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Looking for advice - Renal Failure
My older dog was diagnosed with renal failure a few weeks ago. We have her on a special food and that seems to have helped her concentrate urine better and she has had fewer accidents.
However, she still has accidents. She is really old and a little senile. She used to sleep with us in the bedroom, but now she has to sleep in the kitchen with training pads because she doesn't even let us know if she has to go out, she just squats. She is actually squatting, so she knows she has to pee, but sometimes it's on the training pad, and sometimes on her bed.
I'm really frustrated, especially since my husband doesn't have the patience I do, so I end up doing everything, and trying to keep him from flipping out. I have a gallon of Nature's Miracle for the accidents, but I don't know that I am doing enough. I saw a bed online for incontinent dogs, but it was over $100. 
Does anyone have any words of wisdom? Thanks in advance
Re: Looking for advice - Renal Failure
I'm not looking to control peeing, but looking for advice on products, etc. that can help make it easier on the rest of us. I can't justify a $100 bed, but maybe a waterproof one? Or a waterproof cover? I don't even know if they make those, can't really find any on Google. I think I do need to buy diapers so if anyone has a recommendation on ones that fit well and wick the urine away so her skin doesn't get irritated, that would be great.
I'm also struggling with knowing when it's time to put her down. Sometimes she seems so happy still, but other times she just sleeps all day and doesn't want to get out of bed. She's still eating and drinking though so I hope she's not feeling that bad. I hope I know when it's time - I don't want to keep her around if she's so uncomfortable but I also I don't want to rush her just because she is a little more difficult to care for, you know? I was just wondering if anyone else had been through this and could offer advice, things that worked for them, etc.
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Nothing breeds faster than Crazy
I'm sorry about your dog. Ours was just diagnosed with kidney disease, too.
I use waterproof mattress pads made for baby cribs on our dog beds. We have foam beds with removable covers. I wrap a mattress pad around the foam and then put the cover over it. We still have to wash the cover and the mattress pad but at least it doesn't soak through to the bed itself or the floor.
Another option, if you're a sewer or know one, would be to make a cover out of a waterproof fabric like PUL, oil cloth or a vinyl fabric. http://www.fabric.com/home-decor-fabric-vinyl-fabric.aspx?Source=LeftNav
Tired after a long morning of hiking and swimming.
Thanks to both of you! Baby mattress pad is a great idea I hadn't thought of.
I don't even know what she enjoys anymore other than sleeping in her bed, but she seems happy at least 75% of the time. She used to love a lot of things, and then she went blind at about 9 years of age, and deaf sometime in the last couple of years. She responds positively to touch so I try to pet her often, but she spends most of her day sleeping. She used to love to hike, but when her sight went, we had to just go for walks. Now her hips are so bad that she can't walk more than a few minutes. We took her out to the dog lake in town and let her wander around, and then that night her hips were giving out so I think it was just too much for her. Gee, she sounds like a mess, doesn't she! I guess she loves her bed the most, which is why her peeing on it is such a big deal for me.
I guess in my mind I think that if she can no longer get up on her own or she stops eating, it might be time. I don't know that I want to force feed her.
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Nothing breeds faster than Crazy
Have you talked to the vet about Proin? I'm not sure if it can be used in dogs with renal failure....
We have also used belly bands with success, although you have to be careful to change them frequently b.c. of risk of infection. And they're uncomfortable for the dog when wet.
We made the decision to put our cat down when she was clearly uncomfortable and in pain the majority of the time. There was very little she enjoyed and most of her day was spent feeling uncomfortable. It was a really, really hard decision and I second guessed it a lot before I made it, but looking back I'm glad we chose to let her go when we did.
This is true. If she was dribbling urine, proin could help, but the biggest issue is that her kidneys aren't concentrating urine, so she drinks a lot and pees a lot. She knows she is peeing most of the time, she just can't help it.
In case there are any other renal failure pup moms out there, they apparently make washable bed pads for people and they are pretty cheap - about $10 each give or take, depending on the size.
I can completely appreciate the redneck trash bag idea! But alas, my spoiled dog has a bed bigger than most trash bags. I know because I tried LOL
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Nothing breeds faster than Crazy