselves without making him suffer? (As in, not crate him 24/7.)
posted by lexfri to pets & animals (26 comments total)

Is the insulin relatively new? If so, hang in there - once the dosage is figured out correctly, there's a decent chance the accidents will taper off. That's what happened with our diabetic cat, at least. As for cost, where are you getting your meds? If you get them at a pharmacy that mostly does human medication, they probably take AAA prescription benefit cards, which can be used to knock a decent percentage off the cost of pet medication, not just human. We save about 30% off the cost of our cat medications at our grocery store pharmacy with the AAA card. I don't even have a car, but got a AAA membership specifically for this purpose as it pays for itself several times over, at least with my cat's medication costs.

Good luck to you and your dog.
posted by Stacey at 6:05 PM on March 6

While it's not the happiest solution, but perhaps the most peaceful, you could always consider having your maltese put to sleep. I held my best friend growing up, a wonderful chocolate lab, in my arms when she was put to sleep. It wasn't really my choice, no one asked me at the time (this at age 18), but I believe it was probably the right thing to do, with regard to the pain and illnesses she was suffering from. Again, this isn't the easiest, or happiest solution, but with the burden you described above, both on you and your dog, it might be the best.
posted by Atreides at 6:08 PM on March 6 [1 favorite]

Thanks, Stacey.

Charlie's been on the insulin for two-and-a-half years. The week bladder isn't daily. His dosage of insulin has been changed a lot, but we landed on giving him less than we otherwise might, because the vet concluded that with doses any higher, his blood sugars dropped *too* low. So, we have him on less than he sometimes needs, so some days he ends up needing to pee more, and seems to get "overcome" with the need.

I didn't realize I could potentially get Vetsulin at a different pharmacy... We're currently getting them direct from the vet. I will investigate other places -- great suggestion!
posted by lexfri at 6:09 PM on March 6

Atreides: The thought has certainly crossed our minds, especially when running our second load of sheets of the day. There's just -- as numerous past Ask MeFi threads and obviously your own experience can attend do -- tremendous guilt involved. Particularly because I'm just not certain that his health warrants it, and we recognize we can't use our own frustration at his unintended screw-ups as cause.

I really appreciate your advice. We don't want that to be the right answer. But we don't know what is.
posted by lexfri at 6:14 PM on March 6

Can you keep your daughter's room door/s closed except when they are in there? Is there a room with, say, vinyl floors where he can spend unsupervised time? If you can't fix him, and you won't put him to sleep (which I applaud), you need to find ways to regulate where his accidents happen as much as possible. Why is he choosing the bed? Would cheap sheets on an easy-to-clean floor be acceptable?
posted by clarkstonian at 6:22 PM on March 6

Can you limit his space with babygates? If the bedrooms are upstairs, can you confine him downstairs with easier-to-clean floors? Or even in the kitchen? You could make one of those puppy confinement areas, even with an indoor little pad for emergency pees in the corner. Or is it an incontinence thing, so he doesn't even know he's doing it?

As for meds, definitely try to see if you can get them elsewhere. I've ordered meds online from reputable places with zero problems.

Have you talked to a vet about this? Some of them are actually surprisingly willing to figure out alternate plans (cheaper prescriptions) and may even have suggestions about how to start identifying quality of life concerns. There are a few threads on here that go through the question of when it's acceptable or even beneficial to do one of the hardest things in the world.

But I think the first step is to minimize his access in the house - if he can only pee on old carpet instead of a freshly-laundered bed, that's some frustration saved already, right?

Craigslist usually has tons of baby gates posted.
posted by barnone at 6:28 PM on March 6

Clarkstonian -- Charlie spends a lot of his day resting on beds. (I work from home; he likes to lounge on the bed in the next room -- mine.)

Your point is well-taken. I suppose we do need to "crate" him in some sense -- that is, find places for Charlie to hang out that, when accidents happen, won't cause so much stress. That's sadly not as easy as it sounds: My office is carpeted, and when I'm alone with him during the day while my wife and daughters are out and about, I'm just not sure where to put him that's not too confining or too far away from me. (I could easily leave him alone in the tiled kitchen, but that's a floor away and I think he'd be miserable flying solo.)

