[Pedwardine]

Ella is a rescue dog who's been with us for eight years now. She started life with us as a rather nervous, clingy girl. She'd have acccidents if we were out for more than a short duration and always had accidents at night. Over the years she became more sure of her place, safely with us and was a clean girl. Now she's getting older, she's less inclined to go out much though most days we'll get her walking around our six acre field with us. She's got a bit rolypoly with her lack of exercise although she eats a slightly leaner meal than our other dogs as they expend more energy. I stay up until 10pm at the earliest, chuck the dogs out for their last ablutions watching over Ella to make sure she at least pees. I know when she needs a poo as she farts ALOT in the lead up to it. At night, EVERY night around 3-5am I get woken by Ella barking. Now this used to mean "I need to go NOW". I'd get up as quick as I could and we'd make it. Just. Now she barks WHEN she's done the deed. Trouble is if she pees, so does at least one other (we have five dogs). This morning I came down to three pees and a poo at 5am having woken with the barking just minutes earlier. Just felt like crying. I'm getting so fed up with not having a full night's sleep. Did the usual mopping up, this time with three dog beds to strip and wash. I try not to be too angry with her as I know she can't help it. Is there anything I can try? Been looking on the net for incontinence products but it's not that she leaks involuntarily as such, just has no notice herself when it's wee time. I saw a mat kind of thing which you put newspaper within then close over with a grid that the dog can pee through but poo will sit on top. How on earth do I stop all the others from using such a device though? I think puppy pads aren't suited to the problem either. What I really want to do is contain her inevitable mess alone without her getting distressed over it. Would it help her functions do you think if I tried to get her exercising more? She's always had a round tummy (looks like she's been crossed with a donkey with her big belly and big ears!) but she would stay in all day and do nothing if we let her. She did use to play with a ball or stick once but other faster dogs in the family take the toy before she gets to it and she gives up. I haven't a huge amount of time for one to one. Spread pretty thin at the moment but could manage say 20 mins-half hour a day.

[doganjo]

Ok - how often does she poo in a day - once twice, three times?  Try to check- she may have a bowel problem.

Make her last feed earlier and earlier till you get her pooing last thing as well as peeing.  If she is barking she knows what she's done - you can't give her a row for that if she can't help it.  But - it might have become a habit for attention.  The others will be marking hers.

Don't leave water for them at night, and that last pee, make sure they all do a good long one if you can - not just marking.

Hope that helps

[Old Shep]

I feel for you!


I have a leaky old rescue too, but she lives outside in a heated stable, which I can scrub out easily. 


Some suggestions (most of which I'm sure you have tried)


Alter feeding times
Alter type of food (obv don't know what you feed but meat based rather than cereal based maybe better)
Can you put her on a lead and walk her at 10pm until she poos?
Crate her with a waterproof mattress with an incontinence pad on top
Yes exercise will help peeing incontinence as it strengthens muscles
Losing weight will also help
CSJ Hold it herbs can help some dogs
Vets may give her something for the peeing.


Good luck

[happygolucky]

Not sure of the set up in where she sleeps but could she be marking her territory as she now feels more vulnerable? Years ago I had a Lab who would bark at our other dog and wee in her bed, she also often pooed but it was on a utility room floor!
Also, is her food too rich for her? Our dogs only fart if I give them extra stuff other than their normal food, this could irritate her bowel, things change with age and she could be finding it harder to tolerate her food possibly due to an underlying condition! I bet you are tiered, I hate broken sleep, a while ago one of ours sometimes barked in the night but they can get out to the toilet so they actually wanted ME!!  It could be a combination of behaviour due to her not feeling 100% and food that's too rich! A full bowel will make her wee more!! 

[AnnS]

Got a similar problem here with my Ellie, she'll bark to go out if she needs but wakes up the other four who all get up. I'm giving her leak no more homeopathic drops which do help. In the summer I left the back door open a few times but too cold now.


Can you keep your Ella seperate from the others?  It's really hard when they get older.


