Leon peeled out onto the street. In the rearview mirror, Cornelius’ BMW glided out of the parking lot. We’d likely lose him before long. Cornelius’ top driving speed usually stayed four miles over the posted limit. The MII was roughly thirty minutes away but knowing Leon we would get there much faster if the traffic let us.
“Call Bern.”
Bern answered on the second ring, his voice coming from Hammer’s speakers as the phone synced with the car’s control panel.
“I was just attacked by some magical monsters. So was Linus.”
“Was he with you?”
“No. He was at his mansion. Lock us down, please.”
“Done. Do you need help?”
“No. Is everything okay there?”
“Everything is fine.”
“I’m fine too, Bern!” Leon yelled.
“That’s debatable,” his older brother said.
personal tmi rant
I’m exhausted. I couldn’t fall asleep last night for a while, and then around five in the morning, Delilah the Doberman had another accident. My dog is almost 13. She can no longer sleep through the night. She pees like a horse and the stench is awful enough to wake you up from sleep. Her blood work is green across the board, except for her thyroid, but she’s been on medication for it forever. Hormone therapy failed. We are trying different medications with our vet, but she’s not responding to anything. Dobermans are prone to age-related incontinence. She won’t wear a doggie diaper. Crate is out, using it just means I will have to wash the crate and the dog. We’ve moved to puppy pads. I just have to somehow find a size large enough and hope she will pee on them.
My life is dog pee.
I tried setting the alarm to let her out in the middle of the night. Sometimes she pees outside, sometimes she just wanders around for fifteen minutes and then pees in the house later. She seems to have forgotten most of her training and no longer pees on command. I’m one of those weird people that requires uninterrupted sleep. I do much better with 6 hours vs two 4 hour chunks, and we have a hard deadline that’s fast approaching so I need to be clear-headed. When I don’t get enough sleep, I get extremely angry, which I contain because I’m an adult. Hilariously, this is genetic. Waking up Kid 2 during her teenager years was like courting death.
I had to cancel gym today and it’s 11:37, and we’ve written nothing. Someone had turned my brain into cotton while I slept and now I would really like to find whoever that someone is and hit him in the face repeatedly. I’ve had two cups of tea – at заварка strength where it looks like coffee, and it’s done nothing. Oy.
I’m functioning on pure will right now and trying to vent, so please do me a huge favor and don’t offer helpful suggestions in the comments unless you are actually a vet. We have a wonderful vet, and we are experienced dog owners, and I have already looked at whatever you just found on google. 🙂 Sympathy comments are very welcome. Somebody feel sorry for me.
All my love, strength, and energy to you guys in your time of need😘🤗 you will triumph!!!
I am so sorry! Disrupted sleep is the worst! I know nothing about dogs, but my daughter is neurologically not normal and just started sleeping through the night at 9 years old. I am so sorry, and you are right that contiguous sleep is better than more sleep!!!
My youngest wakes me up at 5am to walk him to the bathroom. I completely sympathies. I would give my kingdom for uninterrupted night of sleep
Thank you for the snippet and much love and sympathy. I’m also one of those people who really needs uninterrupted sleep. Both my brother and my son are also murderous when awakened, so I sympathize on that side as well.
Thank you for sending a snippet out into the ether even though you are feeling crappy.
I feel your middle of the night wake up pain. My own dog woke me up last night signaling to go out…then she pulled a fast one and ran to sleep in the office chair. Brat.
Dog tax attached. 😊
Pretty girl!
Big hug!
That’s a lot to deal with. It sucks. I wish that I could make it better! Whether I’m having a bad day because I’m angry or life just seems extraordinarily unfair.
This makes me laugh: https://youtu.be/kwD9WeRxVCY
I hope that your day gets better!
Ahahahahahaha! I love it!
Believe it or not this song was written by a minister for his daughter after she had had a bad week. I remember hearing the full story in YouTube video by Ze Frank, quite a few years ago. It still makes me smile! thank you for reminding me of it.
That is perfect! Thank you. I’ll probably need this sometime today…
Thanks so much for taking time out of your difficult day to send us a little treat to brighten up ours! Sorry to hear that you didn’t have a good rest last night, and best wishes for a better sleep tonight.
I feel for you I have no ideas for your poor dobie’s problem. My youngest has a mastif/great dane mix and she is having similar problems due to the steroids he is on for a cough. Big dos pee a lake and nothing less
I totally sympathize and I feel really sorry for you! Nothing is worse than sleep deprivation for whatever reason and when it’s a pet you love who can’t help what they are doing and you are all trying your best and it still doesn’t work it seems it’s armageddon time. Things will get better. Somehow, somewhen. Have hope. Try to get through this.
You have my sympathy. It is the worst feeling in the world to have someone you love need help when you are trying everything already. Thank you for the snippet and know that you and your whole family are receiving good wishes from me and the rest of the Horde. Blessings to you and everyone.
Hugs. It’s so hard when the fur babies get old. We love them to pieces and would do anything to keep them happy and healthy, but that doesn’t stop the frustration with the age related problems. I’m right there with you on the exhaustion, that’s why I’m here instead of working on my own projects. 😀
Hugs and thanks for the snippet.
Ack! You do have my sympathy—pet peeing issues are awful because you can’t really get angry at them since they can’t help it but you just probably just want to blow something up. I think my aunt put pee pads on the floor of a whole room and then put a child gate at the door to that room; I have no idea if it helped but if kept nosy relatives out completely. 😉
Hope you get some sleep!
Ohhh , I feel for you. I have a 12 year old brown tabby , Figaro, fig. Last year, he decided to sometimes pee next to his litter box. It’s in the bathroom, so I am lucky, he pees on the tile.
He does poop in his box.
I am home today, and he is sitting on my lap, purring.
My vet said, when cats get older they sometimes do that. And over the weekend,I was petting him, as he was sitting on my lap and he turned his head and bit my hand hard. Drew blood.
Figaro was my support when my mom was sick with cancer and passed away. He stayed with me, even when he got wet from my tears.
But , when he gets cranky, he bites, hard.
There are some days when it’s almost impossible to get anything done. Don’t be so hard on yourself. You are a professional and you will make your deadline.
My mother got up early every day at5:30. I remember when I was a teenager and I battled with her to get 10 more minutes of sleep. Every day.
I need 6-7 hrs sleep to function well. She needed less.
Bottom line. Take care of yourself. I hope you find a solution for Delilah .
I’m sorry. Brain fog days are sucky. Solidarity (but here, fog is courtesy of sick kid wakeups, one of them a baby so she woke up a lot). I hope you get proper sleep soon!
Thank you for sharing.❤️ NOT TMI, just what you’re dealing with 👵🏻. SO SORRY to hear about doggie woes . Pets are family and SO DIFFICULT to see them (children too) not doing well. 😳 Sleep interruptions just multiplies the stress ☹️. Sending you and your family many prayers, blessings, and warm hugs. 🙏🏻 🌈. Take whatever time you need to cope with all the turmoil. Thank you too for snippet. 😺🦋. Please take care of yourselves 🌷
Yikes! I am so sorry for doggie troubles. We love our pets so much, but sometimes we can’t do much to help them and that makes me completely nuts.
I am also a walking angry zombie when I don’t get enough sleep.
Love and lots of prayers.
So very sorry. No suggestions, just sympathy and empathy. Went through that with my elderly sheltie years ago. We kept her in the kitchen every night (linoleum floor covered with newspapers) and every morning we got up and cleared out the soiled papers, scrubbed down the floor, keeping her comfortable and feeding her the vet prescribed kidney and then uremic diet. It is the heartbreak of loving a dog, that they age at such an accelerated pace, especially the larger breeds. All we can do is give them the best quality of life we can in repayment of the love and devotion they give us.
Anne in Virginia
I sleep like a dead person, but hubby can be pushed out of bed by a little kitty or small (15 pound) dog or generally be counted not to THRASHES ABOUT like Da Momma if someone wants her for something once she goes to sleep, so Answers The Call Of The Fur person most any dark hour, when mom isn’t awake on purpose! Pity the poor man, who doesn’t sleep Enough as it is, won’t take a nap, hardly ever, unless he Thinks it to be. Tack down a sheet over a Tarp, may be? So very sorry for your situation.
Been there – was an elderly Chihuahua mix with diabetes. I remember wanting to sleep so very much after months of waking up repeatedly, all night. One day I made it home from a horrible day at work and thought that maybe, just for a few minutes, we could snuggle together in front of the window and I could read a book and pretend I was normal. He promptly wet us both and I cried while I cleaned it up yet again. I understand. I used a combination of pee pads and stripping my home of anything not strictly washable, to manage it. I really mean it – took up all rugs, all furniture too close to the floor, any bedding that was hard to wash, then covered all remaining items with waterproof covers. And then I just struggled through it. You have all my empathy and sympathy too.
I feel sorry for you, as beneath the aggravation at dog pee is grief for your dog that is still a puppy in your eyes. I hope that your brain decottons itself so you can think. More tea!
I feel you. Lack of sleep turns me into a demon full of impatience and hatred. I try to keep it contained because..adulting, but its difficult some days. I think you’re spot on with the genetic thing, because my daughter is four and she will claw your eyes out of your head if you wake her up early.
And then there’s the senior dog. My 13 year old pittie passed last year, not my first rodeo but it was still so difficult. It’s like caring for a sick infant, except without the fast acting medicine, little remedies and props (diapers) to help. Its *hard* work, and emotionally taxing.
Hoping for the best for you and yours.
I definitely feel for you. Once the kids are out of diapers, you think you’re done with this stuff, but noooooo!
Thanks for the snippet. I love Bern.
Hang in there. I’ve been through incontinence with a cat and with a grandparent and both were stressful and heartbreaking.
I had a similar situation with an aged and beloved border collie and needing all my sleep in a row. One of the vet techs suggested washable chux instead of straight up disposable puppy pads, and it worked amazingly well. TMI but for some mysterious canine reason, the clean but previously used (& washed) chux became the location of choice and Dixie would make her way to them while still apparently asleep.
Until y’all find a solution that works for you you have all my sympathy and best wishes.
So sorry to see. Elder pet care is so difficult. I definitely feel for you because I’ve been there many times myself. The price to pay for so many years of love. Fortunate puppy to have your family to love them and care for them while they are still getting some pleasure out of life.
No suggestions, because you have been there. But sending sympathy and support!
Oh, the longing for the luxury of uninterrupted sleep. The short temper & short attention span when you don’t get it is REAL. A recent study of MRI after all-nighters shows decreased brain function in key areas. It’s biological; will power won’t overcome it. And you have a sleep reservoir that needs to be refilled.
I have no solutions, only real sympathy for you & gratitude that I have your worlds to escape to when I just have to check out.
I don’t have dogs for the reasons you have mentioned but I have an 18 month old who still wants to nurse at night & wakes up every night 2-3 times wailing “nunnies , nunnies PEASE” & has tantrums when she is told “it’s not nursing time, it’s sleeping time.” Her 4 year old sister alternates hours with her sobbing “I’m scared of the dark” even though her closet light & night light are on. I haven’t had 8 hours of sleep in almost 5 years. 4 consecutive hours are like magic but just as rare.
Naps work best with blackout curtains.
Things must be seriously frustrating, the font switched to Cyrillic at one point.
You have my sympathy. I do okay with interrupted sleep as long as I can get back to sleep, but I become an angry zombie otherwise. And it’s always horrible when a pet starts to develop age-related issues.
You have my sympathy! We just replaced our sofa, 2 living room chairs and chaise all because of our geriatric pets and their incontinence issues. And we really need to replace the cabinet underneath the kitchen sink- they got into that for some strange reason. We’ve been to the vet countless times. At this point, I’m thinking they all have Alzheimer’s or God is just punishing me. Regardless, it definitely feels like they are ganging up on me.
I FEEL your pain. I dread pee. I have 6 senior cats and the mere hint, nay suggestion, of pee sends me off. Throw up doesn’t bother me as much and usually someone is horking during the night. I’m so sorry you are going through this.
I am so sorry. Our 12 year old poodle is going through a similar thing, and it sucks. Good luck.
I’m sorry! My 12 year old Toy Pinscher mutt has been having #2 incontinence issues for over two years, and has recently started suffering from #1 issues as well. We live in the pipi and poopie house 😞 He has also, for the past couple of years, suffered from extremis fear of thunderitis, and WILL NOT LET ME SLEEP during thunder storms (past two weeks…) and I hate coffee and dislike tea, so nothing to keep me awake. I need a vacation…but he’s cute…ok, I’ll stop ranting, I sound pathetic. Good luck Ilona
I loved the snippet. But, I would have offered sympathy to go with your tea even without a snippet.
I’m sorry your brain is cotton, your doggy pees lakes and you can’t get a whole night of sleep. I would like for your life to be … I’m not sure what normal is for your home. I wouldn’t wish my version of normal on anyone. I hope your life becomes what you wish of it and you are happy. A happy evil author lord is a productive one evil author lord.
I loved ‘Sweep with me’ on your blog and on my kindle. Thank you.
I have been in your shoes and feel your pain. Having a geriatric dog is no easy thing and you do have my every sympathy for the difficulties you and Delilah are having. We’ve had multiple aging pets that forgot their house training, either through being physically unable to to manage it or bouts of doggie-dementia. We also did dog rescue for a decade, fostering dogs with all levels of house training, mostly none. I’d like to offer a suggestion for dealing with it, which you are free to either read or ignore.
We used a couple of X-pens hooked together to form a 6×6 foot square somewhere in the house where the dog felt safe. Line the bottom of it with plastic, then a thick layer of newspapers. Get yourself a giant stack of old towels – a thrift store is the best source – put down a layer of towels on top of the papers. Put one of Delilah’s beds in the corner, add a bowl of water – unless you limit liquids at night to limit the size of resulting lake – and put her to bed in the pen at night. This will confine her to a limited space, allow her to pee if she needs to without waking you up, and clean up is picking up the towels and washing the heck out of them before the next use. The newspapers go in the trash. Plastic gloves recommended.
Of course this won’t work if Delilah has separation issues or won’t sleep by herself but it may help if she’s okay with that. I hope you find a solution that works for both you and Delilah and that you are able to get the rest you need.
Use vinegar in the rinse cycle, it eliminates the smell. (My cat had hepatitis and preferred the dirty laundry hamper to the litter box. Vinegar rinse worked great!
Have you tried these in XXL? size is 30 x 36 and holds 8.5 cups https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P5Q1KH1/ref=twister_B07P9VXHS1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I hope you get some sleep. Perhaps a quick gaming session where you can kill something?
My namesake, Tiger Lily, whose photo is my icon, passed Christmas eve before last. In old age she couldn’t hold her pee through the night so I set the alarm to let her out. She was so upset when she would have an accident. I bought three dog beds, covered the inside with plastic sheet protectors and would wash the outside of the bed when she had an accident….she would pee while asleep. This way I had clean ones for her to use while I did laundry. I was doing lots of laundry. I would do laundry again if she could just still be here cause I miss her a lot.
I do feel sorry for you. I also feel sorry for Delilah. Dogs get embarrassed about that, too.