Thanks so much for your thoughts!
posted by lexfri at 6:31 PM on March 6

Is he peeing the bed in his sleep? If not, have you ever thought of litter training him so that he can get to an appropriate place to pee any time? My neighbors have a litter trained pomeranian, and said it wasn't hard to train the dog to go in a litter box....
posted by mjcon at 6:32 PM on March 6

Barnone -- great points all. It's the same issue I was discussing in my response to Clarkstonian, that the rooms where accidents wouldn't cause as much of an issue are so far away from me while I'm working.

I'm genuinely asking: Is it better for him to be a bit lonelier while I'm working, confined to areas where he can't do so much harm?
posted by lexfri at 6:34 PM on March 6

mcjon: He's only peeing on the beds on days when he "can't wait." Charlie has a doggy door to go out whenever nature calls, but on days when there's a moment where he can't hold it, he (while awake) just goes.
posted by lexfri at 6:35 PM on March 6

You could lay down some plastic sheeting on the beds, and on your office floor, with some towels on top of it. That would provide something soft for him to lie on that is nevertheless much easier to clean than a carpet or an entire set of sheets, and let him stay close to you.
posted by fermion at 6:44 PM on March 6

In your followups it doesn't sound like you're quite there, but as for this comment:

There's just -- as numerous past Ask MeFi threads and obviously your own experience can attend do -- tremendous guilt involved

My sense of AskMeFi threads is that ultimately people do not regret making the decision. The thing they feel guilty about is in waiting too long.
posted by rhizome at 6:54 PM on March 6

I don't know how extensive your office set-up is, but my home office right now is a laptop on the kitchen island. Could you possibly move out to the tiled area for part of the workday and keep him there with you? I know (from experience!) that it can be incredibly frustrating to change sheets repeatedly after pet accidents and the tiled floor would certainly eliminate that aspect of things.

I also like fermion's suggestion of plastic sheeting with towels on top.

Good luck -- as a devoted dog owner, I empathize with you.
posted by kate blank at 6:55 PM on March 6

I've heard of people putting diapers on their incontinent dogs. If it's just urine, it probably wouldn't be too bad changing-wise. Apparently they have ones just for dogs, disposable and washable kinds-- http://www.petdiapers.com/
posted by fructose at 7:07 PM on March 6

I definitely like the idea of setting up comfy areas for him that, if accidents happen, won't affect things as much.

I do think it's inevitable that we'll have to put Charlie down one day; his ailments shorten his life expectancy, and I'd much rather not have him suffer through his final days/months/whatevers. I don't think we're there just yet.

With two girls -- 3 months and 2 years -- some nights can be very stressful when you spot another Charlie puddle on the bed to contend with. Thanks for the advice and support, folks. I sincerely appreciate it.
posted by lexfri at 8:01 PM on March 6

Diapers have worked really well for our constantly leaking Cocker Spaniel. She has congestive heart failure and is on 5 different pills (three of which are diuretics). Your little Maltese could probably get by with one of the regular cloth diapers sold at pet stores. You can use disposable pads with them (Depends or the generic store brands). We have also had really good luck with Tinkle Trousers. It is more expensive, but it is really secure and can hold a lot in case our dog really lets loose. You fill them with baby diapers. She doesn't mind them at all and it has made taking care of her much easier. She still needs to go out very often, but since I work at home, it hasn't been too much of a problem. Good luck.
posted by imposster at 8:33 PM on March 6

Definitely minimize the work needed to clean up here.

I'd probably go buy a huge cotton or jute-type rug for the office, and lay down old beach towels on top. Ikea has some huge cotton dhurry rugs for less than $100, and if you look on Craigslist, they're probably there for even cheaper. Towels on plastic sheeting sounds way too slippery and like I'd skid on the material (in my mind). Get a plastic mat for your wheeled desk chair.

Then you don't have to rearrange your workspace, and if the dog happens to go, it's just a matter of washing a few towels and maybe very light spot cleaning a cheap cotton rug with Nature's Miracle to get the smell out. And after the dog goes, the carpet in the office isn't ruined.

You could alternate working between the office and kitchen or living/dining room. Combined with working in some diapers, walks, and the crate, I think you'll all be fine again.

