So Storm turned twelve on June 21st 2013 (yeah I have no idea why I wrote that she was twelve last year because she wasn't lol). I feel bad for not posting about it. So Happy Belated Birthday Storm!
I'll give you an update since it's been a while. In the past year or so Storm has had a little trouble holding her bladder, which isn't unusual for an older dog. At first I didn't think anything of it because it happened so rarely, but since moving she has developed full blown incontinence where she leaks when she stands up suddenly and also in her sleep. I'm going to take her in to get checked for UTIs or anything like that, but my guess is that it's incontinence from being spayed young (I had her spayed at ten weeks old because back then I didn't know it was better to wait for their bodies to develop more).
So I've been researching incontinence and I'm definitely NOT putting her on Proin no matter what the vet says. There have been too many dogs that have died of stroke and kidney failure. Not to mention the human equivalent of the drug was taken off of the market because of stroke risks!! The other drug that is mentioned a lot is a hormone drug called Diethylstilbesterol or Des for short. It was taken off the market for humans due to a risk of birth defects, but with a spayed dog that shouldn't be a problem. So my question is have any of you ever used Des? Is it dangerous? If I decide the medications are too risky (and also for a temporary solution until we get her to the vet) I'm going to use diapers on her.... not gonna be fun lol. So anyone with canine incontinence experience I would love to hear from you since this is my first time dealing with it.
Other than the incontinence she is doing well. She is definitely slowly losing her eyesight and hearing, but that's to be expected with her age and her chronic dry eye. She seems to be getting stiff in her hips which makes me sad. Any sign of aging makes me sad because I don't want to admit she's getting old lol. We're sticking to walking right now (instead of biking) to take it easy on her hips. I wish there was a place she could swim besides the yucky pond lol. So that's my update on the old girl. I'll update again after I talk to the vet. :)
They do make panties for female dogs to help catch the accidents. You just put pads in - not 100% effective but it does work. Give her hugs from us.
ReplyDeleteSam
Happy belated birthday Storm!
ReplyDeleteI know a few dogs with that issue and they've all been on Proin without issue. I wish you luck in dealing with it!
Getting old isn't fun no matter what species you are. Looking forward to hearing what the vet has to say, doggie diapers aren't that bad really.
ReplyDeleteI've had females on DES or Proin without any problems. Having said that, there ARE risks.
ReplyDeleteBoth Stormy and Ammy developed spay incontinence. I used this for them: http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/products/Kemin-Resources-Incontinence-Formula/152008.aspx
It's all-natural, with no known side effects. Stormy was in a study for it at KSU, as they tested its effectiveness. It worked GREAT for both of them and for a friend's girl (do you remember Princess Brynne from Sibernet?). If you find out Storm is most likely spay incontinent and want to try this product, let me know. It doesn't work for everyone and there is some "front loading" involved, but as I said, it was great for both of my girls!
KZK
Thank you for the info guys! I've ordered her some dog underwear because human diapers didn't work. I'll update when they come in.
ReplyDeleteKZK thank you for the info! I'll email you when I'm ready for more info on the dosage. :)
Our Raja was on hormone replacement, but I am not sure what kind. It helped her a lot.
ReplyDeleteRegarding concerns about health issues, I will say the following (and I hope it doesn't sound harsh). Mango, at the age of six, went on some medication that had a side effect of possible liver damage. Here's the thing. Mango, at six, was already an old dog and so what we reasoned out with the vet is that by the time the drugs would have any effect on his liver, well...
On the other hand, if she doesn't seem bothered and you aren't bothered either, then you can just keep her clean. Raja had waterproof liners on all her beds and we put down old carpet.
Mango Momma
MM, I don't find that harsh at all, especially considering what you went through. I feel the exact same way you do. I always research any medication I put them on and weigh the pros and cons. For something that isn't life threatening like incontinence I'm not going to put her on a medication like Proin that has a risk of stroke, but I am considering the Des because it's only side effects that I can find are birth defects, which doesn't matter since she is spayed. I still want to discuss it with the vet before I decide though, just in case there is something I have missed in my research. Thank you for commenting. :D
ReplyDelete