My eldest girly is almost 12. We've noticed for a while now that she's getting slower & she has trouble getting around. She doesn't eat much, in fact yesterday she didn't eat at all. Out vet says it's to be expected at her age, he's done bloods etc, but says we have to put it down to old age. She's almost deaf too. Thing is....she's now incontinent :( I come down in the mornings & she's laying in her own wee. She refuses to go in her bed & is usually laying on the floor near the front door. Good thing we have laminate flooring! This girl has been part of our family since she was 8 weeks old & I know the inevitable will come sooner or later, but I want her to have some dignity in her old age. What can I do about this incontinence problem? Any help appreciated xx LG

Thick wads of newspaper covered by vet bed in her favourite resting places will keep her dry.  Carefully clean her with baby wipes after accidents and perhaps use some Vaseline if she is getting urine scald on the inner legs rear.

Depending on type of coat i would perhaps shorten it on the ares you will most often need to clean up.

Unless your laminate has been glued and sealed the urine will get under it, so is there an area you can leave her in when not supervised that is tiled?

Know the feeling my boy who was 12 yesterday has gone really downhill, but unlike yours he still loves his food and his eyes brighten when he sees a ball or decides to pinch my trainer.  Looking at him physically he looks awful but mentally he is still really strong and still seems to be enjoying his life.

Vet bed is great. It can be quite wet underneath but the top stays dry.

Agree about the laminate. We had some water spilt on ours. We mopped up etc but it must have got under because its lifted slightly.

A raised bed, with vetbed on top would keep her dry (http://www.nutrecare.co.uk/prod5.asp?prod_id=3237&id=185&grpid=3237&msg=&offset=) assuming she'd use it. And I agree with the others, a tiled area would be better than laminate for moping up purposes. I lived with an incontinent Dobermann for years (she lived to nearly 14) and know what a nightmare it can be for both dog and owner.

Thank you!! I'm going to have to let her sleep in the kitchen or utility room. That's the only place that's tiled. I'll do the newspapers & vet bedding. I have a mountain of newspapers I saved for my other girls whelping, but as she's having a phantom I can now use the papers :) Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I already have non perfumed baby wipes, so that's a good suggestion too. I'm sure she'll be alot more comfortable :) xx

Update...she now has a Dire Rear! Plz excuse the pun, it's in very bad taste :( Just took me an hour & a half to get her cleaned up. She's drinking ok & has gone out for a wee, but I'm not sure whether to feed her today. Is there anything light I can give her? Would scrambled eggs be ok? xx LG

I have found cheap white fish and pudding rice best.

Sorry to hear about your baby.  I have an old girl also, a goldie she's 13 and very wobbly on her legs.  i bless every day i have her in fairly good health.

My friend was able to get something from the vets for incontinence that you sprinkled on the food, that had helped loads.  Might give her something along with the vet bed (which i know how they work now).  Dorwest mixed veg tabs say they help.  I'm going to try them as my girl is often dribbling down herself  when she's on her way to her patch.

I sympathise with cleaning up.  Recently kept being constantly wet and very smelly, i couldn't keep u with it or bathing her.  The house stunk where she had been sitting and three new rugs later its stopped.  i used talc a lot to try and dry her.  I either had to make her endure a trip up the stairs or try and rinse her in a bowl of soapy water (which didn't work).

i got rid of the smell in the house with bio washing powder (found the tip on here) and tried it in the house on wood flooring with no ill effects.

Has she been tested for a water infection.  My girl gets them when she comes in season now due to her age and not being able to get down.  Hope it helps.

please do have a chat with the vet about the incontinence.
there are a couple of easy to admisnister (drops on food) drugs that work for a lot of older bitches. one is propralin other is incurine. they are not horribly expensive either.  don't work on all but well worth trialling to see if they will help her.

>drops on food) drugs that work for a lot of older bitches. one is propralin other is incurine

The types of drops are Propalin and Urilin. Incurin is in tablet form, and kept my old girl dry for the last 3 years of her life.

I recently took my 14 1/2 year old girl to the vet for her annual check up.  She is also obviously showing her age now and is ocasionally incontinent (faeces)  On speaking to the vet he said there was more that could be done for urinary incontinence, so pop her to the vet and I'm sure they'll be able to help her.