Oh and get a dog bed or two. If he's not feeling well, having a little space that's clearly defined as his own will be really worth it.
posted by barnone at 9:01 PM on March 6

You have a 3 month old child? Are you sure the dog isn't exhibiting some anxiety as a result of the new person, new patterns, new people coming by to check out the kid, new stuff, new stresses, new hours, new sounds? I'm sure his medical condition is also playing a huge role in this, but if it's getting worse, I wouldn't totally rule out him marking and/or otherwise changing behavioral patterns as a result of this new kid. Just another perspective.
posted by barnone at 9:04 PM on March 6

You want belly bands. These are basically wide fabric belts held closed with velcro that you put around your dog's waist. His penis will be inside. You put a depends, or maxi pad or whatever on the inside. If he pees you might still have to wash the belly band (the depends pad or maxi pad may not absorb everything), but you can get them waterproof so it will just be the bellyband itself that's wet and not the sheets where he was lying.

The linked site is just one vendor. There are others. Google around.
posted by If only I had a penguin... at 9:17 PM on March 6

Can you put a crate in your home office at least for the time you're there? I think he'd be happier in a crate near you (with lots of tasty treats and toys) than by himself downstairs. Same thing for nights - instead of having him in bed, why not crate him in the room with you? You could put a few towels in the crate to keep him comfy, and if he has an accident, just toss them in the laundry. Since he's a Maltese, he'll also probably fit into a small, easily machine-washable dog bed.
posted by walla at 10:22 PM on March 6

It does not sound to me as if this dog's diabetes is very well-regulated. While there are some good suggestions here, my first move if I were you would be to talk to the vet about this. Most of the time the frequent urination decreases once the diabetes is actually under control. Many owners of diabetic animals get a glucometer to use at home, so you can actually see how you're doing.
posted by biscotti at 10:43 PM on March 6

My sister-in-law has a pug and has pad-trained it, since they live in a high-rise apartment. If the diapers don't workout for whatever reason, you could try that. It's like a large diaper that's unfolded and put into a special plastic holder that keeps it unfolded and flat. It's gross, but I would imagine less so than having the dog continue to make more of a mess around your house than usual.
posted by reddot at 8:23 AM on March 7

Ok, this may have been covered by other people, but I'd like to give my own experience.

Our cat Mr Peterson got suddenly ill a little over a year ago - he lost weight, could barely walk, was on death's door. Turns out he'd gotten a kidney infection, and as he was being treated, it was discovered he was severely diabetic.

Our vets had him put on 2 units of insulin, and within a few weeks, he had not seemed to improve much, so they switched to PZI insulin, which made all the difference. It took a while, believe me - at first, we weren't sure anything was going to work, but the keys for us were :

1) limited diet... wet food, not dry - the dry stuff, in most cases, is loaded with carbs, and apparently messes with blood sugar. And we only feed him right before we give him his shots, and smaller amounts during the day.

2) consistent shots. We give our cat his shot in 12 hour intervals, and try to stay consistent with it. We recently got out of the habit of being consistent (we were cocky), and would sometimes give a shot 2 hours early. Well, Mr Peterson started peeing on the floor again, so we knew a problem was developing.

3) We close our granddaughter's room - Mr Peterson loved to pee on the floor in that room, so now we just keep the door shut. Same with our bathrooms - he loved to pee on the floor in the bathrooms.

4) I keep his litter box clean. He uses the litter a lot (but will start going out as the weather warms), and I do my best to clean it every day, so it's a welcoming environment for him when he has to go

In the past 6 or 8 months, our kitty is like new... he happily climbs up on our bed, which was impossible a year ago, and he sleeps on my chest as I try to read before bed. He's happy and healthy, and a joy to own, and when I realize how close we were to losing him, I'm grateful for our vigilance, and for PZI insulin, which worked so much better for us that the other types of insulin.

Good luck!!
posted by newfers at 9:05 AM on March 7

Whoops - sorry about the litter comment - doesn't apply much to a dog. I got off track there lol
posted by newfers at 9:06 AM on March 7

A follow-up:

We've limited Charlie's house access, and have taught him that he's not allowed on our bed. Occasionally, if no one's looking, he'll jump onto it (no easy task) to hang out, and I'll spot him there when I leave my adjacent office and take him off again. He probably gets onto the bed once a week these days -- and has had one more accident there, too.

We spoke to the vet about Charlie's insulin levels, and have raised his insulin levels again and tested (cleanly) for potential urinary tract infections.

It's tough, because he wants more access than we're comfortable giving him now, and because he's been such a great dog to us for so long. We're working hard to keep him happy, and to find the happiness in having him in our family, and hoping he can get ever-healthier.
posted by lexfri at 4:07 PM on April 9

Prayers for your pup and hopefully he'll improve with the new treatment!
posted by Atreides at 3:18 PM on April 10