AnnS

[shygirl]

my dogs dont really fart - only when i fed a certain brand, which i cant remember what is was called, they loved it but drank and noisily farted alot after.
one of my dogs has occassional incontinence after spaying, and my boys dogs mark - so they all sleep in the conservatory which has a tiled floor. maybe changing the sleeping arrangements would make life easier for you.
changing food to a better quality food like burns might help as they is less poop to come out. not cheap though.

my dogs bark every night but im sure its foxes or something they can hear.

how old is ella?

[Mammyshaz]

I would get her checked by a vet. Take a urine sample with you. There could be a medical reason for the problem. If this is ruled out then you can consider behaviour modification.

[Alistair]

Agree with doganjo, I'd be altering feed times, I'd also try getting her to run for 10mins in the evening, exercise usually gets the digestive system working which may speed up the process

[Pedwardine]

She's at least eleven. Two and a half years in rescue kennels, rescued from abandonment in a squat, rehomed and returned to the kennels twice before coming to us. She's always very vocal when it's feeding time and very talented at catching a thrown treat both of which make us wonder if the dogs in the squat were very competitive over food (also spins around three time before sitting down for her bowl    ) The farting is just the pre-pooing sort as she'll leave it 'til the absolute last to go out as she just doesn't want to go out much. She'd much rather be inside or where she can keep an eye on us.
Honestly can't afford anything like Burns or Wellbeloved. The dogs get a mix of wet and dry food. I also do a cook up for them fairly regularly. At the moment it's hare (I've a good butcher friend who gives me his clear-outs. Hare has been the fiddliest so far!) with rice, pasta, carrots and peas in a gravy. Ella always has more of the wet than she does the dry. She eats too quickly so I've been giving a small, just biscuits, meal at 7-8 in the morning and the main meal around 4:30 in the afternoon to aid all the dogs in savouring their food more and letting them digest it. She has chucked hers up a few times of late which I put down to her eating a new brand (I did introduce gradually before you ask) at her speedy rate.
As I write I am thinking 'vets'. Have to endure her being sick both ways though as she hates travel. She is an easily stressed girl, always worries that she's in trouble if you're telling another off (Have five dogs) but I really thought she had settled over the years. Have to accept that she's also quite an old girl now so problems will come with her age I guess. I could try separating her but would have to leave one of the others with her as she'd stress out on her own.
I had thought about taking the water bowl away but had always thought dogs needed access to water at all times. I think I'll get barking for a water bowl but I'll try it tonight.
Same here AnnS. All ours want to go out when Ella goes out. Now they all expect a piddle outing at stupid o'clock in the morning. Tried just Ella but the rest all howl and bark inside which would only wake up OH too and then we'd both be useless for work in the morning.

[happygolucky]

I was thinking she could not feel comfortable going for a poo with the others around as that's when they are more vulnerable....I know ours run away from the pup when they want to go and often face a tree or something, I suppose the reason for her wind is eating so quickly.......She does sound anxious, possibly more so than normal...I have forgotten what breed or mix of breeds as greyhound type breeds are often more windy and also get cold so will moan!!  Good luck and I suppose keep trying!! 

[Pedwardine]

Haven't a clue what mix Ella is. There's definately some German Shepherd in there but goodness knows what else. This is her (with Saffie in the background-the one who won't eat and runs off looking for me if I go away! Rescue dogs. Gotta love 'em) helping me to sort fleeces...

[happygolucky]

arhhhhhhh, who knows? we have sacks like that for logs !! My eldest had her rescue dog DNA'd 

[shygirl]

i saw dog dna testing on telly the other day - the cockerpoo was infact a springerpoo - the owner looked mortified but it did make me chuckle.
could you imagine a jeremy kyle show for all the designer mongrels 

[doganjo]

Two of mine get colic so they are fed from a raised bowl.  If she eats too fast that can cause bowel problems too - try her bowl on a couple of bricks, on top of a damp tea towel to stop it slipping.

[Old Shep]

what's her eyesight like?  My 9 yr old won't go out after dark unless I accompany her because she can't see too well.  Just wondered if Ella comes back before she's finished all her "jobs" because she's not seeing too well in the dark?