smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1188
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| 10/20/2012 7:11 PM |
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| I also wanted to mention that a dog making it through the night isn't always a fair expectation because at night their minds are relatively inactive as are their bodies. During the day, kenneling forces the body to be inactive...but not the mind. Mental stimulation is a great way to tire out a GSP, so imagine how much effect on the body an active mind can have during the day. Especially an anxious active mind. |
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smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1188
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| 10/20/2012 7:14 PM |
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| I also wanted to suggest that a dog making it accident free throughout the night isn't always a fair comparison or expectation for during they as at night their minds are also relatively inactive along with their body. During the day, kenneling forces the body to be inactive, but not necessarily the mind. Especially if your dog is feeling anxiety (which as an adoptee in a new situation and home, it's understandable). Mental stimulation is a great way to help tire out a GSP, so imagine the effect of an active mind on the body. Monitor her, and give her some time. I really hope you will find that it is nothing drastic...and just a dog adjusting to a new situation. |
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smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1188
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| 10/20/2012 7:16 PM |
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| Sorry for the redundancy. Didn't think it posted the first time. Apparently it did. |
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MeganD
Royal Oak, Michigan
JH
Posts:33
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| 10/20/2012 7:52 PM |
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I'm keeping an open mind about what the issues could be.I'm leaning towards a problem with the crate/ SA/ a lingering UTI. She can hold it all night, and does not drink an excessive amount in my opinion. Regardless, we will be working with her and she's not going anywhere, when we took her on, we knew it was for the rest of her life. She doesn't seem sick, she is active and healthy looking, so I am optimistic for her prognosis from the vets.
The gal who got her from a shelter about a year ago crated her, and said she didn't like it, but did not mention any peeing. I will ask her when i get a chance to call her and catch her home. She was kept in a boarding kennel for about a month before we got her, as the rescue had no more fosters for her. So she has been crated, but she doesn't like it. We're going to start working on leaving her at home in our living room without us, and see how she does for short periods. Maybe we will be able to leave her out without accidents eventually.
She was spayed in december 2011. So i don't know that she would still be having issues with that.
I should know by wednesday the results of the culture and bloodwork. |
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MeganD
Royal Oak, Michigan
JH
Posts:33
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| 10/20/2012 7:54 PM |
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| From what I am reading about Diabetes Insipidus (not the same as diabetes related to blood sugar btw) Dogs with DI tend to not make it through the night without an accident...so that is why I don't think that is what it is. |
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Splat
Illinois (Northern)
MH
Posts:3130
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| 10/21/2012 6:09 AM |
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| Sounds like some things have happened in her life to cause her not to like the kennel and the have SA... which can all be worked on.... also the UTI can be fixed too, so this is all good news and it is great that you are willing to stick with it! |
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MeganD
Royal Oak, Michigan
JH
Posts:33
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| 10/22/2012 8:28 PM |
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Good News: bloodwork came back Normal, so we are not looking at kidney or liver issues. Still waiting on the culture to rule out the UTI.
She isn't having accidents in the house, except in the crate. So more and more I am thinking she needs to settle in, and we need to work with her on being OK with us leaving for 4-6 hours. We'd like to try leaving her loose in the lower level of the house (walk out basement) to see if she just doesn't like being confined to the crate. But we need to start small (30 minutes) and work up to make sure she is not going to get destructive on us. She has not destroyed anything yet, so we are hopeful she knows better.
On a semi-related note: How much water does a dog need a day? I am reading about 1 oz per pound of body weight. We are rationing her water in the morning, to try to prevent the accidents. Once I get home, I fill up her water bowl about half way, then if it is empty after she eats dinner, I fill it half again. I want to be sure she is getting enough water, but it seems if we fill the bowl too much or too often she over drinks, but maybe we are not giving her enough water. |
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Splat
Illinois (Northern)
MH
Posts:3130
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| 10/23/2012 6:57 AM |
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I think it is 1 oz per pound... I can't remember, I know when we first got Striker he indulged in water and then he would have accidents (he was still just a puppy but you could tell he was going more than he should of)... the rationing helped alot...
If you feel comfortable with leaving her loose then go for it... start out small like you mentioned for short periods of time and see how it goes... just remember if you are thinking SA then no getting excited and talking "baby" talk when you leave or come back... |
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smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1188
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| 10/23/2012 6:33 PM |
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I think your idea of starting small is a good one. Uncrated obviously doesn't work everyone, but for us, Bella does so much better...and is so much happier. I don't worry about her during the day anymore because I know she can move about. We built up the time frame as well, and her only mishaps (pillow chewing) was when I went back to work for my busy season, and the first week I was out of town for the entire week. I think she would have been OK if i had been coming home at night, but the fact that I had seemed to disappear all together was too much. She got used to things within a couple of weeks and now she just lays on the back of the couch in front of the window most of the day. Greets me when I come home with a toy in mouth and a wiggle butt.
