Let’s Talk About: Helping Senior Aged LGDs
With Excess Urine Problems
My first five LGDs as youngsters: Pak, Pala, Petra, Peso and Pinta.
Both Petra and Peso have passed on in cancer - the rest three remain
at ten-plus years and still hanging on at my ranch with my sheep
and my other five LGDs (Spanish Mastiff and Pyrenean Mastiff.)
The time arrives when your old LGD is slowing down, moving stiffer, maybe sleeping much more, tired, off-edge, confused perhaps. Perhaps his ability to even cooperate and speak like he always did, now becomes more complex and confusing. The other step can be an older senior citizen dog beginning to pass much more urine than used to be. At that age, sometimes, he or she has to pee! As the old time dog sleeps suddenly you realize the dog is wet and peeing. Sometimes more and more! The floor, the carpet, the rugs – you name it! It can begin with the owner just lightly smelling urine, and goes down from there once the owner realizes the dog is deeply wet and soaked up on a daily basis.
Ask me about this. I know!
My Great Pyrenees has been great dogs. Peso and Petra have sadly passed on with ten years of age, with the sad loss of cancer. Their sister Pinta, has never been slammed with cancer, but she does have an issue. As she has become much thinner, needs to drink more water, and I see the clouding in her eyes. She still can run and watches the ranch, but she has begun urinating much more. I have kept her in the house every night for over the past two years due to her age and slowing down. She keeps inside with another female, Sally, a Pyrenean Mastiff, who thankfully, although plump and on the big size, does not have a urination issue. My own mother Edith before she died several years ago, had her own urination issues.
As for urinating, my Livestock Guardian Dog (LGD) Pinta has a large and increasing urination issue.
Pinta began lightly peeing inside the house at my ranch, with just nighttime. I could let her inside and she did fine by keeping herself dry. But now her urinations became more and more. Now, she pees several times day and night. If she is outside, there’s no problem. But if she is inside, inevitably, her urination comes.
Exactly a year ago myself in September 17, 2018, I had my own trouble: my sickness, confusion, ability to not speak clearly, exhaustion and more, boiled down into Multiple Sclerosis. So my dogs take on an even bigger task for me as I always keep an eye on them, watch them, know what is going on, and more. I know what happens. I have watched so many dogs die over years, that I am exceptionally careful and kind with them all. And taking care of older dogs as they get aged and tired and in this case with more urine, is why I keep my eye on them all the time. And, I find ideas how to help!
Pinta my Great Pyrenees, is now a very older and aging dog with her aging, lack of ability to run as much, and more. The urination has become a factor: what do I need to do? My own personal MS problem and lack of money to pay for expensive Vet to find out what can be done for her urination, makes it difficult if not possible for me.
The good news is however, I discovered something just a few weeks ago, that has at least helped my LGD much more. Here is my own “Must Do List” of older, senior and incontinent Livestock Guardian Dogs:
Using Dog Diapers: I have discovered the greatest diaper for LGDs. It's available on Chewy.com or you can find them on Amazon.com. The pictures will include Chewy.com for examples.
These kind can be used for stud male dogs as well as females. Cheap – and available to wash and dry in washing machine! The cloth keeps your dog from leaking in the bed, the couch, the rugs, and more. At least 80% or more of the water coming in your old dog, will still be saved by keeping a good, solid diaper. If ever needed, remove the diaper and put up a new one. The diaper is easy to use. Slide down the hold through the tail. Pull up the rear top and lay it down exactly on top of your female dog’s rump. Then reach over below, pull up the two tabs, and pull them up and tape each side. Don’t make it too tight or the dog will feel uncomfortable. The tail going through the diaper keeps your dog clean and safe.
I started with my first female three diapers of X Large. I had to add the largest size of XXL instead and they fit better and more comfortable. Pinta my Great Pyrenees uses wonderfully on XXL diapers!
