Amazing Kegelmaster

7 Responses

1. Snickers

   2010 Feb 10 1

   He is 12 years old, getting a bit incontinent, happens to people too and has nothing to do with being lazy.
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2. carolyn

   2010 Feb 10 2

   Not lazy. He may be in pain and not want to walk outside. Many older dogs have arethritis. It’s a condition that people get also and your joints hurt from it. So you can treat that, ask your vet about pills for it (ps. Dogs can’t have tylenol!) Back to the urinary incontinence, yes it’s a real problem also more common in older dogs too. Older dogs are like people as I said. As they age, there will be more problems but if you manage them early on it’s easier on everyone. There are ways to manage incontienence. You can get doggie diapers but remember they must be changed often to prevent urine and skin infections. Or you can confine your dog to the kitchen when you aren’t around to supervise him and keep the floor covered with newspaper. Incontinence not only means the dog can’t hold it but also means they may not even be aware when they do let go.
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3. cjrossi

   2010 Feb 10 3

   So what you are really asking is: "Is it OK to disregard a vet’s diagnosis, backed up by a laboratory test, and make my own diagnosis of ‘laziness’?"

   Neh.
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4. WyrDachsie

   2010 Feb 10 4

   Urinary incotinence is health related. It is not because the dog is "lazy". That’s simply ridiculous. He can have diabeties, thyroid issues, kidney stones etc.

   Take the dog to the vet and find out what’s going.
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5. BMTHESPIAN

   2010 Feb 10 5

   I’m guessing they said is specific gravity was low. That can be a sign of renal (kidney) problems. Request blood work be done to check is kidney function (specifically a BUN). Renal failure can cause incontinence as they tend to drink more water and produce more urine. Male dogs can also suffer from hormone incontinence just like females can it is just less common so if he is neutered and all other problems are ruled out that may be the problem. Hormone incontinence can typically be resolved or at least improved with Proin.
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6. Lisa

   2010 Feb 10 6

   If he’s a twelve year old boxer/shepherd mix, then he’s probably at the end of his life right now. When animals are that far along in life, I’m pretty sure it’s normal for them to lose control of their bladder.
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7. ScottieDog

   2010 Feb 10 7

   BMThespian gave great information. You need to have bloodwork done. I lost a dog to kidney failure and it came on fast and it killed fast. BUN and Creatinine are the kidney values to examine with the bloodwork.

   Another thing that rings a bell for me is Cushing’s Disease. Bloodwork shows an elevated Alkaline Phosphatase level. This is a condition caused by over production of cortisol and typically caused by a tumor (can be malignant or benign) on either the pituitary or adrenal gland. Dogs with Cushing’s are typically elderly, drink (and may eat) excessively, have a potbellied appearance, poor and thinning hair-coat, seek out cool places to rest, and urinate frequently (due to the excessive drinking). If you haven’t had bloodwork done, please consider it.

   A low specific gravity of the urine means that there is something going on in the body that doesn’t allow the urine to concentrate. There are many causes, but kidney problems are very high on the list.

   I’ll include a link that addresses polydipsia (excessive drinking) and polyurea (excessive urination). It is authored by a vet and will give you some good information to start your research and list of questions for your vet. I really don’t think your dog is being lazy–he is older and can’t help it.

   Add: here is a great site with information on Cushing’s Disease. The person who put up the information had a boxer and shows photos of how her dog looked. You may find it of interest as well since you have a boxer mix: http://www.kateconnick.com/library/cushingsdisease.html
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   Please look at this link for more information:
   http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=52691