We do close doors to rooms just to limit what she was potentially could get in to...but the few times we have left doors open accidentally it didn't appear she even went in.
You're awesome for putting in the effort and sticking with her! |
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JoeyBean
Albany, NY
MH
Posts:315
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| 10/25/2012 10:05 AM |
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unrelated, but look at our profile pics smatulewicz. I just noticed!! |
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MeganD
Royal Oak, Michigan
JH
Posts:33
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| 10/25/2012 2:33 PM |
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More good news: The urine culture came back, and we are not fighting a UTI still.
Next step: get a urine sample first thing in the morning so they can get a better concentration reading. Then we will go from there, figuring out if she is concentrating her urine or not, and if not, why....
We left her in our living room for 45 minutes yesterday and she did not have any accidents or destroy anything while we were gone, so maybe she is just not going to be able to be crated while we are gone.
On another note: we start obedience school tonight! Bailey is going to be so excited! She will get to see other dogs! SHe barks and whines and pulls on the leash trying to go see other dogs, going to Petco/PetSmart with her is an adventure. Needless to day, training class should be interesting. We may end up getting a prong collar for her after all. We are just using a choke chain for now. |
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Splat
Illinois (Northern)
MH
Posts:3130
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| 10/26/2012 6:32 AM |
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| I like the prong better than the choke chain... it works better and I think it actually functions less harsh... then prongs look scary but the release on tension is better when you make the correction than with the choke cuz sometime they keep pulling and it just keeps squeezing... Sounds like you are headed in the right direction, glad she did good during the 45 minutes! |
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MeganD
Royal Oak, Michigan
JH
Posts:33
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| 11/19/2012 1:02 PM |
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I have some updates....
Bailey is concentrating her urine just fine, she probably had just drank a lot of water the first time they did the specific gravity test.
We have been leaving Bailey loose in the living room while we are gone. She has been great , except that she does pee in the house when we are gone. Same spot nearly every day. (1 or 2 days a week we get lucky and she doesnt pee...)
We got a surveillance camera for the living room to keep an eye on her during the day. She mostly sleeps on her bed the whole day.
When I leave in the AM, I give her a kong with treats in it. Once she gets the treats out she whines a little, then lays down and sleeps until i get home at lunch. I let her out, eat my lunch and then give her treats in her kong again before I leave. She is much more affected when I leave after lunch. After she gets the treats out, she will whine, cry, pace, paw at the door, howl, bark, for 30 min to an hour before resigning herself to her bed again. then at about 4:45, she starts to anticipate one of us coming home and she paces and whine and barks for 10-20 minutes then lays down til we get home (usually by 5:30 someone is home). Somewhere between when I leave after lunch and when one of us gets home, she pees in the house.
I caught her on the camera today. She had fussed after I left, then settled for about 30-60 minutes then got up and paced and whined, then went to her usual pee spot, sniffed around, and peed. We clean up the area she pees in every day with Nature's Miracle enzyme cleaner, so i don't think she is peeing there b/c of the smell.
It also looked like after she peed, she tried to lick it up?? She has water available to her, so shes not thirsty...
Is she not emptying her bladder fully when I let her out at lunch, is she anxioius b/c i came home and then left after 20 minutes? We are stumped. I suposse we could live with cleaning up one pee spot 3-5 days a week, but I'd rather her not pee in the house.
Any suggestions? Maybe I am missing something...
THANKS |
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smatulewicz
Michigan
MH
Posts:1188
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| 11/19/2012 1:08 PM |
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Glad she is doing OK uncrated. I think I have mentioned before that Bella does much better out of crate that in. With the urinating in doors, do you know her potty training history? I'm sure she understands she is supposed to go outside, but may not have had a past where that was reinforced. I think it will click for her once she fully trusts and understands that you guys are indeed coming home every day and letting her out.
It sounds like she has heightened anxiety in the afternoons and is a little more active. This is probably your main culprit. I also suspect she is not attempting to drink it so much as she is attempting to clean up after herself.
Bella is used to being very low key the first part of the day, but come late afternoon she is bored and ready to do something. This could also play a role in the extra activity and anxiety you are seeing. Keep giving her time...sounds like she is making great progress. |
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Splat
Illinois (Northern)
MH
Posts:3130
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| 11/20/2012 5:40 AM |
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| I think I recall when researching for my friend who had a dog with SA if it was better to come home at lunch or not cuz she could if it was a good idea... I believe I found it better to not come home and leave after such a short while... so maybe try not coming home at lunch... I can't recall how old your dog is... mine have been left all day... 7am - 3pm without any potty issues.... actually when they were much younger and I still kenneled them when I left we blocked them in the kitchen for Christmas with some newspaper down expecting them to have to go potty cuz we left at 7am and came home at 9pm... no potty or poops that entire time! So they can hold it.... |
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