The Big Male Dog Urination: The old timer boys need help, too. All the male needs is a wide, thick diaper to go over the bottom across his penis. . The males get by with a less diaper, which does not need a hole for the tail. The photos are shown below. The male diapers are in some ways easier to use with the female LGDs, and they can be larger if necessary on a gigantic LGD – for example my Spanish Mastiff who is 39 inches tall at his peak. You’d probably have to get two diapers to make it fit on a dog as giant as him!
Don’t laugh: my two 10 ½ year old – soon to be 11 next year – Anatolian x Maramma cross males, Pak and Pala, are growing much old too. They are not peeing – yet – but the time may come. I’ll be set then when I find out they need help in keeping their urines dry and safe, by using a male pad diaper. The "Alfie" brand is great stuff! ALWAYS can be sold from Chewy.com!
But check these out. It can save your life with constant urination in your older male dogs who need the help.
Going Inside The Truck: Check out the great dog basket in the back because it can help your dog inside the blanket and the basket while keeping it safe from constant urination.
Safety Big Towels A Must: Keeping some big towels can save the day. Pinta gets a large blanket of towels laying at the bed inside my study room. It keeps her dry and not so urinated. No problems in the sheets or mattress!
Constant Drinking: My Pinta is drinking much more water all the time. But I never stop that or try to curb it either, because it is important that the dog needs plenty of water. By keeping good buckets of water placed around different areas inside of my ranch house, means my other females who live I there also have plenty of fluid, too.
So what if it means the older dog has to pee more. It is better to let the dog urinate as much as she needs, than trying to make a dog stop!
Great Diaper “Poise” Pads: Must Have! Have any of you every use these before, or your grandmother or your mom or - or? Come on now, you can say yes! Well, great idea: having a “Poise” pad can save your day with your urinating older LGD! By carefully tabbing a pad against the dog’s diaper that you will place around her for the night, the pad will keep it even drier and less able to drip into the bed or floors. Check out the different sizes available to see what size is best to use on your LGD dog’s diaper. Pads are a life savor! Big places like Costco even sell huge boxes with them for an extremely reasonable price. Hey folks, men or women, you guys can use these for your needs, too!
Just always remember to keep the urinating problem LGDs with their own diapers and pads.
Finally, DOG FOOD!: Please don’t forget your LGDs need good dog food. I’m not taking a time here to go into different brands, the kind of stuff you can use, the this or that. But please don’t think that your urinating LGD should be held back from food. No, and never. In fact, I’ve been up-feeding special treats for Pinta as her urination goes on. By making sure she is eating well and enough, I go a special trip getting her what I know she will eat, and in time, this hopefully will help her weight bulk up as she’s been too thin for a long time.
Morning for her begins about six Pork Sausage Links by Falls Brand “old fashioned recipe” made from Twins Fall, Idaho (I have also heard the company lives in Manteca, California which is where I used to live as a child.) When the tasty links are cooked, I take a few of them and cut them up into a pan with some of the grease, oil and water mixed up with about two cups of my favorite dog food, Victor Dog Foods (my LGDs usually use Victor Professional brand or Victor High-Pro Plus brand.) This I do in hope that Pinta will slowly gain weight again, because she’s been too thin.
I have already hit her for wormer, too. My dearly loved and famous Great Pyrenees breeder, Tina Wells, also recommends using the Pyrantel Pamoate Suspension Pinworm Treatment. I have used this for more than ten years now and it truly does help my LGD breeds.
When the weather begins to be colder such as it does here in Nevada where I live, Pinta can stay outside to a degree, but then she wants back in when the cold is hitting, and the fire is on and crackling. She likes to get her diaper on with her pad, and hops up to the couch in front of the fire. It makes it better for her.
Evening time I usually give her more kibbles with pork. The other big treat for her are large thick chicken breasts, legs and thighs. Some fat hamburger, the cheap fat stuff usually sold by WalMart, also does great for all my LGDs when cold fall starts.
And let’s not remember the famous SATIN BALL! You have used it, right? Or no? If not, you MUST read this blog page as well and keep this as a “must have” for all of your LGD dogs, older or young. The Satin Ball food makes dogs do so great on them.
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So there you have it: for your older dogs who need help with urinating, please look into this information and take care of your old timers every way you can and must! It is so important for all of them!
