What's wrong with my dog?

[G-Mac]

The other night I came home and my 7-year-old Lab/Shepherd female had peed on the carpet...a few spots in a couple of places. This NEVER happens. I thought it was unusual because I had her outside before I left and I wasn't gone for long.

I cleaned it up and moved on. Today, I put her out on her line before taking her for a ride in my wife's Jeep. I stopped at a gas station, went inside to get a Mountain Dew. When I came out, she had gone on both front seats...several spots on each. Like I said, she shouldn't have had to go...

What's going on? Urinary tract infection? She seems normal otherwise.

I probably can't get a vet over the holiday weekend...anything else I should be doing?

I'm worried about my girl!

 

[gunsmith11]

I think she is just pissed at you for leaving her alone

 

[Denver Dick]

Just a thought, but have you had some early fireworks/firecrackers, etc. in your area? My dogs get really upset with fireworks. My brothers area had few early fireworks a couple of nights ago and his two lab mix dogs went crazy and are now on pins and needles. Just a thought.

 

[Grayfox]

7 years is pretty old for a large dog. Possably just the results of age and loss of bladder control.
I have a small dog who is having the same problems. In his case I know its the result of his advanced age. He doesn't mean to do it, but simply is no longer always able to keep control.
By all means, have her checked. But it may be something you'll have to learn to live with.

 

[afriqueart]

Don't scold her.

Keep an eye on her. If she's scared of fireworks. You'll know. Take her to her favorite pee spot and stay with her so she feels comfortable. Take her a lot so she won't have anything to pee while she's inside.

If she keeps doing it, off to the vet on Monday.

Give her lot's of hugs!

We have 3 scaredy dogs. We'll stay home with them tonight as we have lot's of fireworks in our valley.

Good luck!

 

[gunlovingirl]

Could be a number of things, including an infection, tumor, etc. As long as there's no blood in the urine and she doesn't seem to be in pain, I would think she'll be ok till you can get her to a vet. If she gets worse, in a lot of areas, there's an emergency vet clinic you can get hold of.

 

[DeathGrip]

Try this, Pinch her skin behind her neck and see if it goes back quickly or not. This will tell you if she's hydrated. How is she with the fireworks? Nerves can cause this. If she is dehydrated she'll nead to see a vet ASAP. I'll do anything for my dogs and hope for the best for yours. BTW Are there still people missing in the house?

 

[G-Mac]

gunlovingirl,

There is a 24/7 emergency vet about twenty minutes away...but they are EXPENSIVE...I'll take her if it is an emergency, but otherwise I'm hoping I can wait to see our regular vet on Monday.

She is afraid of fireworks...and there has been some the past couple days...she barks when they go off...but that's nothing new...she's been barking around July 4th for years.

Deathgrip...yes, wife and son have been in North Carolina since Monday...won't be home 'til tomorrow night...we're home alone...maybe she misses them?

afriqueart...no, I haven't yelled at her for this...I rarely do...I know something is not normal and it's not her fault.

 

[max]

As female dogs get older, they can loose bladder control. Our last Golden did and they can be put on a medicine to control it.

 

[Joni_Lynn]

Doggie emotional problems?
Unhappy with being left alone?

 

[Uncle Larry]

I'd vote for a UTI....it could wait 'til Monday, but you'll be doing some clean up ....

She really can't help it and it won't do any good to scold her for her accidents...at times like this a good enzyme cleaner/stain remover and some pet odor remover Febreeze can be your best friend(s)...

Best of luck with her

 

[pred]

Bladder infection?
Kind of common in dogs as they age,,,,
If things go wonky, Take her to vet, Keep an eye on excessive panting, Unusual activity, And it may be a wise idea to take a urine sample the morning you go to the vet, That way they wont have to express the bladder....
Peter

 

[G-Mac]

pred,

OK, sorry for the dumb question...but...not sure I know how to get a urine sample from a dog.

Also, I just called the 24/7 emergency vet's...talked to a technician...they said keep an eye on her, since everything else seems OK...and call my regular vet Monday.

$95.00 just to walk in to the emergency clinic...

 

[Spotteddog]

Bladder infection would be my first guess-poor thing?
If she never whizzed from fireworks in the past, I'd look elsewhere.
Good Luck, please tell us what the vet says!

 

[G-Mac]

Going to a little get together at RobO's house in a little while for the 4th of July festivities. I know zercool and some others will be there too. When I get home (hopefully before my neighbors blow anything off), I'll see how she did. If there was another "accident", I may take her to the emergency vet tonight. Will definitely give an update if I do. Thanks.

 

[badguybuster]

I worked as a vet tech for quite a while. The vet will want a fresh urine sample when you take her in (within 2-3 hours). It needs to be refrigerated. Catch it in a bowl so no foreign matter gets in. UTI is likely BUT if she is having problems with the muscles, there is a pill called PROIN that works great.

 

[7tenz]

A light went on in my head when someone mentioned possible distant fireworks. My dogs get concerned from distant thunderstorms that I can barely hear if at all. I don't want you to stop here and say that must be it mind you, but do keep a close eye on her until you can get her to the vet Monday. If something gets worse, it may be the emergency room for pets.

 

[tom turner]

We had this happen years ago with our Cocker Spaniel. It wasn't like her to go in the house . . . she'd rather die than do this but suddenly she was peeing everywhere.

It turned out that she'd developed Diabetes. Make sure your vet rules this out. Yes, Diabetes in dogs can be treated . . . but like humans it can involve frequent sticks, testing and injections of insulin.

There are other things a vet can rule out, and your "best friend" is worth the trip to the vet to get her tested and treated.

Good luck, and I hope it turns out to be something quite minor!

T.

 

[Wickahoney]

Be concerned and DO NOT PUT OFF GETTING HER TO THE VET. We have lots of dogs but the house/truck dogs are female Draathars. They are very well mannered.

Over the years we have had three that had accidents in the house. All were terribly embarrassed and the urinating on the floor was highly unusual behavior.

We ended up losing two of the three. Hopefully it's just age and bladder control which is real easy, just way more potty breaks. If it's a urinary tract infection a run of antibiotics may just do it.

That's what the one that survived had.

Of the other two one had a large benign tumor pressing on her bladder but we had taken 3 days to get her into town and the vet and her condition had deteriorated and she died during surgery.

The other had cancer. They just sewed her up and we loved her a lot and she passed away within 2 weeks.

The vet and I discussed this and other stuff at length and basicaally came up with, dogs can't talk. So they can't tell you what's wrong and where they hurt. The only clues you get are changes in normal behavior and all of those proably have some underlying reason and it's time to get her in the truck and head for the vet.

THe waiting over the weekend to save afew bucks and use our normal vet cost us one of the best dogs we ever had and I still kick myself in the behind over it.

Watch her very very carefully and if there are any dramatic changes before Monday get her to the vet.

That being said only you can put a monitary value on your dog. So you get/have to make the decision. If it were one of my Draathars and it had happened twice basically out of a clear blue sky with no prior history and no real reason, the dog and I would be headed north in a Dodge truck at a high rate of speed headed to the ER Vet. But then that's just me.

RWT

 

[DeathGrip]

Well, How is she today?