thea2003

Im a little frustrated here, I know its not Saph's fault but the past week she has been more than dripping when she's sleeping...of course it is on my couch.
Last night though is what frustrated me the most though, I only have four comforters for her, i dont have a washer/dryer at home so have to go to laundromat when we need laundry done, which is a 20 minute drive.

We just did laundry last Saturday, te first night she soiled a little area on one. so that leave 2 comforters, because one is for my bed lol.
Last night we went out for a pee because she started to dribble and left a *small* amount on my couch, took her outside she went pee LITERALLY as SOON as we got in I told her to come sit on the couch with me, she got up and more than dribbled!! Like a fair amount of pee!! All over comforter number two.
The poor dog, i feel so bad for her, i know she isnt doing it on purpose, and she looks embarassed when she does it.

Im really not fond of having her on drugs for it for the rest of her life as she's only 3.
Of course she will be going to the vet to probably get some sort of prescription so she doesnt pee all over all the time.

My questions are though, those of you with dogs with this issue, how do you deal with it? what are your suggestions? I could put plastic all over everything lol, but that doesnt seem very cozy! I am spending a fortune on laundry because i am doing 2 or 3 comforters per week, and i only have ONE dog.

Anyone help?
Thanks.

dobegirl

Is she healthy? Is she spayed or not? My 1st bitch would dribble, but she was spayed, so that was expected. I was young then and just learned to live with it.

My current bitch is not spayed and started to dribble (though not to the degree you mention). I had read somewhere that if you take grains out of their diet that could stop the leaking, as long as there are no health issues contributing. I've recently switched to raw, but after I read that she was put on a totally grain free food and it really did work. No more problems with dripping from her.

Sorry I can't give you more advice. Hope this helps some.

Maria

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Tess-a-boo

I feel your pain, sister! The dribbles are no fun, and you're right, they do look so ashamed when it happens. Kind of breaks your heart a little. Tess will get extreme dribbles when she's really tired...we have a vinyl mattress cover on our bed and keep lots of Nature's Miracle on hand.

However, we've been dribble-free (*knock on wood*) since we started her on the maintenance dose of this cranberry powder. We've also had luck in the past with these pill form supplements specifically for urinary tract strength.

We switched from the pill-form supplement to the powder because she needed the cranberry powder to ward off UTI's also.

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Dancing Star's You Are My Sunshine RN CGC TDI TT

thea2003

She is spayed, healthy, im just looking for suggestions to save furiture/blankets.
I will try taking out the grains in her diet see if that help her at all.

Ninabug

I'd suggest getting some smaller fleece type blankets. You can put several in the wash at once, and that'll save time and money. As for the incontinence , I've heard good things about cranberry powder. Too bad you can't do doggy Kegel exercises...I hear it works for women

thea2003

LOL, but the fleece blankets arent nice and thick and cozy! She was getting cranberry capsules for a while, dont remember if they made a difference or not.

BoxMeIn21

Disco developed incontinence after spay, so I feel your pain. I found a bunch of old quilts at the Salvation Army that I put down where she lays. Have you tried adding some fresh parsley to her meals? It has cut down the dribbles almost to a nil for me. Parsley acts as a natural diruretic so she empties her bladder everytime she goes - I haven't seen a wet spot in a few months now since adding it to her diet.

gracieface

my german pinscher was a leaker, I found 2 things that helped, one was cranberry, and since we live so close to a cranberry growing, I would buy big bags and feed her frozen ones, she loved them. the other thing that helped was chiropractice adjustments. Started out going every few weeks and as things improved we were done to every other month.

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Elizabeth
Dobermans aren't my whole life, they just make it whole.

MaryAndDobes

I have heard the same thing about the chiropractic adjustments, and it did help 2 dogs that I knew - one was a puppy from our first litter and the other was a rescue I fostered. However, I didn't have success when I had Rory adjusted for the same reason.

Different things work for different dogs.

I washed Ember's blankets almost daily, and I wash Rory's now almost daily. Don't you live above your mom? Can't you use her washer and dryer?

I have an old 3/4 bed in my office for the dogs, and I have a vinyl fitted mattress cover under the sheet. Google the Bedwetting Store for things like that.

I usually keep an assortment of rubber backed bathmats on hand to lie on the couch where incontinent girls hang. I just pop them in the wash as needed. I'm thinking that maybe they could be hosed off in a situation like yours and left to hang/dry since you don't have machines. Still wash them at the laundromat but you could hose in between?

Depending on the dog, I've had some luck getting corn and wheat out of the diet.

I haven't personally had luck with the medications although everyone else seems to.

One thing that may help -- after she has gone out and done her business, have her sit outside the door before entering the house. Sometimes the act of sitting will force out a bit more urine. Again, depends on the dog and their situation.

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Soleil

Sorry to hear of Saph's problem. I do hope you can find a solution.
I don't have anything to add. However, is this a very common problem among Dobermans? This is the first I have seen it mentioned but several of you (well, your dogs) have the same problem.