Is there a reason you have never built a dog pen so your dogs can be outside safely? I know it’s hot in Texas, but at night, it’s not too hot, and if there is a run-in shed for the dog, she could easily go out to pee and go back in to sleep on a comfortable bed. It’s so awful to get old and not have control over your bladder that it’s just something you cringe to think about, and dogs really hate to have to deal with it when they can’t stop themselves from wetting on the floor of the house. If she could go to the pen when you go to bed, come in when you are awake and able to function, I think you would both be happier. With wild animals all over the place – which I deal with here, too – you can’t just put her out on a chain or use a fence around the whole yard, but a pen with sides and a top and the ground for the bottom, containing or at least open to a building – not a doghouse, but a real building you can stand up in, too – would be very handy. If your dogs all get along, they could all go out at night while you need to sleep.
I know that some people will think that building a small building and putting up a fence large enough for a big dog to run, with a cover over it so no wild animals can get into it, is too expensive to do for one dog. I’m not that person. It’s not as if a dog isn’t part of the family. For family members, we do a lot of things when they are needed. Bonus: Other dogs can enjoy it, too, as can cats who need to go out. The enclosed pen would also be good for your very small cat who tries to outrun the hawks because it can’t stay in the house all day.
I can’t imagine any type of cure for what ails Delilah. Getting old is just not something that can be cured. But any animal lover knows that dogs don’t like to pee in the house, once they learn that it’s not supposed to be done, and you have to protect her while she’s outside, so perhaps this will give you an idea of what to do about it. I can never go back to bed once I’m awakened in the middle of night, and I get pretty non-functional if my sleep is interrupted, too. The main thing is to get you both comfortable enough to let a night pass in quiet rest. I hope this suggestion gives you an idea of what would work for you and your family.
I hate that feeling I get when I don’t get enough sleep. I call it having bees in my head all day. I used to be able to drink coffee until bedtime and then fall asleep right away and sleep through the night. Now I’m doing all sorts of goofy things to sleep.
I work as a court reporter in criminal court and many times I have to work through the night to meet a deadline and then go back to court the next day to do it all over again. I fell asleep last night proofreading a transcript. I have a red pen mark on my face and I woke up and found my cat sitting on my transcript and now I’m sitting at my computer on a holiday trying to finish it so I can hand it over to the DA and defense attorney tomorrow. Oy!
Thanks for the snippet. You brightened my day.
Sending you a supportive hugs! Fighting! (Going to write essays and do portfolio for applying master)
Take a few minutes and fondle some yarn.
LOL… this cracked me up.
I live in the French Quarter and there’s a yarn place just a few steps away at the end of the street. I don’t even knit (I used to crochet, but that was a long time ago), but I walk in there and see all the pretty pretty yarn and spend about thirty minutes and come back out of there happy. I don’t know if it’s all the colors and textures in one place, or the hope that it’s all going to be turned into something pretty (and that the entire intent of the place is to have stuff that pretty things can be made of), but it’s like the best mood altering drug.
The combination of
A) waking easily for crisis management
B) suffering catastrophic noggin failure if your sleep suffers an interruption
Is a killer.
That stinks and I, for one, will not be ranting at you about deadlines 😐
Racking my brain for some light entertainment while you’re in brain recovery…
I recently watched “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” for the first time. Lots of fun… If you can suspend your disbelief and forget anything negative you know about sex work.
You definitely have my sympathy! I’m dealing with a cat who also has clean test results from the vet but likes to poop in strange places. Pee is much harder to clean up. I can recommend Odormute pee cleaning enzyme powder, you can mix it with water to whatever strength you need.
I am a vet, but all I can offer you is my sympathy. It sounds like you and your vet are working together on finding the best solution for both you and your sweet dog, even though it may take time. My best wishes to you and your family. Hoping that you are able to get some uninterrupted sleep soon. Thank you for the lovely snippet. 🙂
If it makes you feel any better, I am also up between 4:15am and 5:00am every morning (Toronto time) first feeding the Cats and then letting them out. And when the time changes, they are still operating on the previous times until they adapt, so sometimes, I am getting up earlier.
I say this in solidarity with you. Just know there are others of us out there, sleeping in chunks (and then getting nasty during the day).
Well, my life is cat pee and he doesn’t even have the age excuse… Good luck, and thanks you very much for the snippet.
PS : bicarbonate works wonders to absorb in the grooves.
I feel you. Since I had Sepsis a couple of months ago, I never sleep through the night, I have a stupid ring which buzzes when my oxygen is low, plus I sleep like a pretzel with my 3 dogs taking the best spots, yep I’m a sap. My 14 year old Standard Poodle Ilsa who was my last loss, tolerated diapers pretty well, but still needed outsides at least once a night. Taking a dog outside where I live means stuffing on my uggs and grabbing a coat due to cold and nighttime wildlife (even with a fenced yard). I’m hoping to adjust to the brain fog, but my fog lights aren’t working yet. Our senior pets are a lot of work, but they are so so precious. Feel better.
Thanks for the snippet 🙂
Being tired sucks, so you definitely have my sympathy! May you soon get some good rest.
Thanks for the snippet 🙂
Being tired sucks, so you definitely have my sympathy! May you get some good rest soon.
Here’s a giggle… “actual” footage of me trying to sleep at night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_FOS1GvZOY
Meanwhile, I empathize. I had a 15-yr-old Yorkie-ish mutt, who’d been an absolute delight… until she just aged into pure dementia, and would forget where she was supposed to pee. She somehow mostly thought underneath the dining room table was fine, but that house was built on piers and was really old and there was a slight decline toward the wall where the piano sat, so of course, the pee would roll down underneath the piano. We did move it (permanently), and I would try to take her out throughout the night, but she refused to pee outside. My vet tried everything, and I about lost my mind trying to keep up with work, (full time), school (I’d gone back to college, full time), and husband/kids (who were fortunately old enough to survive my bleary-eyed exhaustion).
When you’re on deadline, there’s just no give left; I have no advice. We never found a solution and she finally passed a year later. I hope your sweet pup does much much better.
I love dobermans and rotties, such sweet dogs and thankfully the owners know what they’re doing and pretty much always train them exceptionally well. I worked at a vet clinic for a year when I was younger as a kennel cleaner [i was the grand master of poop and scoop]. The dobermans and rotties were my favorite because they listened and all they wanted was cuddles and pets. Very rarely messed up their kennels, saved everything for outside time.
My parents recently inherited a small terrier, about 9 years old. A sweet dog, but never trained and stubborn as hell. Terriers are fine, but they tend to receive less training because the owners think “small dog, small bite, small risk.” Which is NOT the case. Luckily, this one is terrified of everything [my cat stalked her around the house and she was genuinely confused, petrified, and prey], however, she has a tendency to pee on my mom’s head at night. Like clockwork. No matter what.
Thank you for thinking of us, giving us a snippet, when life is not all that fun. Sympathy and hugs for all!
Thank you for the quick snippet and yes, I feel sorry for you. Poor pup, poor you and all that pee. Hope the puppy pads help.
I have an 18 month old that fights sleep and I haven’t had uninterrupted sleep in too many years. His brother was a dream. I offer sympathy but sadly have no advice. I do however welcome advice (although my reading habit is probably at fault to). Poor doggie😔.
I feel your pain. I’m an extremely light sleeper and get headaches when I don’t get enough sleep. I can’t imagine having to try to write half decently when tired.
Hugs from the Oregon Coast!
Huge hugs and much sympathy, hope you find a solution soon. Thankyou for the snippet, what a treat on a monday evening! Xx
Thank you for the snippet!! Also I am so sorry, that’s so rough (re: the doggo).
I am so very sorry; for Doberman, who is suffering; and for you! Dealing with life on not enough sleep is a circle of hell. <3
Sympathy and hugs. Some days just suck.
Thank you for the snippet. The situation with the dog sounds really hard. I hope you get a good number of hours sleep soon.
Aging puppies wring your heart, wear you out and you still love them so much. (Hugs)
Hello House Andrews, sending you huge hugs and big kisses for Delilah as she is probably feeling crummy too 😘🙌
You’ve got my sympathy, hope there’s a resolution soon and you get a decent nights sleep.
You have my sympathy! I have a Doberman puppy. She is still figuring out the going outside to pee, and the smell of urine wakes me up too. *Sigh*
Yesterday I was woken up from a dead sleep by a dream that my husband texted me that he “was in an accident but it was all his fault and am being taken to the hospital” In spite of the fact that he was snoring away right next to me I couldn’t shake the worry or get back to sleep. I carried the dread all day.
I feel your pain. I’m a registered veterinary technician with a urinary incontinent dog. For no reason that we can find. She prefers to go on her beds, so we’ve covered them in washable incontinence pads.
Thank you for a snippet even though life is hard.
big hug and thanks for the snippet!!
I have an enormous amount of sympathy for you! Have dealt with an older incontinent dog (mine was small) and it sucks! You love them and hate the situation!! Lots of virtual hugs!!
All the sympathy in the world! I do better with uninterrupted sleep as well. I hope tonight is better.
The things we do (& suffer through) for our pets! I’m so sorry.
My sympathies Indeed! Taking care of an old-er dog is quite exhausting…in part because the final decision is sooooo hard. (Wish I could put it more gently, but we’ve been there…there is no gentle there is only relief for all of you.)Prayers for wisdom! and Thanks for all the writing!
So sorry! That really sucks! Thank you for a snippet. Am super excited for all upcoming stories big or small.
Thank you for taking the time out of a shitty day to post.
I am sorry for the agonies of dealing with a senior canine. I recently lost my 12 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback to degenerative myopathy. It was so hard to watch my once energetic, athletic, upbeat boy deteriorate. I feel your frustration and melancholy with your Dobie.
They do make XL puppy pads which may help. I’ve even seen them at places like Target and Wal-Mart. You can also get the largest ones from Chewy.com and Amazon.
You have my good vibes sent to you and yours.
Your snippet brightened my day – thank you.
I am so sorry! Pet woes are heartbreaking, even when they are also annoying.
I hope your sleep improves as well.
That sucks, I’m so sorry you’re dealing with such foul smelling indoor urine. I can’t imagine having to write while sleep deprived, and keep story continuity, and remember everyone’s names (that’s the first thing that goes for me with sleep deprivation- names). I hope you find a resolution, and sleep, soon!
I understand your pain, my elderly bitch is also incontinent, to the point she won’t get out of bed, won’t get up, she just releases masses of urine, so when we check her in the morning, we have to wash dag and bedding. I know you don’t want advice, but I will remind you that blankets wash and dry easier and quicker than those padded dog beds
Oh I feel you. Doggie pee is awful. I’m with you I need my sleep. I just had to take my 9 year old miniature dachshund to the emergency vet because she was struggling to breath. Two days on oxygen and all tests came back normal. Nothing is wrong with her…. it can be frustrating. Here’s hoping the pee pads work.
I am so sorry. Caring for a pet through their twilight years is emotionally and physically draining. Go easy on yourself and maybe get a punching bag for some fun.
Looking after older dogs is hard *hugs*
An awesome snippet!
You have my sympathy – my 15 year old lab has to be monitored in 3 hr chunks of time to prevent spectacular bladder failure. It sucks! You are absolutely doing your best.
Poor dog. Poor you, too. I bet she’s as displeased with the situation as you are. You’re a good dog mom for being so patient despite the sleeplessness it causes. Good luck.
Thank you for the snippet even though you are probably functioning on auto pilot. I need my night sleep too, I need at least 6 consecutive hours or else my brain to mouth filter stops functioning. I work at a call center so my job depends on my ability to remain calm and polite.
Hope you guys figure something out soon, so you can get relief for both you and Delilah.
Lots and lots of sympathy for you. Our elderly lab/pointer got this way before he finally left us. Pee, poop, it didn’t matter. His final months I would walk him around the block which helped with the overnight issues. It seemed to get things going. I miss the old fart, I don’t miss cleaning up his messes. Hopefully tonight is better. *hugs*
When I had my Dachshund his name was Tabu. He died when he was 18 years old. He had a heart attack, the doctors did not detect it (he had heart problem hos heart was very big and pressed on the lungs) even though I had been with him two years earlier with symptoms. Last 2 years he was on a strict diet because he was “treated” for liver disease and for the heart . We went out with him twice a day and still, there was a large puddle in the morning of pee. So I know what are you talking about (a little) I know . And I am sorry 🙁
I woke up to a disaster this morning, one of my dogs had a bad night and i didnt notice. Breaking out the carpet shampooer right now so i feel you!
I hope you are able to find a solution that works for you and your furbaby soon!
I’m so sorry. I can deal with most anything except having my sleep interrupted. I feel for you and hope you get some solid shut eye tonight.
My dachshund mutt just ruptured a disc two weeks ago and injured her spinal cord in such a way that she will be a paraplegic and incontinent for the rest of her life.
My life is also pee. All the pee. At random times, every night. She’s also on an inflammatory medication that makes her pee MORE than normal. She’s such a trooper though, and patient with me as I learn how best to take care of her.
I believe in the strength of our wills! FIRE!
I am so sorry for your sleep deprivation – it’s horrendous and it can feel like you’ll never “catch up”. I hope you can find a solution to the 🐶’s issue, or that someone can step in and lighten your load whilst you need to function elsewhere.
I feel for you. I have to have good sleep or my brain is mush. Don’t think you can do much about doggie that you haven’t already done. Wouldn’t life be easier for them and us if they could talk? I’m sorry life is hard right now.
Thank you for sharing! We appreciate all your sacrifices.
I know nothing about dogs. Best of luck and she’s lucky to have a fur-mom who loves her so much.
Not to cross a line (or sound like an essential oil person), but have you thought about a weighted blanket to help you sleep? It is has helped a lot for me with my racing mind ect to have the gently pressure. I know it works well for me — but I’ve known that gentle pressure helps settle my ADHD mind before I knew these were a thing– and I acknowledge it might not work for everyone.
My deepest sympathies. We have a beloved cat that stress pees and marks things like bath mats that someone forgot to hang up. He got my shoes this morning. I live in fear of becoming so nose blind I allow guests into a cat-urine-soaked house and don’t realize it.
I would offer a guest room for your sleeping pleasure but I’m not sure if cat or dog urine is worse. Virtual hugs.
Feeling all the sorry for you!
Call it quits on today and knit or game or do something where you can just zone out and then start fresh tomorrow.
*hugs for you*
*pats for Delilah*
I feel your pain. 14 year old pug, blindish, deafish, and the proud owner of 3 teeth has now been having diarrhea at 3am. Food change and probiotics have not helped. Did i mention she sleeps with us? Yea! Surprise laundry! Peeing might be worse.
Lots od hugs From Poland❤️
Been in similar shoes with a golden. Amazon has an oversized pee pad that might help. I feel bad for you. No sleep, deadlines, and worrying about your pup. Hard. My papillon at the end would walk and pee as he went-not knowing he was peeing. I laughed and cried at the same time. End game is the hardest. Hugs.