Help please - any experiences on how you know when the time to let them go is.  I have come down this morning and she has soiled herself where she's been sleeping, when she has had problems previously it's when she's got up and not quite made it outside.  She's eating well and although has a bit of difficulty in getting up sometimes, appears to be happy.  On Metacam and Glucosamine and recently gone on to Tramadol - although seen no difference as yet with that.

> Help please - any experiences on how you know when the time to let them go is.

In my experience they tell you when they've had enough. The last couple of times I've had to pts, they had both been bad during the night and I just knew it was time. Heidi (nearly 14) spent most of the night groaning, something she had never done before, although she did eat her breakfast. She was incontinent, her back legs were going and she was loosing weight. I called the vet out to see what he thought and he agreed the time was right.

With Charlie (17+) he was still active, although his back end was a bit weak, and he had a retching cough from time to time, but he woke me during the night with really bad retching, coughing and being sick and although this went on most of the night after the first bout I knew it was time. I called the vet at 6 am and took him in - he had an x-ray which showed a massive internal growth, and although an op. may have been possible I couldn't put him through it at his age.

I think a lot of the time it's almost like a sixth sense. Before it gets to the stage where there is no quality of life, too much pain and no dignity, that is the time to let them go.

Good morning & thanks for all your replies. We had a good night, well she did, I didn't....I was still awake when dawn broke. Lots better this morning...wet but not dirty. She seems a lot happier in herself today. I'll find out about the incontinence meds. My vet knows about all her little troubles, I wonder why he didn't mention it at our last visit. Thanks again xx

Thanks for this Pedlee - some days she does look at me with very tired eyes, but on others she looks relatively bright.  She is quite stiff but doesn't appear to be in pain - although I know they mask it very well.  I suppose it is a question of monitoring her and when we get more bad days than good and for longer periods of bad days - we should consider giving her peace.

Help please - any experiences on how you know when the time to let them go is.
When in all honesty you know you are keeping them going for you and not for them. When in your heart you know they have no quality of life then you must put their needs over yours, even though the thought of not having them is unbearable, just look at them and think ' are you enjoying life' if not then that is the awful time to give them peace.

> In my experience they tell you when they've had enough. The last couple of times I've had to pts, they had both been bad during the night and I just knew it was time

I agree totally.... That look is unmistakable.

'On Metacam and Glucosamine and recently gone on to Tramadol - although seen no difference as yet with that. '

i never had any luck on matacalm, in fact she improved more when i took her off them.  I know i'll get a rebuff but I give her baby ibrprophen, it doesn't have the ingredient in and i did the joint care sticks which worked well.  However she has worsened so changed again with great success.  Tried the Yumega tab for arthritic dogs and its worked a treat.  She is able to get to toilet and going on walks better.  She does better on the park over the pavement.  She's been dry since.  i started her on the last month.

As knowing when to let go, i agree you know.  i monitor my girl daily if she's off colour, so far so good.  i know i would have to do it for her and keep her for me as heartbreaking as it is.  We thought her time had come year but she perked back up.

i hope ur girl carries on improving.

believe me,youl know!having had several much loved dogs put to sleep-,there always  comes a point-and im sure others will back me up on this-when you know its time........Ive got an old lady whos increasingly struggling in her day to day life-shes 14 and a half and cant have much longer,it breaks your heart.but believe me,therel come a time when youl look at her,and think"youve had enough"God give you courage to do whats right when the time comes.Me too.

> In my experience they tell you when they've had enough.

So true, and nobody but you can know when that time is.  Years ago, when I had an oldie ill, I asked the vet how long?  He just told me that I would know.

In over 40 years with dogs, I've never had one go quietly in their sleep.  I have always had to "love them enough."  It's the hardest thing in the world.  Yet the easiest.  Because they let you know.

Last June I had to make the decision for my eldest, just 12 weeks short of her 17th birthday.  Having a dog that long, it's difficult to let go.  But Misty told me, just by looking at me.

Inconsolable afterwards, the vet said "Jean, the pain is yours."  And he was so right, as Misty was no longer in pain. 

I feel for you with this one I hope you get the courage to also know how kind you will be when you save your beloved from any further pain and toil, its the final gift we can give.

You just sort of know when its time, when leo was ill, while he still wagged when you were there and when he was still excited by food i would pay whatever to keep him going - but when he refused to eat and just lay there i knew it was time - even before the vet.... i spent all the previous night crying before i took him to the new vet who hoped it was something else - when they did the blood test and told me and apologised for dropping a bomb shell on me i replied with "its not a bomb shell i knew this was going to happen today"