JavasMom

This thread is a lifesaver! I feel your pain - some days it feels as though laundry is my leisure activity! Java recently started doing the same thing (she is 4). Now I insist that hubby let her out to pee after she comes in from her run and drinks from her water bowl. This has helped a lot. I am also more conscious of letting her out more often. Am def going to try the cranberry powder. Java looks so embarrassed, she won't even look me in the eye. I know she can't control what's happening and would never yell at her - it's like yelling at a toddler for having an accident. Have used store-brand 'Depends' mats to place under her back end and over a prtective blanket when she's on the couch to catch any leaks. (Funny how we know more about our Dobe's bodily functions than we do our own! Rexx will have to poop 15 min after he eats - you could almost set a timer by him.) Lands' End makes a car bench blanket that is fleece on one side and nylon on the other ($35?). Am considering getting another for our couch to protect it from paws and accidents. The alternative is to insist that she stay on her floor pillow - maybe get one for the bedroom, so she knows that she has her own place in your room. Make sure it has a removable washable cover. I picked up some inexpensive ones @ Target, put the pillow inside a heavy-duty plastic garbage bag and stapled it shut. Then into the cover it went. Now if she has an accident, the pillow is protected. Orvis makes great floor pillows that have a waterproof liner for the pillow, but expect to pay $80-100. I happened to find some great outdoor fabrics - really pretty patterns that work indoors and am tempted to buy some yardage and have (or make) some floor pillows. Water beads right off, stains wipe off and they look pretty!

thea2003

Where was the chiropractor? Do you need a referral from your own vet?
I wonder if she would like fresh cranberries... she likes raspberries.

Mary, good idea on the rubber backed mats, and sitting befor coming in. My mom doesnt have a washer/dryer either, we both just go into town and do laundry usually once a week.
She rarely leaks when she is on my bed, it is normally like Tess when she is just wiped and sleeping on the couch, but she is sleeping in her crate at night now because i dont like being woken up by a wet bed! lol.

Has anyone else had success with parsley?
Also, the outdoor fabric is an EXCELLENT idea as well!! Too bad i JUST missed the fabricland sale dangit!!
Right now for short term- as in today while im at work, the couch is covered in black garbage backs then covered with a comforter...its classy! lol

Thanks for all the suggestions so far!!

MaryAndDobes

Rather than outdoor fabric, just buy outdoor furniture pads. Like for chaise lounges. Voila, urine proof dog bed! And whatever is left at stores is probably going on sale now or soon.

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thea2003

Yes indeed!! Very true...good idea.

Christi

My Senta ( who will be 13 in Sept!!) has had incontence for several yrs.... I have had her on Pro-in, which seems to work good... I dont know if its the hot weather here..but she has just been drinking more water than usual.. during the day she is ok.. but at nite I have had 3 big flood accidents. I moved her off the couch into a area where its like a kennel, with the doggie door right there.. but she is still peeing... At least I can clean it up alot easier than letting her back on the couch. I got a nice big pad for her. with the blankets she just wads them up.
I am going to make an appt at the vets to have her checked over again... On another subject she has been having troubles with her back end. I have been giving her the Max Joint which seems to help alot. At least she isnt falling down. What really scared me was when she was stepping thru the dog door and fell and couldnt get up not to long ago, but with the Max Joint she is alot better, seems to want to play with my boston, but cant really run anymore. It breaks my heart to see her failing, but she eats good, and is always in good spirits....

Pitts

talk to your vet, there is a pill they can give you for your dog to take that helps to stop the incontinence by tightening the muscles there and giving the dog more control. I cant remember the name of them but your vet should know.

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Dale
"Show me your dog and I will tell you what manner of man you are."
Max Von Stephanitz

Jenny

I think I still have Proin from Isabelle - it worked great for her - she was on a low dose. As long as I was smart enough to give it to her she didn't leak. Also once she started her "pp pills" no more utis.

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Jenny, Vader & Zannah

EmilyB

Sometimes it takes a combination of drugs to get results.

My vet just mentioned to me the other day that there is now someone here that does surgical correction. That sounds scary.

dobegal

All of my girls were spayed and I have dealt with this problem. I agree they really look embarrased and it breaks my heart. Nothing worked for them exceptmedication.The dosage depended on the dog. Long ago you could get DES I think that's what is was, now I give proin to Roxy. With the DES I gave a pill every week. The other every couple of months or so. Now with Roxy I use proin and it's every other day. I do have a cover on my feather bed (Bed Bath and Beyond) along witha pad (Vermount Country) you can purchase them according to the length you want.

thea2003

I know the common one my vet uses is stillbestrol but she is only 3 i would prefer her NOT to be on drugs her whole life.

OldDrumDobes

I don't know if you want to go this route.. But the one bitch I dealt w/ who leaked was spayed early and in a pet home. The owners found using estrogen cream once a month stopped the leaking.

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Ali & Martin Doughty
Old Drum Dobermans

Eric-DC

1. Make sure your dog has the opportunity to urinate outside often. & don't assume just because you let them outside they will urinate...you have to watch them otherwise 50% of the time they will not.

2. Buy several washable incontinence pads & use them for their sleeping, resting areas. They come in all sizes, are reasonably inexpensive, & are easy to clean. My dog likes the couch so I purchased a seperate pad for each couch cushion & dyed them to match the color of the couch. You can hardly notice them & when they get wet I just remove & replace them with another set (I have 4 sets wash them all 1X per week)

I've been doing this for 10 years now & it is not a big deal. I did not want to give my dog the pills my vet recommended because of adverse side effects.

thea2003

LOL She wont go outside unless i come with her...she is my little velcro dog.

Coldfront

We had this problem with our first doberman (spayed) and the vet gave us a tiny daily inexpensive estrogen tablet and that took care of the problem. We never experienced any side effects and LORD it saved a ton of headaches. Good luck!

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Patches Mom

You can buy some Fancy panties that you can put a pad in do not buy the dog pads too expensive just buy the people pads.When my Papillon was about 11years old I put her in the panties she did not care. I made a big deal out of it telling her how pretty she looked in her panties.Bought 2 washed one out by hand hung it up to dry while she wore the other one,she made it too 14 1/2 yrs old.Since Papillons have long hair I used unsented baby wipes to keep the pee off of her.