I sympathize on all fronts and hope tonight is better ❤️
I feel very sorry for you. I just put my 16 year old best buddy to sleep and we had the same issues. She got me up some where between 2:00 and 4:30 every…..single…..night to pee, or maybe to sniff. Really, I want to pat you on the back and say there there.
temporarily foisting these problems on your progeny is a time honored tradition. If necessary, apply guilt trip. Note that this can only be done until the deadline is over, it is not a long term solution, unless Master level or above at guilt tripping
Thank you for your comment Dave….it made me laugh out loud 🙂
I may need to practice if I ever wish to reach Master level. I’m sure my 14 year old twins will appreciate it.
Sympathy and hugs, I know how you feel, I had a dog who did same thing. Thank you for the snippet.
Doggie doors are a life saver!
Yes to the uninterrupted sleep requirement. Yes also to the eye watering stench. My dog has occasional stomach issues related to every expression of liquid except pee, and the cleanup is awful and it always happens at 2am. I cry, the dog cries, we all feel crappy, and the vet says it MIGHT be stress related. *eye roll* Queen of the zombies status the next day is a given. Lots of hugs and sympathy!
I’m so sorry, aging animals are difficult due to their issues and because you love them so much and hate to watch what age does to them. Take a long nap, hug your puppy, and know that we love what you do.
I have the same sleep issues (not dog related) and cotton brain at the moment. I feel some of your pain. Big hugs!!
I have a 13 1/2 year old mutt who can’t control his bowels. So…
Two nights ago he barked on and off all night then pooped. My son cleaned that up. Then had diarrhea while i was eating my breakfast.
This morning I didn’t discover the diarrhea until it had mostly dried. After doing the morning chicken and duck chores in sub freezing temps and before helping my husband shower because he is recovering from a surgical procedure.
I totally get you. Hang in there.
Also, wow, a 13year old doberman!
Old dogs are a treasure and a trial. I have a 13 year old too and we bless each day we get with her but we know our time is limited. Good luck – I can’t imagine trying to be creative with so little sleep! It’s hard enough awake and at full capacity. Take care!
Virtual hugs because you really sound like you need them!!
Hugs ♥️♥️♥️ Been there with an elderly dog. It just sucks. I get hulk rages too without sleep but have to be an adult because I teach junior high & am a full-time single mom to two littles. Someone has to stay level. Your books help me on those days (the sanity-returning power of one earbud in is almost as good as coffee); the least I can do is send a few prayers your way! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Huge hugs!
Here is a ❤️ And 🤗. We are patient people. We will not anger the author. We will step away and softly cheer you on. ::whispers:: yeah!!! 💐.
Stepping away.
Feel hugged and loved! I can only speak for myself: there will be different times and a lot of those will be better! Don‘t lose sight of the silver lining! 😘🍀
Pat on the back for your ability to string together coherent sentences. Sleep deprivation + an old pet = anxiety/rage. Take care of yourself; this will pass.
I wish I could offer advice unfortunately we just went through something similar with one of our fur babies.
I’m sorry. Senior pet issues are so, so brutally difficult.
Thanks for the snippet. Hopefully you get some rest soon. Or the caffeine kicks in.
No helpful suggestions coming from this girl! I hope you can catch up on your sleep tonight. Sadly, when you have kids and pets, the parenting gig never ends. Hugs!
Lack of sleep sucks. I hope the puppy pads work.
I’m so sorry. Towards the end, my pup had to go out twice in the night, and he couldn’t get on or off the bed anymore. Or go up stairs. Or down them. So cue my exhausted and cranky self carrying a 17 pound dog butt outside while wearing a shirt I found on the bedroom floor. I loved him, but I seriously resented the carrying and the midnight and 4 am trips outside.
I am sorry you are going through this. I will respect your wishes on the dog. I will offer, have you thought of alternating shifts? One person stays up throughout the night, you have a period together, then that person goes to sleep? I am former military as well, so I look at things as watch schedules…. I hope you get some sleep!
I love the snippet. Thank you. I feel your pain. My papillon would wake me two or three times a night to go out-kidney disease. On special food he hated. He would bark at us to get food he wanted-doggie Alzheimer’s a bit too. At the end he would walk and pee, not realizing he was doing that. End of life is hard. Our golden had incontinence issues at the end. Lost a carpet and padding. I use oversized pee pads for my remaining papillons. Their bladders only go about 3-4 hrs and if we are going to be gone 5, saves the headaches. Might work for you. Hugs. No sleep is not good. I get migraines.
Huge hugs and much sympathy, hope you find a solution soon. Thankyou for the snippet, what a treat on a monday evening! Xx
Just one thing, although I’m not a vet… Those pads they use under adults is great for a giant puppy pad.
This. When my grandmother lived with my mom we used a bed pad. Then when mom got a Puppy it became the puppy pad
… and lots of hugs and empathy!
It’s always rough when our furbabies grow old. I share the extreme grump/anger when I chronically don’t get enough sleep. Hope between you and your vet you’re able to find a workable solution. Thank you for the snippets, they’re always loved by us.
I do feel your pain. I have a 15 year old standard poodle and an eleven year old terrier mix of some sort. Both rescues. They both need meds and CBD oil and frequent outside trips. And I, too, have way more pee on my floor than is strictly necessary. To make life really interesting I also have the world’s dumbest three year old standard poodle. I truly believe sometimes that he is the reason my old poodle sticks around, as he hasn’t yet grown a brain. Theo is afraid to leave me in his care. I wish you the blessing of uninterrupted sleep and the willpower to contain the explosion of you don’t get said sleep.
Oh. And thank you for the snippet and for all the amazing writing over the years.
So hard when our loved ones are sick. Thank you for the snippet and wishing everyone at House Andrews a restful night.
As someone who lived with a diabetic dog for 8 years, I feel your pain. I alway knew when Buddy’s blood sugar was up because I would wake up to hearing a waterfall. UGH!
I’m so sorry your dog had health problems.
Exposure to certain toxins can affect Thyroid.
New paint, carpeting, furniture, renovations at home can allow for a lot of very unhealthy offgassing.
Air fresheners / scented products are another big problem.
Anyone using pesticides, insecticides, or herbicides outside? That’s also big contributor.
I found this out after my dog died. She and I both got sick after a chain cigarette smoker moved into the apartment below mine. She covered the odor with commercial grade air deodorizers which could be smelled from 9 houses away. She never had thyroid problems before. Her bloodwork was normal right before she moved in.
Healthy, natural food, clean water, and clean indoor air / environment are good for everyone.
I’m right there with you. I need my sleep. And I never get it. Due to my 7yr old who wakes up at 3 am and wants to pee. And she can’t pee without me, so she comes into our room and says “Mommy, I have to pee!” and I’m like “Well, go pee already, you’re almost 8, you can pee without me.” At least she pees in the toilet, but I have to be there to watch her pee, almost every night, at 3 am. FML
That child was me, fifty-some years ago. Also, wretched nightmares, complete with me screaming for help as I woke up. My mother literally did not get a full night’s sleep until I was 11 or 12 years old. Brain and body chemistry changed at that point, and nights got better for both of us.
Sending good thoughts your way for both of you.
I am very unpleasant when not properly rested. I can sympathize, cotton headed is a typical migraine thing for me. I’m sorry the caffeine isn’t doing it’s job.
I have been there. My one dog was on proin and stilbestrol and it made no difference after a while. He wore a belly band at night and I thought it was helping, although I found it kind of embarrassing buying overnight Poise pads, After he passed, I discovered that even so he had soaked through the futon mattress that he slept on You have my sympathy.
There are washable pee pads. They hold a lot more than the disposable. Kind regards, owner of old dogs.
I’m so sorry for you and your dog, I know what it’s like xxx
Zen hugs from Michigan and prayers for the fur-kid.
So many hugs and sympathy. My half feral cat was literally raised on top inside of 10ft tall warm brick pillars. MomaKat deposited her kitten in an empty flowepot for me as present. Small problem vet mentioned moma never taught kitten how to per on the ground. So now cat lives in one room with her pet dog and pees on the floor poops in the corner. Always. My life is cat pee. I get good clean up less smells cleaner from Amazon subscribe and save.
I wish I could pass on 6 hours of straight sleep to you. 🥱🥱😴😴
Much sympathy and thanks for snippet 🙋🏻♀️
Lot of love to you and Del.
At almost 15, my Maya wasn’t able to stand anymore, so me and – sometimes – my dad took turns carrying her outside during the day.
And changing pads every midnight and/or morning.
But her affection never failed 💞
Thank you for the snippet and taking the time for the update.
I’m very sorry about the pup 🙁 That doesn’t sound like fun. My Jesse isn’t good about peeing on command. He thinks peeing is for losers and won’t go unless he has at least a 20 second stream saved up. Unfortunately 2 of his brothers {4 in the litter} both have prostrate problems, 1 at age 4, 1 at age 6. Their dad also had the problem. Jesse needs to pee more. I wish I had an answer.
I so feel you on the no sleep today. I work at place that runs 24 hours. Normally I come in in the late afternoon and work until the middle of the night. This week they decided I needed to come in at 8 am. I am so tired.
Thank you for sharing, my husband and I are also experienced pet owners and have lived through sleepless pee filled nights. You have our sympathy and wishes for a positive outcome. With all this going on in your life the gift of the snippet is greatly appreciated!
I’m so sorry about your doggie.
My kitty, Aliah, developed the feline version of bulimia the last 5 years before she passed. My life turned into cat puke…everywhere: window sills, slippers, shoes, clean laundry, dirty laundry, countertops, and her favorite spots were my office chair and keyboard. Sometimes I’d find a huge puddle, come back to clean it, and she had eaten it. (Gah.) I seldom slept through the night, one ear trained for ‘the noise.’
We finally found a specialist vet who discovered the problem: Aliah had IBS. In cats that’s a sure sign of cancer of the small intestine. Right after we found that out, she developed stones in her bladder that needed surgery. While she was out, they scoped her intestines and confirmed the worst. The cancer would eventually win.
We changed her diet, and gave her meds for the puking and any pain. She lived another four years before she couldn’t stand up one morning. Hubby and I carried her around for a few hours before calling the vet.
I still miss that darn cat. The frustration and anger and sheer worry is all far away now. I just remember how I’d wake up on Saturday to see her cuddled up on Hubby’s chest. How she’d roll around on my office desk and go into ‘liquid kitty mode’ over my keyboard into my lap. (I’d have to wait until she jumped down to work). She had a close friendship with our 110lb chow-lab. When at the vet together she’d roll all over him like he was catnip. Our vets called it ‘The Dexter and Aliah show’, and took videos to prove it.
As crazy as our fur kids make us, we miss them. It’s hard when time catches up. Hubby and I will keep you and family in mind. Hang in there.
Do you have pee PTSD yet? I’ve been there. I hear the slightest sound and think it’s pee. Much sympathy, truly.
That sucks ! I have an 18 year old cat that likes to pace and yowl sometimes in the middle of the night for no reason. She’s been to the vet and she is in great health for her age so I understand where you are coming from.
Try roasted dandelion root tea that has been steeped for 10 mins. Its not coffee but it has a pleasant bold flavour for when you are trying to substitute.
Thank you for giving us a snippet even though you want to punch someone in the face.
I am sending much sympathy ! Cleaning up is the pits, especially when sleep deprived😧
I have no helpful comments, but I have a disabled teen that wakes up if she wets her diaper, then can’t get back to sleep. So I send you and the dog loads of sympathy.
Oh my gosh, you poor dear! I’m so sorry about your doggy.
Also, I sympathize on the sleep issue. I’m an angry witch when I’m lacking sleep.
Hugs to you
When my mother lived with us after her dementia grew too much, we discovered she had a roughly 4 hour bladder. We struggled to keep her up until 11 pm so that the nightly interruption in my sleep (an alarm would go off indicating she was trying to get out of bed) would hopefully allow me 2 big-ish chunks of sleep time before I had to get up at 6:30. Hubby couldn’t assist with the bathroom. I am not the kind who can go easily back to sleep after hearing an alarm, rushing down a flight of stairs, and dealing with Mom in the middle of a cold night. She liked to talk at 3 am. After a couple of months of this, Hubby said I wasn’t acting too rationally anymore. I feel your pain and grumpiness at the interrupted sleep. Thank you SO much for the fun snippet. I am sorry for your pain at the dementia/ill health of your beloved pet and lack of an easy answer to the problem. Peace be with you all at this difficult stage in your life. (hugs)
My sympathy for the peeing with your dog, and appreciation for the snippet of story. It is hard when our pets who are members of the family start aging. We know what is coming, but want it to be much further down the line. Love them while you have them.
Oh jeez. My sincere and heartfelt sympathies – that stage is the worst. I hope the puppy pads work!
I trained my dog to use pads by spraying the pad with this spray (OUT! Go Here Attractant Indoor & Outdoor Dog Training Spray)https://www.amazon.com/OUT-Attractant-Indoor-Outdoor-Training/dp/B0091RE52C/ref=mp_s_a_1_2keywords=natures+miracle+go+here&qid=1579557672&sr=8-2
I am so sorry! I too require uninterrupted sleep or I’m a zombie.
Thank you for the snippet!!! It was fun!
Your posts always cheer me up, even when you vent:) Thank you, I hope things will get better for you soon:)
I feel your pain so much. Our 3 yr old pit bull had a hormone deficiency and would be every time she fell asleep. Hugs and loves. Wish you some good delicious sleep soon!!!
I’m really sorry to hear about you dog. Maybe Goodnights Disposable Bed Mats would be big enough for her. They measure 2.4 ft by 2.8 ft and they have sticky corners on the bottom side to keep them from moving around.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/GoodNites-Disposable-Bed-Mats-9-Ct/19599274
So sorry you’re having to deal with your dog aging like this. I have an elderly cat who’s showing signs of dementia; he wakes me up a couple times every night yowling because he’s lost in the house–or just can’t find me. Some mornings just getting out of bed is a major accomplishment, so I wholly feel for you.
Sorry you already know what you have to do. And that doesn’t make me happy as I’m about to cry ad I write this. We have a little dog who is 15 or 16 we got her when she was older?? And the thought of her Poppy gone is almost too much to bear and there go my tears. Thinking of you, Linda
I’m so sorry. Sleeping problems & incontinent dogs suck. Could you block your dog into a bathroom papered with pee pads? I did that once when I had a rescue who had never been house trained. It contained the rivers & made cleanup easier.
I’m sorry. May their be peaceful and sleepful days ahead for you all.
Thank you for snippet. Sending hugs, prayers and good thoughts..
Hugs and Sympathy from south Florida!
We love our fur babies so much, and we run ourselves ragged caring for them as age sets in. Hope the puppy pads work!!
Dogs are the best – – until they are not. I have had a dog for all but 14 months of the last 25 years.
My heart goes out to you all (and dog too). Here is hoping it goes better for all of you and that sleep follows.
I am cranky and useless when I don’t sleep. You have my sympathy.
One option we have used with this as an alternative to pads for bigger dogs. You get a large pan and use horse shavings. It will absorb the pee. But it still smells ….point being there is no good answer and I am sorry.
So a friend did a large pad and put a stump of wood that her dog had peed on outside. It worked.
