Weak bladder

[Kenneth]

My ten month puppy has been diagnosed with weak bladder he urinates without realising also in his crate at night is there anything to put in with him so his bedding isn’t wet in the morning  thanks

[Adrienne]

Hi Kenneth, 

Welcome back!

By "Weak bladder" I assume your vet means weak urethral sphincter? Were any meds prescribed? Was a urinary tract infection or prostatitis excluded? Poor baby, he is so young! I hope your vet finds a treatment option.

I am thinking to absorb his pee, there can be various options (check with your vet on these).:

-Using potty pads on his bedding. These should absorb to a good extent the urine so he isn't sitting in it by morning. 

-Ask your vet if it would be OK to limit water starting 2 hours before bed time. This way, there is less urine in his bladder overnight =less mess.

-Belly bands for male dogs. Make sure to treat as cloth diapers, change and wash them frequently. 

-You can try some of those grids you can put on the crate where your dog sleeps on it and the pee falls down, but you'll need to be careful with your pups feet size. I have heard that some get their feet stuck which can be scary. I think Midwest makes some sort of grid that keeps a dog elevated so that pee falls down. 

[Kenneth]

Yes  he has had a blood test also x rays nothing bad but the vet is going to give him medication I have looked at body bands it’s bad in the morning need to rinse him down would the body bands help with this. Thanks 

[Kenneth]

I forgot to mention he doesn’t drink much water I have to make him have a drink now and again 

[Adrienne]

Oh, good! The medications should help reduce the peeing. Hopefully enough for you not to have to clean up too many messes. 

The body bands, I guess you are referring to the belly bands I have listed? 

If so, yes, belly bands can help with that, but you need to make sure that it is wide enough and secure enough to stay in place. Also, it would help to use a heavy-duty human incontinence pad (like overnight Poise pads or Tena pads) inside that are thick enough to absorb all of the urine. 

You would need to measure your pup's waist , right around the tummy area where the band will go, as your pup is standing to make sure you get the right size.

If you have any specific questions, they are very responsive on their Facebook page.  I was just in touch with them to ask about their sizing options for puppies of your pups' age.

Here is their website: https://www.bellybands.net/

Keep me posted on how things go!

Best,

Adrienne 

[Kenneth]

Thanks so much I’ll try the belly bands 

[Adrienne]

You're very welcome!

Keep me posted. 

Best,

Adrienne