All sympathy to you. I am a right royal bitch who holds irrational grudges against those who have kept me from enough sleep. Having newborns was not fun. And today I am gritting my teach and plastering false smiles on because it is not my husband’s fault that he exists, even if he did move too much last night, leaving me hovering on the edge of being too tired todo anything and too awake to nap.
Really, I need my own room and my own mattress, and that’s not happening. So here’s to gritting our way through it. Hugs to the old lady dog.
I empathize with you on the incontinent Doberman. My heart dog “leaked” urine off and on for most of her 10 years. We kept an industrial size bottle of Proin on hand for those periods she was leaking. Her leakage nearly always occurred when she was sound asleep, so she wasn’t allowed to sleep on our bed, but yes, she ruined a couple of sofas.
She was our “baby” and neither my husband nor I would have traded her for a million dollars.
I miss her.
I am a vet 🙂 not sure if diet changes are an option, but there are some very good diets for senior dogs now that improve cognitive function. Might be worth asking your vet about if not already on a medically directed diet.
We had an incontinent cat. He never went to the litter box in the end. It was terrible. Pee sucks. I do feel sorry for you because it’s just gross.
We had a rescue that hadn’t been spayed so she went into heat and refused to keep the diaper on. It was horrible. Pets are gross.
I’m sorry you had such a rough night and are feeling rotten. I hate not getting enough sleep, I can never function the next day. Good luck with the pee pads. Hugs and lits of sympathy! xx
I SO feel your pain! I too need uninterrupted sleep, 8 or 8.5 hours optimum, and I’ve been setting an alarm for middle of the night for gabapentin, and another one for carafate which cannot be given with any other meds! My fur-kid, an American-Eskimo-Spitz named Mira, is nearly 17…! And I’ve been managing a number of conditions for a while, including intervertebral disc disorder, congestive heart failure, kidney disease, liver dysfunction, and just today, I found out she has a heart murmur, so I know we’re in the end stages, but it’s so hard because she still wants to go for walks, play in the fresh snow (I live in Maine!), cuddle and is still enjoying life, most of the time. Just some rough patches over Christmas when I thought I’d lose her—twice—so my life is off-kilter as hell right now. Mira has taught me so much about joy and love that I can’t even describe it, and I don’t regret a second. But when she cries at night and I can’t make her comfortable (not often thank god), I break into pieces and it. Is. So. HARD. I get where you are, Ilona—I hope you can find some help for this. A dog’s heart is as big as the ocean, and mine hurts from knowing I will lose that soon. Much love— —Kiri
Big hugs! I am so sorry to hear this. Dealing with pee and no sleep is hard. Hopefully tonight will be better.
A big hug and hopefully more sleep the next night 🍀💗🙏
Thank you for the snippet with all that’s going on.
I’ve done basically “hospice” for my two elderly cats- one was 18, one was 17. The 18 yo had what I liked to think of as sundowners for cats and I had to clean up lakes of urine. It’s hard to explain that yes you cherish them, that’s why you do this, but it’s exhausting. Trying to find care for them so you can leave out of town for a weekend is a whole other thing.
My sincere sympathies. I too have lived through the dog pee portion of a much beloved dog’s life. Dixie had dementia, arthritis, and cancer, so she would just lay there and her bladder would let loose. Here is what we used, cheep plastic topped table cloths. We happened to have some left over from a 4th of July party and they worked so well we just bought more. Cheap and big, plus the felt side was soft enough Dixie was willing to lay on them. We usually folded them in half but you can also spread them out to cover a larger area.
Good Luck, and may you sleep tonight all the way through.
Hugs and sympathy ❤️. Dealing with elder pets is hard, but we do it be because they love us and we love them.
I too cannot survive without several hours of uninterrupted sleep. I had a friend who was happy with 10-minute power naps to keep her topped up – I have no idea how she did it! If I try and nap, I just feel like a zombie when I wake up
You have my complete sympathy! We went through incontinence with our elderly Pointer. It was horrendous and constant. Our house was one big pee pad. We had the diaper fail too. I got through it by reminding myself that when she passed I would be so sad and thinking of every time I screwed up with her and I didn’t need to add to that pile. So I did my best every day until the end. And sometimes my best wasn’t good enough but it was truly my best on that day. And it was a small raft of comfort in my ocean of grief.
I’m sorry to hear you had pet troubles last night. 🙁 I hope you are able to get more restful sleep tonight (best wishes!) and your /;’…………]====================================z
Sorry, Hobo (my orange tabby) decided to add his 2 cents. Hobo says “hi!”
Anyway, as I was saying, I hope you have a more restful sleep tonight, and your four-footed friend has a quiet night as well.
Best wishes to you all!
Sympathies from England. I can relate as my cat was diagnosed with liver disease. He wouldn’t eat and insisted on sleeping on top of the microwave where he would throw up every night! I ended up having to put a single bed incontinence sheet over it. In four months he dropped from 8kilos to just over three before the vet agreed there was little sign of Mickey getting better and I had him put to sleep. You grit your teeth and keep clearing up the mess because that is all you can do😞
Lack of sleep makes me puts me somewhere on the stress zone from irritable to angry, so big sympathy from someone who’s been there. So sorry about your dog. Hope you can get some sleep.
I take a cocktail of benedryl, melatonin, and sometimes bourbon to sleep for 6 straight. The more stress, the more I take.
Good luck
I totally get you. I am working at a Community College in Germany teaching Pilates classes and planing the health appartment. So my working hours are flexible for when I work in my office but the classes are fixed. And I am an owl loving the night times not getting up easy in the mornings. So it is monday night and I have a class at 8.30 am tuesday. Nearly midnight still awake and for once not overthinking things but happy about your snippet. Last monday I didn’t sleep at all. Was surprised that I could teach my classes as I’ve got two in the morning and three in the evening. So I startet to think what could help me? Often you would read more exercise. But sorry not for me. Meditation…sometimes helps. But then I found out that you are supposed zu sleep better with a dog. I thought thats it. I love animals and I am ready to get a pet again. Now I’ve read your story and startet laughing out loud. Just know your are not suffering alone from sleep deprivation. and believe me you don’t wanna know all the consequences startet reading Why we sleep by Matthew walker and hot even less sleep. So hopefully your dog will have a better night next time.
sending virtual hugs, tea and sympathetic words
I feel for you. We have a 16 yr old Shih Tzu, who has sundowners. She gets her diaper off most nights. She barks after she pees waking me up, as she can use her voice to bark after but not before. Luckily she doesn’t pee like a horse and she does walk to the back door. She too pees when confined too. She has also gotten snappy and refuses to be groomed without blood, mine not hers. I cut mats out and leave her be as it stresses her out horribly. She is perfectly healthy except for the sundowners and her pissy old lady attitude. So she looks and smells not so fresh. I hand feed her daily as she won’t eat unless I do. I am just grateful for the nights she’s peed, barked and the diaper was on. She had me up four times last night wandering and confused. Life with elderly fur kids is so thrilling. Love her when she was a puppy and love her as a pissy old girl.
I feel ya on the sleep situation. I have chronic insomnia and take meds to sleep. New doctor has decided I shouldn’t and is messing with my prescription. I am now suffering through their idea of what should be appropriate for me. Once I reach the point of a nervous breakdown due to lack of consistent and reliable sleep I will go back and share with them. Until then I’m trying it their way to prove I’m a team play. Good luck. Perhaps you could hire a middle of the night dog walker?
Gawd, Laura, I’ve so been there. New docs wanting to pee all over what *works* instead of listening to us. Hope you get yours trained up soon.
Sympathy and hugs for everyone!
My sympathies. Your poor baby must be breaking your heart. I wish we could turn back time for our pets. It seems you have a puppy one day and an “older pet” the next. But it is always worth it.
Alas, I can’t help with your sleep problem either. As I am older, I seldom manage more than 5 hours without a trip to the bathroom.
Both cats wake up at that point. If I am lucky, they just re-arrange themselves on the coverlet when I go back to bed. If I am not lucky, they decide it’s time to play…
The cotton-between-the-ears feeling is really familiar.
Thank you for the snippet. Bern and Leon add so much to the Baylor family dynamic. I love them both.
Platonic hugs and virtual cups of tea from me to you. I do hope you can find a solution so you can rest.
My dobe started losing her ability to hold her pee at 13. At 14 she had a stomach aneurysm and I lost her before I could get her to the vet. It’s been twenty years and I still miss her. Hang in there , you can do it! I love your books and look forward to the next one.
Poor puppy. Poor you. It’s a rough time, I know. I hope you can sleep tonight. Hugs to you all
I’m a right bitch when I haven’t had enough sleep. I feel your pain. I love dogs and feel for your Doberman, it breaks your heart when they have problems with aging.
I am hoping you get a full night sleep tonight.
I hereby feel sorry for you. Sleep is life.
Ditto on the uninterrupted sleep. No elderly dogs here, but quite a few children and cats, plus a semi-nocturnal husband, and on the mornings after I’ve been woken up in the middle of the night, well…it’s not pretty. You have my complete sympathy.
Hugs, I feel your pain.
Menopause means never again sleeping thru the night. At least for me. I have a lot of sympathy for people who don’t get to sleep. I don’t have a dog who wakes me up. But when I wake up my brain replays everything I’ve done wrong or feel guilty about for the past 58 years. So I read Ilona Andrews books to replace the guilt…or at least to drive it back to the bottom of the think pile. I mean, I can only apologize to my cousin I was mean to 25 years ago without her punching me for bringing it up yet again.
Puts hand in the air *I feel sorry for you Ilona*.
Definitely all my sympathy on the no sleep, having to clean dog pee, and the sadness of watching a beloved fur baby age into incontinence!
Wishing you a night of uninterrupted sleep.
All of that and still a snippet. You two are SWEETIE S!!!
Fingers crossed that this gets resolved very soon.
My problem is an incontinent husband. He suffered several strokes last year which left him with partial incontinence in both bladder and bowels. He can recognize that he has to go, but he doesn’t recognize when he starts and stops. And he’s a fall risk so we have a bed alarm to wake me if he gets out of bed. So, we’re up at least twice every night for me to help him in the bathroom. (Not helping him means waking up to a puddle of pee in front of the toilet.) Then he gets to sleep in while I have to get up for work. I feel for you, love. Hang in there.
First, I loved the snippet. Thanks for brightening my day.
Second, I’m so sorry. I went through something similar with my 15 year old German Shepherd before she passed away two years ago. It is difficult and heartbreaking on so many levels.
Not getting enough sleep is the worst! I’m like that too and I’m so sorry. It seems like a little thing but it interferes with EVERYthing. I hope you get the sleep you need soon 🥱
So sorry to hear about your old pup. It has happened to all of us who love our fur babies, not that that’s any consolation, I know. Hang in there!
I have a friend who used to have an old dog with bladder problems, she used bed-wetting pads designed for potty training kids or incontinent adults. As far as I can tell they’re pretty much the same thing as puppy pads, just bigger?
Im sorry. I have a senior bull dog and just started having the same issues. Mine would sleep and pee. I did call the vet and she did have a uti. Shes been on meds for 4 days. She hasnt peed whike sleeping but just randomly in the house. Like you she had been let out. After antibiotics ill see what my next step is. I wish you well.
Hello. I am actually a Vet in the UK so hope this helps a bit. Its rubbish when the hormone therapy doesn’t work well enough. I have a couple of suggestions to speak to your vet about that have worked for my cases (plus I have a parent with long term bladder pain and a lot of treatments link in to human medicine too so i hope this helps). The issue is the drugs may not be avalible in the USA. Firstly a bladder suppliment to stengthen the GAG lining in the bladder. Normally used for cystitis but I’ve found it can benefit incontinance too as the bladder neck sits partly open and tracking low grade infections can increase leaking and smell. The support suppliment can reduce the damage to the lining. Next there is a drug that I found works in some cases. Commersially called Catrophen drug Pentosan) its licenced for arthritis but works well in bladders. Ive got several dogs on it so incontinance as it works also on the bladder lining as well as a pain killer. I’ve found that it can also reduce leaking and inflammation. Its a course of injections once a week for four weeks (just under skin) then either once month after that or you can use it weekly if it only works that way. This ones also been used in the humam field for bladder problems. There unfortunatly is no ideal solution and its a bit of trial and error. Ive got some dogs on a pain modulator called Gabapentin too as especially with dobermans lumber spinal pain and nerve pain can increase urinary incontinance. There is also a surgery which suspends the bladder from the colon which changes to angle of the bladder neck and can also help but her age is a factor. On a more homewise front my boy dog had incontinance when he was old. Every night at bedtime we covered the floor with a big plastic sheet. Then put human incontinance pads down as you can get them in double bed sizes, then we put a product called vetbed over the top which draws the moisture down to the lower levels. It saved the flooring and my boy stayed dry. It also ment less stress for use just a bit more washing. I hope that all helps. I totally understand the frustration and the distress. I ended up initally with baby monitors so i could get up to let him out and finally i slept down stairs with him as he use to pace and get distressed. Really good luck with it all. Sending love and thank you. Read the chapter from Emerald Blaze last night in bed (as finished Sweep with me again) and I sqeeked with excitement, waking my 12week old baby up who looked at me confused…. bit like I was nuts. Shes gonna have to get use to it 😄📚🐉 xx
Our 16 yr old lab has decided that going outside is only for getting fresh air and pooping is for indoors. He can only see “badly” out of one eye and if you want his attention you have to yell at the top of your lungs and he walks in the opposite directions because he doesn’t know where the sound is coming from. His back legs no longer want to hold him up, sometimes he slides on our tile floors and he can’t get up, at 85lbs I can’t lift him so I have to glide him to a carpet so he can get his legs under him to stand, when we go out and he falls he stays like that until we get home. He doesn’t understand what is happening He has this look in his eyes that make you think he is no longer happy with his life. The vet said he will let us know. It has taken us a long time to make a difficult decision, but we have. Sometimes it really sucks having fur babies!
So sorry Del’s reaching the end. Please know I’ll keep both of you in my thoughts.
Virtual hugs, some of my favorite Darjeeling tea, and lots of sympathy.
So sorry to hear about your troubles! Our dog is not quite as bad, he still goes out except when it’s too cold or wet, and then he pees in the house. But he’s a small Havanese so it’s bearable for the most part. I found this pee pad on Amazon, it’s supposed to have an 8-cup capacity: https://www.amazon.com/LiveSimpli-Anti-Slip-Incontinence-Waterproof-Absorbency/dp/B07849C848/ref=sr_1_9?keywords=dog+pee+pads&qid=1579562203&s=home-garden&sr=1-9
I’m a certified applied animal behaviorist and would be happy to try and help add some behavior modification to manage the issue. Your brief description sounds like cognitive decline accompanying incontinence. I’m happy to try and help her learn to wear a diaper or even how to use indoor facilities (puppy pad or pee pee grass). There are some things that would be worth contacting a behaviorist for; as a thank you for all the years of amazing stories I would be happy to try and help. The info is a bit too detailed for a comment section though.
Thank you for your offer, Jessica, but no force on in this universe will get Del to wear a diaper. She’s the smartest dog we ever had. When Del was 6 months old, we worked a lot on basic obedience and tricks. One morning I started with our usual sit, after which Deli lay down, sat, held out paw for shake, crossed the yard to stay marker, sat, waited, came back and opened her mouth for a treat. She ran through the entire routine without prompting. This is also a dog who when she urinates – or when any other dog has an accident- will go and get something like a blanket, a towel, or a dog bed and will place it over the puddle to hide the evidence. She removes her outfits and other dog’s outfits. Has done it for years. She will even take the little cute bows off that the groomer puts on Kid 1’s Shih Tzu.
When I say that her cognitive reasoning is failing, I mean that the dog opens her mouth and stares into the distance, not responding to her own name or treats. If she is laying on her bed when this happens, she looks dead. I have no thought multiple times that the dog died. We first saw a sign of it two years ago when the stress of moving into the new house upset her. I had given her a shrimp as a treat. Three days later she came up to me while I sat on the couch and put the shrimp in my lap. She carried it in her mouth for three days in the house with two other dogs who would snap it up in a moment if it was left unattended. So unless you have a magic pill that can turn back time, there is nothing you can do.
People always underestimate how important good sleep is and as we age it gets harder to get that good sleep. I envy my 13 year old who good to bed early and sleeps as late as he can. Good luck with it all. Dogs are amazing but incontinence in any form is really hard on the owner.
I will absolutely feel sorry for you. That seriously sucks. As a fellow “let me sleep in one chunk dammit”, i really hope something is figured out soon so you get your brain back
My life is also dog pee. My nearly 14 yr old Jack Russell terrier is mostly deaf, mostly blind, slightly senile and largely incontinent. I wash blankets every single day and buy paper towels in bulk. It is exhausting and depressing but when she puts her head in my lap and wags her stubby tail I’m glad I’ve still got her. I also wonder how long we can keep doing this. No advice here but I stand with you in solidarity in this dog pee soaked ring of hell.
So very sorry you’re going through this. Sending good vibes your way and hoping things turn around.
I remember seeing an article where the dog was trained to use a bed pan at night. I can’t seem to find it now. It should be similar to training them to use the pads.
I am so sorry. Lack of sleep makes me want to kill people. I was a horrible middle of the night mom.
I am so sorry you and Delilah are going through this.
Don’t have a dog and can offer no advice or commiseration, so here are some internet hugs 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
Lots of hugs!! I am also one of those people who needs uninterrupted sleep.
Washable pee pads come in large sizes and are MUCH more convenient than the paper ones.
Pee pads of any kind, and no matter how large, only work if your dog knows how to hit the mark.
You could try the bed pads that are used in nursing homes. I rescue/foster senior pups including Great Danes and they get regular use in my home. They come in very large sizes, are sold on amazon and are machine washable. Just look up incontinence pads and pick out the size you want. Hope this helps!
Yes, this too. Mine is feline but similar problem these cold nights.
I feel sorry for you. And me. I am so tired of dealing with dog pee too.
That would have rhymed better if I hadn’t had to add in the ‘too’.
First I had a seizure dog, and now I have 2 ‘pad trained’ puppies. Never again. Pads do not work. Bleh. I’ve had to remove my carpeting. So gross. Sorry, TMI.
We have a very old husky 15 1/2 now. Sometimes he sleeps thru the night and sometimes he gets me up around three. I get up at 4 for work and this messes me up. If I don’t let him out he goes in the hall. I totally sympathize.
Many sympathies from me. I also don’t do well with interrupted sleep; the toddler years (punctuated with night terrors and a child that woke up enough to cry at night when she needed to wee, but not enough to get to the bathroom on her own so needed to be led there and back, still crying) almost killed me.
Wishing you a good rest and a perfect fix for the incontinence problem. Love y’all both!
I am so glad for you that your Dober-girl has made it to 13–you’ve got some great genetics there. I lost my boy to lymphoma at 6 many years ago, and have had only mutts since. We are on the waiting list for an April puppy with a dobie breeder who is also a vet, and she has had good success with longevity, so we are hopeful. My current 100# dog is 12, and would much rather pee in the warm house, so we take her out every 4 hours. Last night, at midnight, she dutifully peed, and then, as we were walking up the brick porch steps, she decided she had to poop also. And then stepped in it, because she has the super power of pooping and walking up stairs. So, midnight foot bath. I have so So SOOOO much sympathy for my favorite authors!!!!
I am so sorry you’re having to go through this!! Sending hugs!!
Oy, all the sympathy. I hope you make your deadline. Life sucks, and work sucks, particularly when life sucks. All of my sympathy is yours.
We love our pets and it’s pretty amazing how far most of us will go to keep them. Some pretty good ideas in the comments I’m going to try and remember. Good luck with the sleep issue.
I’m so sorry. It’s really difficult when the doggos get older. 😔 And sleep deprivation is TORTURE!
Thsnk you for the snippet and i do feel sorry for you. Hooe it gets better!!
One of my dogs was placed on the dog med Proin to help her with better bladder control. Don’t know if this will help. Worth a shot to ask?
Us too! It helped
I’m going though exactly the same as you only my girl is a 15 year old Staffordshire bull terrier , she’s deaf and half blind and piddles everywhere , only in the night , we too are using puppy pads it’s exhausting, so sending much love xxxx
Our boxer wakes us (my husband, I rarely hear him, I sleep hard!) up somewhere between 5am and 7am, then he wants to sleep on our bed with us when he comes back in. I am sending sympathy your way as we just lost our 17 year old border collie to age related problems. She took to cloth diapers really well, I put a menstrual pad inside to stop leakage and she wore them for 2 1/2 years. She would get upset if she was lying down and didn’t have a diaper, she didn’t like to get her bed dirty. Good luck! And naps are good! I need my 6-8 hours of sleep too, but naps will work in a pinch and my family appreciates it when I have one. Lol!
You have my complete sympathy!! I went through a lovely cat pee phase when a previous cat hit 19 years, fortunately it was easier to find puppy pads that would work for her. Currently I am trying to trouble shoot another cats’ issues and unfortunately it isn’t pee I am cleaning up this time. I will be replacing my carpets with a hardwood floor soon. :(. I wish you luck with Delilah and hope you are able to get a full nights sleep soon!! Please know that your efforts to satisfy our book needs are greatly appreciated and your work is greatly admired. Plus your blog posts frequently make my day! 🙂
I am so so sorry for you. Been there with an elderly dog that you love to death and yet is causing major life upheaval due to his age. Hugs hugs hugs
I am so sorry about your Dobie’s incontinence. Delilah reminds me of my 14 year old dog Buffy who would get confused and pee everywhere. It’s so hard. Sending you love .
**hugs**
It sounds like you are dealing with a week old baby that weighs 50lbs and has big teeth. You have all of my sympathy about the interrupted sleep. That sucks on an epic level.
My old girl who is about the same age as yours occasionally has poo accidents when SOMEONE (my fiancé) gives in to puppy eyes and slips her people food. It is not pretty… It is hard being a people parent, fur parent, and functioning adult. We should get complimentary cookies for it, lol
So sorry about Delilah. We’ve had several rescued dogs and cats which become part of our family but are with us just a short time. They give us so much love and devotion.
((((((HUGS)))))) & <3 for the insomnia. Look for "felted" /paper backed plastic picnic tablecloths to use as an extra large base to contain "too small pee pads" laid out in a grid (hope that is clear)
Second the suggestion of washable adult pee pads. The ones with "wings" are great for chairs/sofas.
Note for protecting sofa chairs make sure to wrap the cushion such that the pee pad & NOT the wings covers the "vertical" side of the cushion + top of cushion—- in case of edge accidents.
May you have a good night’s sleep. The dog issue is a tough one. I hope you find a solution.
Sending prayers, happy thoughts, and good vibrations!
Sending some sympathy, I definitely feel sorry that you have to go through this while under deadline.
I feel sorry for you, a dear friend went through this with her pug. She is also a published writer. I personally never had this issue, disease robbed us before our pups reached this point. The best I can do is offer prayers and sympathy
Hi, I work for a veterinary nephrologist. If the urine smells there is likely, but not definitively an infection. Some infections are harder to find/treat than others. Have your vet call the UCVMC-SD (google it) and they can go over the case her/him and maybe give some your vet some ideas.
This is a big part of what we do all day everyday.
This is my “I feel your pain” post.
Our 10 year old Lab is lazy AF. Like, the LAZIEST fluff ball on earth. If you let her, she will refuse to go outside for almost 24 hours. When you finally convince her to go outside she will pee for like 10 minutes straight. The downside to this is if she’s being stubborn as hell and you are trying to leave for the day…. one of our family of 3 will step in the largest pile of pee on earth. And of course she never pees on the hard floor, that would be easy to clean. No, she’ll pee in one of the 2 bedrooms, the only rooms with carpet!
Oh my goodness, that sounds horrible! I also have an older dog, and peeing is a big part of our lives now. But nothing nearly as bad as your experience – I’m so sorry.
We have a small dog but my husband is in a wheelchair- so outside potty time is a no go. Amazon has some great charcoal ones from top dog that keep the smell down and are 22 by 23. The box is for 80 and only $20 I think. Costco sells them too, but I wish you well on the search. I cheat and put a plastic office chair liner under- if there’s a small miss I can still Clorox it up without carpet issues.
My first baby will be 13 in April and I feel your pain. He struggled with an unknown autoimmune disease about a 1.5 years ago and the meds for it made it like he had a UTI. Luckily we seem to be out of the woods on that, but he goes through periods were he can’t make it through the night without going out and wakes us around 2-3 am and we are currently in one of those. I’m like you and need one chunk of sleep, and of course I’m also a light sleeper, while my husband could sleep through a hurricane. It’s like having infants again and it sucks! You have all my sympathies!
I’m a cat person but I still sympathize. Too bad you can’t teach a dog to use the litter box. 🙁
Hugs to you!
Not getting good sleep makes everything worse. Normal things that are simply frustrating become insurmountable. And large amounts of pee sounds awfuL.
Hugs – just hugs – I think that’s all you want and I am happy to provide…..
I’ve been there, several times, with the Older Dog Peeing situation. It IS exhausting, on multiple levels: cleaning up the pee, washing whatever’s been peed on, worrying about when another incident will happen, worrying about what’s wrong with the sweet aging dog, etc etc. I feel your pain.
I just adopted two young horses a month ago and am learning the highs and lows of picking up horse shit in a muddy hillside field. There are moments of meditative peace, and more moments of intense frustration in trying a extract the poop from the mud.
I share this not to compare situations, but to perhaps provide some distraction. 😊Sending you wishes for a calm mind and a restful sleep.
You got it. – I feel you. Have had dogs and nursed more then one through the final years and I too have a mad passion for my bed and thick comforter. My husband and son seam to function on little to no sleep just fine, me on the other hand, I need my 8 hours and two black coffees in the morning. If that did not happen yet, don’t you dare talk to me 🙂
Anyhow – hug your doberman from me, they are the best. Gigantic hearts and all. Wish I could send you pictures of Ben and Julie but no upload option here. So well. Hugs and kisses!
Much, much sympathy. We lost our mini-dachshund at 15 about a year ago, and he was doing much the same. Piddles everywhere, mostly on the tile, so at least the cleanup was easy. There was just a lot of it.
I’m so sorry for doggy troubles. When our dog got older he started having seizures and it seemed we were always cleaning up all the dog fluids. And he was such a good boy and it was so hard on him. 2 years after that he went into kidney failure. I miss that floppy dog. Even if we did have to clean and treat his ears biweekly or he got bad infections.
Dogs have so much love in them, so seeing any problems make it much harder.
Here’s hoping sleep will be uninterrupted tonight. Praying you find a better solution for your sweet fur baby’s problem. Sending positive vibes for a pee-free night!
You’re one of my favorite authors. And yes, I feel sorry for you:)
It is so hard when our furry friends get very old. My 20 year old cat also has thyroid disease, as well as kidney disease.
He had taken to wandering around the hallway, screaming his head off at 2am, because he was “lost”. The vet gave me gabapentin to help with his anxiety, and so far, it’s made a difference.
😢😢 Poor fur baby, poor House Andrews! I hope things will get better! We know you all will crush the deadline cause that’s what you guys do ❤️❤️ Much love and sleep vibes!!
I feel sorry for you, my last (and only) animal pee situation, was with an alpha female cat (fixed) who had had a male unaltered try to breed her…..it flipped her switch and she peed all the way around my library the bottom 2 shelves and ruined ALL of the books…….I cried as I had to throw them away……they were signed first editions, fantasy, sci/fi , and mystery, and not a few authors had already passed.
I’m sorry lots of tea,sympathy and hugs your way. Times like this I always think of a funny story to help someone feel better. Years ago my husband and I were woke up by screeching coming fr9m our barn. Every bird in the place was screaming, peacocks, chickens, ducks if it had feathers it was screeching. While my husband was grabbing for his glasses, robe & slippers I already had mine and was charging out the door with him yelling “STOP ! WAIT!” The barn is at the bottom of a hill and half way down I hear Jim behind me still yelling to wait. Every time I turned around he would crouch with his arms around his head and scream “DON’T POINT IT AT ME!”. I would turn and run some more, he would follow, scream for me to wait then do his wierd crouch, cover and scream routine. In this fashion we made it to the barn. I start waving my arms and screaming “GET OUT OF HERE!” All the while waving the weapon I grabbed. Jim hits the barn lights and screams ” STOP POINTING IT AT ME! GIVE IT TO ME!”. Whatever set off the birds is long gone and wondering why he is angry I hand him the plastic flower pot I grabbed from the porch. Stares at me then looks at my now empty hands then demands to know where the gun is. My loving husband thought I grabbed his 357.
It is so difficult when our furry best friends develop serious health problems. As requested: sympathy, understanding and wishes for a workable solution.
I am so sorry. Lack of sleep makes me want to kill people. I was a horrible middle of the night mom.
I’m so sorry you are having a bad day in general and a hard time with your dog and her health.
Last night I re-read magic bleeds because I had a night off. I loved it just as much as the first read (this was maybe the 8th read? ) Your books are like warm coffee and a hug – I wish you the same comfort your books bring me.
You poor thing! I’m so sorry for what you are going through. That’s a lot to be thinking about and poor Delilah. I sure hope you both get the break that you deserve. (You and Delilah, of course 😉 ). Live long and prosper 🖖🏻
You have my complete sympathy on the pee/sleep deprivation. We moved my dad and his 125 lb. Boxador dog in with us 6 years ago when Daddy started to develop dementia. The last year of Daddy’s life, he would forget that he’d let the dog out, so he’d make poor Frankie go out multiple times all night long because Daddy had gotten into a circadian sleep cycle and it was more like a series of naps. Then both Daddy and the dog developed incontinence issues! Sigh. One suggestion… you might look into Ruggable area rugs. Their rugs are mad in two pieces, a rubberized backing and a removable top that can be laundered. You can even purchase additional tops once you have the backing. Ours has been a lifesaver.
Sigh. “MADE” in two pieces, not “mad.” Although they may have been mad about dog pee when they invented the rugs!
I do feel sorry for you! Sleep, good sleep, is so necessary! If anything to save your tongue from being an adult and biting back all the things you want to say. Because when you’re tired all the people in the world are idiots and it’s sooooooooo hard not to inform them. Hope you get good quality rest tonight. Thanks for the snippet!!!!
+1
Could one of you stay up later to let the dog out? Then that person could sleep in? Assuming you could get her to pee which you mentioned is spotty. My bro and SIL did that with their babies to get a dream feed in and a solid 6 hr/ parent of sleep.
I had a small dog and she would sleep on the bed with me. She wet the bed a lot when she got older. If she had woken me then I could have opened my window and let her out there, since I was in the basement and the window was level with the ground, but I really think she slept through the night and didn’t realize she had to go.
Sigh. “MADE” in two pieces, not “mad.” Although they may have been mad about dog pee when they invented the rugs!
I’m very sorry your exhausted and dealing with extreme pee issues, Ilona. I’m further sorry that people couldn’t stop themselves from giving you advice. I’m sending good vibes your way.
Yep you need a hug. Then go and kick something around the yard (not the dog😂😂). Then just breath 💕💕
That sux mate. You need chocolate, a punching bag, and an aromatherapy immersion. Good luck with your hard deadline ❤❤❤
Hug, and thanks for the snippet. Lack of sleep is the worst; peri-menopause is periodically kicking my ass and I hate it.
Ugh- right there with you KD! Top that with my old girl who is wobbly and doddery and has incontinence issues too, and I’m right there with you IA. I feel like I have a bub again!
I feel ya! We have an old Dachshund who is going senile. Every day we have to go on pee patrol. Christmas was hell! He wanted to water the tree every day twice a day.
Dobies are so special, and you’re an amazing dog mom for getting her to that age. I’ve had two: Cory and Dutch. They were so very different and both awesome boys. Cory died of cardiomyopathy and Dutch bone cancer at ages 12 and 9 respectively. Thanks for loving your dog. I feel sorry for you both!! I hope you rest well.
No advice, just a huge ((((hug))).
That sucks. I’m exactly the same when it comes to sleep. I’m amazed you managed a blog post. I barely function when I haven’t had enough sleep. Hope you find a solution soon!
Oh, you poor thing!
Bless your heart….
Hang in there!
(does that help? not a dog person, but hey! I totally sympathize on the sleep deprivation)
(oh, PS: contrary to whatever Yankees may tell you, “BYH” is totally a multipurpose thing and does not just have one meaning. It’s all context and tone of voice; so this one is meant in the nice way. just in case I have to explain it)
My cat Ratface Bonecruncher when he was 17, began peeing next to the litter box. I moved the box, he peed where it was. I loved him, so I cleaned up his pee until he left me at 18. We just love our little pals ❤️
Oh My …….. !
I understand, my late house cat Previous ‘forgot ‘ her litter box routine before her death.
Can we just have a moment of appreciation for that name…”RatFace BoneCruncher”…!!! Its Amazingly Awsome! LOL I have to guess it was named by some beloved little kids who were into comics and wrestling????? And “Previous”? Adorbs! I feel boring after the basic names I named my cats like OJ for the Orange cat and Gray for the Gray cat .
Sleep the sleep of Tired Angels knowing that you have done all you can do for your Fur Babies. Somewhere in their uncontrolled pee’ping hearts they know they are Supremely Loved!
Huge sympathy! My boys wouldn’t let me get a solid night sleep for years and it was not pretty. Best of luck to you! I hope you find a solution to your problem!
Aging pets… we love them, they love us, but no body like incontinence. Urinary incontinence is somewhat easier for contemplation than bowel, but neither are joyful. Here’s wishing you at least 6 hours of sleep tonight.
I love Leon… he’s a nut.
Senior puppies – so much to love but the aging side effects are difficult. Hugs
Our schnauzer was never properly housebroken (thanks mini-pincher DNA!) and at 16 he just decided he wasn’t even going to pretend he wanted to go outside anymore. There is no battle like staring down a 12lb schnauzer who has lifted a leg to pee on your purse without breaking eye contact. :’D
Very sorry for your lack of sleep and doggie issues. Hope you get more sleep tonight. Sending lots of positive vibes your way!
Sending you lots of sympathy – I also get Real Cranky when I don’t get enough straight-through sleep, and I hate trying to work through an exhaustion fog. It’s the worst.
I hope the pee pads work (or you and the vet find a good solution)!
I do feel sorry for you! Not enough sleep is awful and the last few years of elder dog care is so hard. I was feeling sorry for myself today but your post and all the comments have put my minor troubles into perspective. My toddler threw up all over herself and her car seat today….just as we were arriving at an amusement park. Had to turn around and go home. Lots of cleaning and i will have a tough time getting the seat put back together. But in the grand scheme of things it is a very small problem. Hugs!
Sorry for all this, lots of love to all. I also need full nights sleep, totally get that! Take care and hope you are able to rest. I hope the pee pads work out for Delilah…
Wishing you a good night’s sleep and a few productive days to hit your deadlines. Sending warm hugs and sympathy.
PS I still hate being woke up… I’m kid 2 all the way.
You need a bit of sympathy and a big hug. Aging sucks regardless of species.
I’m sorry. I feel your pain. Our cat is 15 and on the track of kidney failure. She pees constantly and sometimes doesn’t make it to the litter box. Sometimes she makes it but hangs her butt out the side and still pees on the floor. She had stopped eating and we tried all the “prescription” cat foods for renal failure. She was wasting away until we started her on a pure chicken diet. No joke. She gets her own rotisserie chicken from the grocery which we mince and bag for the week. It’s frustrating and painful to deal with the side effects of her disease because there isn’t much else we can do. She’s also started hiding her poop around the house which is a JOY, especially when houseguests discover these hidden gems. However, she is a gentle lap kitty. She likes to cuddle under the covers with us or drape around our necks like a furry stole. Our boys adore her and will cry when she eventually passes. So we take a deep breath, stroke her fur, and say “it’s okay, you can’t help it.” It’s hard. It sucks.
I went through most of that wit my sweet Siamese boy when his kidneys were failing. I ended up putting pee pads in front of the litter box. Also, you might look at other options for chicken. I think rotisserie chicken is high in sodium. My cat also hated the prescription foods, but I found that if I mixed some Stage 1 chicken baby food in with it then he would eat it. Decent Stage 1 baby food doesn’t have any salt in it. He lived past his twentieth birthday.
I hope warm hugs and good sleep are in your future.
I am not technically a vet yet (finishing up veterinary school), and this is not medical advice. However, you might want to speak to your vet about dog dementia. A change in diet (neuro care) and some neurological medication might actually be super helpful. I’m sure your vet is super and on top of it, just occurred to me.
Truly well wishes to you and yours.
Oh, I have some sympathy for you.
Until a few months ago, my sister’s Boston was drenching our house with lakes and rivers of pee. He was only 13 pounds or so, but for a little dog it sounded like someone was running a water faucet when he let go. He soaked the California king-sized memory quilt with thick wool batting that I made for my mom. Literally thousands of dollars and weeks of work and it will hold the memory of that dog’s pee longer than the screened-on photos I stitched into it.
He soaked the seat of my dad’s recliner – twice! Our living room couch multiple times and for months it wasn’t safe to walk anywhere though our kitchen, dining area, living room, hall or bedrooms without either stepping in poop or pee.
He had a perfectly good doggie door that he utterly disdained for no apparent reason though he’d spent his entire twelve years of life with us going in and out of it without any issues. We had to put up baby gates everywhere so that he was confined to the tile areas running down the central part of our house. All bedroom doors had to remain closed at all times. I spent weeks living in an icebox because my room apparently was an especially attractive pee spot. I left my bedroom open for half an hour and in that time he peed right in the middle of the floor. It was like he’d been anxiously waiting for that small window of opportunity to do it.
But the absolute worst was when he would poop in the living room, eat it, then throw it back up onto the carpet in the middle of the night so it could really soak in.
I was a veterinary technician for over 15 years and specialized in animal behavior. My sister took him to all of the vets we had worked with and trusted. Nobody knew why he suddenly started doing this. Nothing worked. Nothing helped. The best anyone could guess was that this, combined with a few other neurological symptoms that didn’t respond to treatment, might have indicated that he’d developed a brain tumor.
With no way to really know what was going on and no concrete way to figure it out – and worse, likely nothing we could do about it even if we had had answers – it made it very difficult to make a decision about this. In the end, his other symptoms helped to make the difficult decision. Luckily, all of our old co-workers and the owner of the practice let me bring everything I needed home with me so we could let him go in his sleep here at home.
It’s a sad fact and no one really likes to admit it out loud, especially not in front of my sister, but we were all secretly breathing a sigh of relief there at the end. We have since ripped out the carpets and replaced the furniture. The house smells much better now. We’re not embarrassed to have people over anymore and we don’t cringe when my four-year-old niece walks/sits/rolls around on the floors.
So yes, I have boat-loads of sympathy for you.
Oh yah, I soooooo understand where your coming from!!!
If you still have the quilt soak it in oxyclean overnight, it really does take the smell out, even if it’s been sitting around or already washed and dried. Let it soak in the washer with the water full up for the night.
I’m so sorry about your old girl. And hugs. I’ve been there several times and of course we would do anything and everything for them. But like you I need that sleep. So I can’t offer anything but sympathy. Here’s a big ol’ hug. <3
Sorry about the dog and the lack of sleep.
This is going to be out of the blue and maybe spoilery. Is Alessandro hunting his dad?
Lots and lots of Dog Mom hugs.
The things we do for our beloved companions. How I wish dogs and cats lived longer, it is so hard to see them age and know their time is coming. But the time that we have them enriches our lives and makes the end worth it.
I hope that you find a solution, or at least can get some decent sleep.
Good luck and have some more tea 🙂 Maybe a soothing mint, or a rooibos/honeybush blend.
Sending sympathy and hug .
Hugs to you and Delilah!! Here’s hoping for better sleep tonight, and for many more nights ahead. 💖💖😴😴
Very, very sorry. Life sucks sometimes.
A note on puppy pads, not on vet stuff, so don’t be mad lol! I use reusable ones for the ferrets, since they are little poop/pee machines, and found these really big ones on etsy. They are 36” by 42”. I got 1 to try it out, but it was just way too big for any spot in the house, so we went with the smaller size. Maybe it is big enough for you? You could get a couple to basically just cover the whole floor for an entire section of the room (that’s what I’ve had to do with incontinence issues with elderly animals before, and it worked well). And then just toss them right into the washing machine. They wash really well for me, and I deal with evil ferret poops as well as urine, so they should wash great for you (just add some vinegar to help neutralize the smells). I’ll add a link (hope that is ok!) to the large ones of the kind I buy. But you might be able to find even bigger ones of them somewhere if they arent big enough for you.
These are the darker colored ones:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/711987685/x-large-green-quilted-dookie-pad-pet?ref=shop_home_active_19
And these are the lighter colored ones:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/757319202/x-large-beige-quilted-dookie-pad-pet?ref=shop_home_active_1
Also, so sorry about your lack of sleep issues! I’m the same way, so I really feel for you! I hope it gets easier for you soon. Maybe you can trade off doggy cleaning shifts with the others? But even if that doesnt work, I hope you start being able to get better rest soon!
That sounds hard. Because it’s not just the sleep deprivation but also the strain of watching a loved one suffer (yes, dogs may count).
I’ve recently had to make the argument that if you’re exhausted (plus in chronic pain, as is the case with me, unfortunately) you might be able to force yourself to, say, wash the dishes, but you can’t force yourself to concentrate or be creative!
Hang in there. I hope you find a better solution. A little venting is good for the soul 😉
HugsHugsHugsHugsHugs! And maybe a nap today? Hope you find a way to deal with your doggies problems and all will be well again.
Thank you for the snippet and really sorry for the sleep deprivation – can emphasise with feeling crap when sleep deprived. Wishing you many peacefully rmi cycles between night alarms for Delilah’s nightly garden visits.
You know what really perks me up when i am dragging? Snippets. There is this great author who often produces these great snippets of stories that fire up your imagination. And if there isn’t a new one you can always go back into the historical posts and reread one along with all the comments. Not sure this would work for you though. Since you have to write them first…
I totally understand about the need for uninterrupted sleep. I share that genetic trait. So here is a cyber hug and a virtual lemon muffin from Orro 🙇♀️🍋🧁
My sympathies. Our 15 year old Dobbie male developed the problem after a mild stroke. He completely forgot all his house training. We began from scratch and retrained him, but would frequently wake up to both puddles and piles. The hard decision is coming for you, we held out until he was 16. But the little strokes kept coming and he no longer enjoyed riding in cars, going for walks, cuddling or eating. He was our first four footed child and will always be in our hearts.
Much sympathy!!!!
It is the worst, seeing your baby decline like that. I had a diabetic cat who refused to use the litter box, too fastidious. This is what worked for us, and took a lot of trial and error to come up with. Which is the only reason I’m putting it here. Because pee was my life, for years. And it prob won’t be on Google.
We got a large vinyl mat, like for the floor of a car or truck, and put a purpose-bought towel on it. then start a load of laundry in the morning. It’s more work, but more sustainable for the wallet and environment, and sturdier so your pup doesn’t kick it all over the place.
We also love the Clorox brand Urine Spray. Paired with a spritz of vodka, 40 proof, bottom shelf drek, of all things, kept the house from smelling like our life was pee.
I hope I’m not overstepping, and that your girl has a long and happy twilight. My cat was 17 and I wouldn’t trade a minute of those years I had with him.
My cat Katara was raised in someone’s garage. When I brought her home she peed on fabric instead of in the box. Unlike the majority of cats, she did not figure the litter box on her own. I had to add dirt to the litter box and slowly add more kitty litter to the until she figured it out. Unfortunately when she is stressed she often reverts to fabric. I’ve thrown away a lot of rugs. I no longer buy nice bathroom rugs. I have cheap towels that I use as rugs. Soaking the peed upon towels in white vinegar seems to negate the cat urine smell. I cannot use bleach. My cats react to bleach by frantically rolling in that spot. Per a google search some cats react to bleach like it was another cat marking its territory so they respond by rubbing in their own scent markers. Anyhow, I buy white vinegar by the gallon.
Wishing you and the fur kid well.
Lots of sympathy. Good luck finding a solution! Hoping this photo will make you laugh and/or give you ideas on the pee pad front.
Sleep deprivation is a form of torture. Hang in there
Sorry guys, that’s gotta be hard. Sending lots of sympathy. *virtual hugs*
Not trying to bother wondering what size puppy pads you do use currently I buy a box from Costco and they are pretty big
As I sit here at 5:21 a.m., not having slept since 1:15 a.m. and having to get up at 6:30 for work, I empathize!! Not being able to sleep has become a regular thing since I turned 50. I hate it and I hate that I always feel like I’m about to burst into tears of frustration. May you get some sleep tonight!! Good luck.
Prayers!
My parents’ last dog had a similar problem. What they used was the child crib pads. They are of a large enough size that a couple taped together should handle a dobie.
I feel for you with the older dog. My older girl has IBD and apparently now Cushings and I’m about to take her in to get a ‘sterile’ urine sample (that process sounds horrific, but apparently it’s not that bad). I lock my two girls in my kitchen and addition during the day and literally carpet the floor in the addition with pee pads (bamboo ones so it’s more green!). I also have doggy-cams set up. There’s always one (or two or three) pee spots when I get home and she also wakes me up in the night (luckily I only sleep in snatches myself).
They do make XL pads (and XXL) and some have scent attractants on them. You can also find washable pads online that can be larger (I put those under the disposable).
On an aside, my older sister (who introduced me to IA) would totally have said that to me!
That sucks. I’m sorry. I remember when my little humans were small and would only sleep 1-2 hours at night at a time and only 20 minutes during the day (ya know and the whole breastfeeding rigamarole added in and the excessive cleaning of diapers and the like) yuk! I commiserate with you!
I would shunt some of my coffee energy goodness to you if I could but not all cuz I need that stuff.
Also, does this mean you can now be called a cotton-headed ninny muggins?
Night before last our dog woke me up because she needed to go out, at some ridiculous hour in the middle of when I should have been sleeping. The hubby didn’t let her out as late as he normally does before bed, and she was grumpy. I didn’t get a lot of sleep.
This morning I woke up 1.5 hours before I need to get up, rolled over a few times and sort of went back to sleep. At one point I remember looking at my phone and being convinced it was Friday (not Tuesday) which usually means I can leave a little later, as my commute is faster on Mondays and Fridays. I was late this morning.
This week has just been terrible. I feel you. Good luck!
I cleaned a small amount of dog pee from an elderly dog this morning, and have sleep issues also. I have to work to push myself out of a continuous attitude of “Life sucks, then you die.”
Blessed be.
And since I forgot, thanks for the lovely snippet.
Oh you poor thing! Our Dobie is slightly incontinent ever since her surgery to get her fixed! But her farts now that she is older are room clearing! My sympathies!!
Love the snippet, thank you.
Much sympathy for the sleep woes and doggie problems. We’re dealing with a dog with a ruptured CCL (ACL in humans), so I totally understand dealing with dog problems right now. And everything with a dog is RIGHT.NOW. More tea and hugs prescribed. XO
I commiserate… i have similar issues with my aged 10 year old bunny …. but i still Love him🙃🤓🐇🐇🐇
And Many thanx for the snippet
I very sorry it is hard to take care of a older dog
This is rough and I am sorry for you and for Delilah.
So hard when they get old. I have lost three in two years, the last a 14 1/2 year old Dane/Shepherd mix. He didn’t pee in the house but walked and peed, unaware. I still have a partial case of baby wipes. I used to put a dropcloth under the pee pads.
Sam’s Club sells adult pads for protecting beds at (I believe) a somewhat larger size and a much better price point than doggie ones. Good luck!
Sending you good thoughts and sympathy.
I’m always amazed how in the midst of dealing with hard issues you can still describe these tough scenarios in such a humorous way! Love your blog and of course your books!!!! Hugs.
My daughter’s is 2 weeks old and waking every 2 hours at night. She sleeps most of the day and than spends from 8:30-10ish pm wide awake. Every attept to keep her awake during the day has been made. She sleeps like the f***ing dead. I pretty sure she thinks it’s funny. On the flip side my 5 year old thinks he’s missing something AWEsome, so he shows up randomly in our room throughout the night. This is something new he started the month before his sister came and has continued for funsies. Before he was the best sleeper EVER.
I’ll say it in all caps in case you skipped my crazy lady rambling…I FEEL YOUR PAIN. Literally, my head aches from lack of sleep, so I get it and I do feel sorry for you. I hope you find a solution!
SAME except big brother is 2.5, I have to keep reminding myself that I’ll eventually sleep again… Someday…
Thank you for the snippet. Lots of sympathy & hope for something that works for both you & your dog.
+1
I have a elderly cat who’s convinced himself he can only be comfortable and sleep on my lap or chest, at night he lays on me drooling, purring, and pawing my face until I move to my back then he lays on my chest, this may work if he didn’t trigger my mind into thinking I can’t breath, asthma sucks. He also demands food every few hours, this second demand typically requires me to encourage him into eating three to ten kibble before he’s ‘full’. I believe I remember this thing called uninterrupted sleep, I thought it was folklore.
Vent away! You’ve been here for us so many times when our lives have sucked, it’s our turn to be here for you. *hugs*
Tiffany
My sympathy for you abounds.
Look for washable whelping or pee pads. Or human under pads. They basically the same thing. The can be as big as 6 foot square. Your local medical supply store may have them too. Kitchen trash can with a lid and a diaper pail liners and you’re set. If you get them wash at least every 3 days to avoid stink issues. I recommend doing a quick wash or prewash cycle on cold first and then a long hot cycle with extra rinse. The first gets most the per out and the second gets it clean. For specifics, look up cloth diaper washing for your area.
I understand your pain and sleeplessness on a smaller scale. I’m sorry you are going through this. My 14 yr old yorkie Nemo went blind with uncontrollable high blood pressure a year ago and was doing ok until the subsequent kidney damage just this summer. He could not control his bladder any longer. We drop clothed 2 rooms and covered them in puppy pads. He stayed comfortable in those 2 rooms until the seizures started. We made the decision to let him go this fall, hardest decision I’ve ever made. He is at peace now with prior pet siblings who all died of natural causes. I still cry now as I write this. Time…… Lots of hugs and good thoughts for you and your family. God bless.
I am sorry for your loss.
There is a reason sleep deprivation is a form of torture. I feel you. I havent had a decent night sleep in 10 years…. kids and dogs. This too shall pass. Hopefully.
Thanks for the snippet. And, lots of white light filled with peace, blessings and harmony headed your way.
My parents’ life is also dog pee. 4 small dogs so what they lack in size, they make up in quantity.
They finally bought some washable pee pads from Amazon. They’re large and lined so the floors don’t get damaged. They have a couple and rotate them between use and the wash.
As requested and also truly meant: you have my sympathy and I do feel sorry for you.
And thank you for the snippet that you managed to post nonetheless! 🙂
I, too, had an incontinent elderly dog. I made a special flow-through bed for her because otherwise she would wake up soaked in her own urine. She was confined to the kitchen and patio where the floors were easy to clean. Even so, the odor was extremely noticeable. I got a lot of negative comments in spite of continual mopping, cleaning and copious amounts of pet odor killer. I kept her until the morning she went into convulsions, and I had to let her go. She was the best dog ever, even in her incontinent, toothless, final years. I miss her enormously. She was an Australian blue heeler mix. She used to try to herd the cats and the grandchildren.
You already know much more than me on dog care, plus many other things. I’m just offering sympathy. I hope you can find time to rest, even if true sleep won’t happen. Perhaps resting outside, even for just 30 minutes would help with the anger. Is there something that has worked for you in the past? I have nothing else to offer but hugs.
Much much sympathy!! Soooo sorry you and your pup are going through this. My husband is bedridden with dementia , so I understand both incontinence and insomnia. I use 36”x54” washable bed pads I order from Amazon. Would these be large enough for a Doberman?
Those should work, with the addition of a spritz of dog training “potty here” pheromone spray. Also found at Amazon. I work 12 hour shifts, so pad trained my dog, for when I’m not home, but he shreds the disposable pads. Got the washable ones and tag them with pheromone spray. Works like a charm.
Labors of love are rarely easy, or they wouldn’t be labors, right? We had a Doberman with similar issues who lived to the ripe old age of 14 before his body gave up for good. Please know that you are SUCH a great dog-parent! Delilah probably feels helpless, too, but is comforted by your care. She loves you so very much and knows that you have already gone above and beyond what the average pet-owner would do. If Delilah could talk, she would tell you how grateful she is for all you do!
I have no idea about incontinent dogs, so I can’t help with your fur baby. Sending sympathies.
I can really understand the lack of sleep thing. I had sleep apnea. After falling asleep at work, and my work/ life suffering, I was told I needed a tonsillectomy: major surgery in my 50+ age. Yes, I am finally sleeping better now, but it took me a while to learn “how to” sleep through the night.
Just letting you know that deep breathing techniques and meditation finally worked for me. I hope you can rest somehow.
My deepest sympathies. My life revolves around dog/cat/kid poop, who is doing well, did someone eat something bad, who has worms?!?! If you ever want to vent about type/quality/color/smell fire away.
I am so sorry about your pup. We lost Moose the attack Poodle to cancer this fall and I miss him everyday. We are left with Andy the crabby lab and spoiled Mabel. Both will pee outside only when they feel like it- so we walk them & 18 minutes later they want to go out again. Mabel wakes up several times a week to poop between 3:00 and 4:00 am – I don’t even know how a sleep cycle feels anymore. It’s so hard when the pups get older – but I’m giving back what they gave me when they were healthy puppies.
I’ve been potty training my new puppy (the Papllion pup I showed a picture of at the Connecticut meetup). She is too small and it’s too cold for walks outside so I have been using the artificial grass mats for dogs with a pee pad underneath the grass and inside the tray. I toss the pee pad every few days (small dog, not too much pee) and hose off the grass pad. I have two grass mats, one in her day pen and one in the bathroom. Clever little girl has learned to use them and VERY rarely has an accident. Amazon sells them in various sizes, the one called Tinkle Turf is pretty big, with a funny name too!
Best of luck with your Delilah.
I feel you and hope that tonight you will get a great nights sleep without any interruptions.
So sorry for you all. I did hospice like care on my dog when she was older and the incontinence of many ends is hard. A bigger potty pad can be found online (amazon) as adult incontinence pads (bed pad size) They are reusable, just bleach and laundry soap.
I think it may hold doberman sized pee.
prayers for peace and sleep
You are amazing. What a wonderful and caring dog owner you are. You know what you are doing and you know how to handle it. You are strong enough. You got this.
I feel very, very sorry for you. Real life can take it out on you sometimes. I’ve too many meetings and appointments to get real work done. Best wishes.
I am sorry you are going through this.
It’s so hard when your dog is older (They are a family member)
It’s ok to vent at us.
My great dane bless her soul made it to 14. The last year was rough as she had degenerative spine issues. Common in her breed. Losing feeling in hind quarters/hips etc… No urine problem but good gawd ahmighty every morning woke up to poo in her bed. Sometimes whole and easy to scoop ohter times mashed,smashed and smeared 🙁 Poor thing just couldnt even feel/control it. It was not fun cleaning her up first thing on the daily. No accidents during day just at night while sleeping. I sympathize greatly.
Ilona, I use GIGANTIC WEE WEE PADS by FOUR PAWS. I have a subscription (LOL) for them with Amazon. I get them sent to me every 3 weeks. There are 18 pads 27.5″ x 44″. My 14 year old is incontinent. Lucky for me she uses the pads.
Good luck.
Thank you for the snippett. Can’t wait for the story in full. I volunteer to proof-read/beta
reader!
We recently lost of our dog who was 20 and spent the last few years becoming more and more incontinent. At one point I screamed-all I do is clean up urine and shit, what did I do wrong with my life. It sucks and you should be frustrated because umm it sucks.
How about sympathy plus a dose of tough reality?
But first, thank you for the snippet. I have 4 sons and can picture the banter.
Okay, tough reality. And I have been there.
You chose this. This is life, and the end of life. New life needs lots of messes cleaned up. So does end of life. That is the way it is and…. you chose this.
With our pets we don’t have to watch them fade, as we do with human loved ones. You can have your furbaby put to sleep, with you holding her. I am not recommending this, just reminding you that YOU CHOSE THIS. You have options.
I have put many animals to sleep for many reasons. I don’t recommend it if you can avoid it.
I have taken many dumped dogs to the pound, because their owners were too irresponsible to have them put down, or to take them to the pound themselves. Dropping by the side of the road where they will be cold, frightened, confused, and injured is so much easier in those idiot owner’s eyes. You are a good owner who will give up much needed sleep for your packmate.
Hugs and kudos to you.
((Hugs)) As a member of the “Barely Functioning, Sleep Deprived Zombie” club, I feel your pain and you have my sympathy. 😩😧😫🤤
Thanks for the snippet! 😊
Hmmm… Those emojis look different than on my phone. (Note to self, don’t use those again. )
I’m so sorry Ilona. That’s rough to deal with, and I can definitely sympathize with the “I’m angry because I didn’t sleep well enough” phenomenon… happens to me too. Especially when I’m struggling with my generalized anxiety disorder and struggling to sleep it causes a chain reaction that fubars everything. A warm bath with lavender Epsom salt often helps relax me and break the cycle though. I’m the same way and also need uninterrupted sleep or I just don’t function well. I send you many virtual hugs, and I wish you well with the doggie woes and deadline!
Having an aging pet is so hard. sad and heartbreaking. I have no advice really, just sympathy. I made extra large potty pads with super absorbent washable diapers in the quilted in the middle and water proof backing. The top was a heavy duty cotton duck fabric. I found it was the only workable solution for us. I started them out with potty training spray on them. She liked them and used them. I toss them in the wash with diaper detergent wash and dry. It is a bit better that the ones you buy that are disposable.
Love patience blessing and solid sleep wished for you. Janna
I feel your pain. My life is cleaning up pee these days – I have a 17 yo cat on chemo who pees and a dog who thinks he needs to outdo her. I have a sunroom where they stay at night with a dog door to the back yard. And an iRobot mop on duty during the day in the kitchen when I let them in. If you have a deadline would boarding the dog for a week help?
Sending loads of sympathy and prayers for a good night of sleep tonight. I don’t deal well with sleep deprivation, either, after 2 nights of interrupted sleep I stop being the nice mom and turn into the cross one.
I wanted to offer my sympathy and support. I care for my mom/aunt who is living with dementia and our six rescue cats. Sleep has become a long forgotten dream between bed alarms and caregiving. The alternative is unthinkable but the struggle to function is draining. Your books and blogs have brought laughter and lightness when life overwhelms. I wish you strength and bedding on your home.
There is a gallon jug of Nature’s Miracle in the corner of my living room. The last three times I put it away, one of the 3 fur babies required me to retrieve it almost immediately. So it has sat there for 2 + years. Hey, whatever works!!
My 70# furry sweetheart is on Proin due to a weak bladder sphincter. It took months to figure out the problem, so me and my carpet feel your pain. Bless you for your kindness and patience for an old friend/companion.
Your stories always help me cope with bad days. Sharing snippets makes waiting for the next book much easier. Thank you for sharing your worlds, both real and magical.
Well, I was going to offer a suggestion about what we did with our incontinent Doberman female, but will spare you. If you are interested, you can email me.
Otherwise, please just be happy you still have her at 13 — both of our Dobies died at 6 from bone cancer in the same leg.
I also need uninterrupted sleep and know well about the cotton brain. You have my sympathy!
No one and nothing ages gracefully. It is our job to help them do so with some sense of self-respect. Doggie Diapers for the girls and a belly band for our old boy worked like a charm, but we have had to tear up carpeting, too. You are doing right by your baby and that is all that matters.
The real reason for my comment…because I know this is what you wanted us to focus on…is that I have apparently been spelling “Oy” wrong for years! Always used an ‘e’ at the end and now know, thanks to the various electronic dictionaries that we know are always correct, that your version, sans the ‘e’, is the correct way to express dismay, etc.
So thank for correcting my attempt to liven up the corporate messages I send…and prayers for you and your fur baby…they love us so, without expectation, that it’s hard to watch them age.
I have sympathy for you. I am a Vet Tech and my old Beagle had incontinence issues. I had to cover my furniture with washable potty pads. You might want to look into those, you can get them on amazon and they run different sizes.
Pretty sure the stench of dog pee has been burned in my nostrils. We have a rescue dog who was neglected for 7 years and has learned to mark as a coping mechanism. We do not have diapers but we do use Belly Bands thought I would mention it in case you hadn’t tried that route yet. Sending you copious amounts of heartfelt sympathy!!!!
Thank you so much for the snippet.
Our 15 year old cat decided that he would only pee on the landing of the basement stairs. We ended up moving the litter box there so that he would use it. If we were luck he would poop in it but he continued to pee around the litter box instead of in it.
I feel your pain. So much sympathy and I hope that you can get some sleep. Good luck with Delilah.
Been through the elderly dog thing. She was a wonderful, devoted dog. She stood her ground between me and a bear and the bear left. Four years after her death I still tear up missing her. Guilty though I feel, I do not miss those late night/early morning trips to the great outdoors. Good luck , I don’t know how you can possibly handle the work load you have even if you were not sleep deprived. Or, given the anger problems, sleep depraved. Sorry, but I must offer one suggestion. Tell us all to go to Hell for a little bit and take a real break. Would we weep and rend clothing? Probably, but Jim Butcher got away with it. We’d forgive you. As your Dobie would say,” When you gotta go, you gotta go.”
Sending you lots of hugs. I had an elderly cat that also did this. Costco sells very large puppy pads. I hope you get to sleep soon!
😢😢😢 I totally get it about trying to function (ESPECIALLY writing or editing) without enough sleep! My profound, deepest sympathies!
Faith
Oh man, how incredibly frustrating! I swear, they have to make pets and children cute because otherwise we’d never deal with all of their nonsense.
Commiserations. I am going through something similar, though on a smaller scale.
My Maine Coon cat is coming up on her 12th birthday and began peeing in the downstairs powder room in December. At least the floor is tile and she’s continued to use one of the three (!!!) litter boxes available upstairs to poop.
We tried shutting the door to the powder room, but then she peed on the laminate floor under the dining room table. Right.
I finally moved the self-cleaning litter box to the powder room. She peed on the floor in front of it. I bought puppy pads and put in front of the litter box. She peed on the edge, so at least SOME of it was absorbed. Currently, there are two puppy pads in front of the litter box and my college-aged daughter has complimented me on the new “carpet” in the powder room. Argh!
Lol
What else can I say that the others haven’t already?
Not much.
As animal lovers and caregivers we all know the ups and downs….
So just a nice big hug to you and many thanks for the snippet whilst feeling so down and tired.
And just to put a smile on your face (I hope) a kitten in wool, just what you like!
All the sympathy, absolutely. We have a similar issue with our 14-year-old Bichon. She theoretically uses the puppy pads, but only on the very edge so the pee runs off the side of the pad and soaks into the wood grain of the floor. She’s lucky we love her or we would have killed her by now.
I have a 6 year old Aussie with Cushings. Have spent a lot on testing and this is pretty much what it comes down to. Doing great but can’t go long without peeing. After using pee pads, putting water up at night, etc., I finally decided to put in a doggy door. What a lifesaver! We both love it! I can be out now without worrying about accidents when I get home. There isn’t a cure for what he has, you just manage it. For now we are both doing great.
Oi Vey.
I’m sorry.
By the way, @Ilona what is this: заварка? I’m assuming it’s a Russian term, but as I don’t speak Russian, nor read it, I’m at a loss for comprehension, and curious as to what the term means, or even how you say it.
Woot, Hidden Legacy teaser 🥰 Am I correct in assuming that’s Catalina talking to Bern for most of that excerpt, @Ilona?
Заварка is a premade very strong tea, that you dilute with hot water when you make a regular black tea. It’s very potent and has bitter taste to it.
Sorry, Ilona for your struggle! I feel like I have your gene of sleep too, lol I require at least 6 uninteruted hours of sleep to function. I hope your sleep life gets better soon! And sorry, but I’m not a vet and I don’t have a dog, just a cat, so no advises. Thank you for the snippet, it was funny!
My dog had anal cancer and eventually became incontinent. I was literally following her around the house with a mop and vinegar. And luckily we have tile floors, which I hope is the same for you.
I made the decision to put her to sleep. It was not her fault she was sick but it was time to end the suffering.
Good luck. Each decision is personal but I do feel for you. It’s very difficult situation.
You have all the sympathy!! I’m going through this exact same thing with a 12 yr old cat. Who has never been outside. 😒 All bloodwork for her is perfect as well. Maybe they just get squirrelly as they get older? I hope you find a workable solution soon!
You need the incontinence sheets they use in care homes and hospitals, for people; they will be a better size for poor pouch. I bet she doesn’t like to do it either. Might I suggest they look for diabetes? Hope you get some sleep soon – you need respite.
All my sympathy. I have had elderly pets with the same issues and currently I have a middle aged cat that has cost me a lot of money to determine that there is no good reason why he has intermittent diarrhea and randomly throws up in the middle of the night. He is obviously blaming the food, which means he has also become an extremely picky eater, which isn’t helping.
At least he is usually able to get down off my bed before throwing up.
Poor baby!😕
Ugh that sucks. If your dog prefers peeing on grass vs the puppy pee pads I’ve had a friend who has had some success with pet trays with fake grass — but you could use sod I guess if you must have the real stuff and switch out as needed. A little easier to clean than the crate and gives pooch a spot indoors
Love the snippet!
… Sorry for the dog pee. Maybe ask Cornelius for some advise? What would the great animal mage do?
XOXO, ivonne
I am so sorry that you love your doggo, you love your writing and fans, and you love your sleep, and that somehow, all three have become divergent. That’s it, no offering of advice or help, just that I feel your pain. I know how it feels to be wrenched from wonderfully deep sleep by the lovely aroma of a beloved furbaby relieving itself where it shouldn’t be (in our case, the substantial stench of a small cat with chronic diarrhea, using her box but failing to cover it, and us waiting for the disgusting odor to waft into the bedroom…). My fan base is nowhere near yours, but I hate to disappoint even one reader. And when all three attack at once—you are in farking hell. And again, I am sorry.
Hugs. Pet ownership is such a joy and a trial. Liked the idea of going to the human size sheets.
I am also one of those people who require uninterrupted sleep. My fiance says waking me up before I’ve had my eight hours is like waking the elder vampire in “What We Do in the Shadows.” Ferocious hissing and a live chicken sacrifice. My sympathies.
Vent away. We got your back.
Happy to tag team with you re the person who is giving you cotton brain. I, too, am sleeping for shit and very tired of it. LMK what I need to bring to the party! “)
Hang in.
I also do very badly on interrupted sleep. It actually hits me worse the day after even if I got plenty of sleep the night following the bad night. I’ve sympathy and a virtual hug. I’ve a new puppy. We try and keep her off the carpet, but this morning she got the carpet and I managed to spill lunch all over the refrigerator, floor, lunch box and myself as I was rushing to try and “contain” the situation. I hope tonight you have a great nights sleep.
For you…
I feel sorry for you. Feeling tired is no fun. Feeling tired after dealing with a much loved elderly family members’ / fur baby health issues is a deposit in your many blessings karma account. Hoping a nap is in your future.
Yikes! I have heaps of sympathy for you. If I had a magic wand I would loan it to you.
We installed a large dog door to try to handle this problem (about 2 feet away from where he usually slept), and it worked for awhile, until he lost the ability to easily stand up.
With the other dog, she did well until she hit fifteen, and then it was clear she no longer had any f***s to give. If it was time to go, she was going, and that was that.
I’m sorry. And I hope that you are better able to address this than we were.
Hope you have a better day tomorrow – virtual hug 🤗 for you – absolutely no advise
Tea and sympathy from the UK for you both 🤗
Many thanks for the snippet. Yours are the most read books in my library, a definite go to when I’m in need of comfort. Can you knit and have Gordon type will you brainstorm…just a thought
While not will 🙄
Chewy.com has oversized pee pads. I had to use them for my 110 lb dog when he couldn’t go outside and needed to pee in the house. I’d line an area of the floor with them overlapping and taped together (since he insisted on walking in circles before peeing), and it did a pretty good job of containing the flow.
And to cheer you up…
Just imagine it’s Curran.
OMG muahahaha !!!!
{{hugs}}
your dog is torturing you. unintentionally, but sleep deprivation is a legitimate means of torture or indoctrination. i’m sorry.
Thank you for the snippet. Sending Positive Energy. And internet hugs.
My most sincere sympathy, to sleep restfully is so crucial to being able to work and cope. When my husband and I were faced with years of disrupted sleep nightly with a sick child, we finally designated one of us to get 1 or 2 uninterrupted nights of sleep in a separate room. The other one of us still had a rough night, but knew that soon we would get our turn. Once the sleep tide began to turn and we weren’t progressively sleep deprived, it was easier to cope. Hoping for better sleep for you.
I must say that many of your books have been the reason I’ve seen the sun rise. Your talent and the characters and worlds you share, profoundly delight and encourage. Thank you.
Adult incontinence mattress pads are probably the way to go for disposable. For reusable, the make interlocking ones that snap together to provide larger surface area. Febreeze makes a laundry additive that’s effective at removing odors from them, and you can put some on dry pads to dry before putting them down and the wet of the pee will activate the febreeze in the moment.
Sorry to hear of your travails.
No answers,not a vet,but a lot of sympathy/empathy for your situation. Uninterrupted sleep is a rare thing in our house. Dog №1,our almost 4 yr old rescue, won’t go out when it is dark, sounds terrify her,and she is 100+ pounds of pure muscle. As a result,especially this time of year w darkness coming early,she holds her pee overnight, some leaks and it causes discomfort and she whines. Dog number 2, her brother,littermate, is this big happy goofball but who has ears that don’t miss anything,so often he hears something at 3am,and barks,loudly. Then we have the cat,who is Def the cousin of Dina’s cat,also known as Stalin cat. Gets into a stare down w a fox at 2am, Fox shrieks, he yowls,dog #2 goes nuts…..if it isn’t that,the cat is the definition of diurnal..wants breakfast at 2am, then half hour later wants out,and if you don’t let him out, he will wreak havoc. Or he shows up at 2am with several dead carcasses around him,wants in with a giant yowl,and wants cuddles. Not to mention of course the middle of the night cat fights w his arch rival that causes both dogs to bark….
As far as vets go,w dog no 1 they suggested a canine psychiatrist (no kidding), prob @ 125 an hour…..
We think that when we adopt critters they all see the invisible (to us) sign on our backs ‘first rate suckers’, and immediately go into cute mode when we meet them so we can’t resist.
I’m so sorry :'( . Our girl got dementia as she got older and had issues with confusing day and night and forgetting potty training (the worst was when she would randomly poop in the rare moments when we weren’t watching her like a hawk or she was crated, and then walk around in endless circles in it, getting herself and whatever she pooped on covered in stinky mess). Thankfully she was a very small dog so at least the messes were not doberman-sized. I spent SO many nights up with her and I would just be a miserable b*tch the next day because I NEED MY SLEEP. (We put a breakaway belled collar on her so we [ahem, *I*] could hear her when she got up at night and we could rush to get her somewhere pee-appropriate, so at least most of the time I wasn’t cleaning up messes in the middle of the night.)
One thing I learned and regret to this day – I would get frustrated with HER about it, even though I knew it wasn’t her fault, and I realized later I was actually frustrated with my (soundly-sleeping) husband because why the **** couldn’t HE get up with her sometimes?! I wish I had those nights back but will forever be grateful to her for teaching me not to misplace my frustration on someone/thing who doesn’t deserve it.
Again, I’m so, so sorry you’re having to deal with the sadness of an aging pup and the associated messes and interrupted sleep. :'( :'(
Sympathy heading your way!!!
I’m very sorry to hear about your dog. I wish I could help.
I am sitting my son’s dog, and he (loudly) decided that I needed to be awake at 1:55 am. I (loudly) disagreed. Thankfully, it is just he and I in the house for a few days.
I hate that brain dead feeling. I get it when I have fever, and I wish I could just happily sleep my way through whatever it is. Thankfully I do not get it often.
Sorry for your loss of 😴 sleep. I love your books and all your blogs. Thank you.
I believe in sharing everything with my husband (except laundry, because long ago
my practice husband took all of my cashmere sweaters that I had in a separate clothes bag to wash by hand, and tossed them in the washer and drier.He thought he was doing me a favor. Neither one of us knew a fashion forward 2 year old that they would fit.
My new husband (of 45 years and counting) is happy to share cooking and cleaning
chores, but I do the laundry and he does the lawn.
Maybe you could give Gordon a choice–less sleep or a grouchy, foggy wife.
And help him choose the right answer.
I have been through this with 3 older dogs. Only help I can say is, don’t use puppy pads, too small for grown dog. Use adult people pads, they are way bigger and cost less if you have a sam’s club near you. We also had to put an old shower curtain down first and then cover with the pads because Petey peed more than most cows. Hope this helps.
*Zen hugs* I hope it gets better.
Rotten timing – but that dog is lucky to have you as his humans!
Big hugs and I hope you get 8 hours tonight.
Sorry – her humans!
Sorry – “her” humans
I am so sorry. Sorry for your lack of sleep, and sorry to hear about Delilah’s problems.
Sending you sympathy and a massive 🤗
I can relate, our Aussie mix did that. We had Chucks all over the house to protect the furniture and rugs. Did Laundry ( with bleach) every day. Some meds made it worse, so we stopped them. Restricting water was one suggestion from the vet, but we had other pets that shared the water bowl. Crating is the only way to protect house but also means lots of baths.
I am sorry your fur baby is having trouble.
Thank you for the snippet.
Ahhh, poor baby. I hope your puppy gets a new lease on life. Maybe you can get someone who stays up all night and sleeps in the daytime to come and
visit. It’s murder not getting the right kind of sleep.
Not sure if this will help or not, but check out Mambe blankets. They are waterproof and washable. I have a protest peeing cat in my house. Mambe blankets have saved my couches. They come in any where from 18 inch x 18 inch to 90 inch x 120 inch. Not cheap, but it’s been totally worth it for us.
Hugs, I definitely feel sorry for you…. just went through the pee thing with our cat… it sucks. And I always brew my tea so that it looks like coffee…. otherwise what’s the point? Lol…. good luck!
i understand everything you said here and get it deeply (except for the writing part, i can’t write anything!!!) I give you very major sympathy; the situation sounds very hard.
arg. I am so very sorry! Its so hard when pets get older or misbehave in ways you thought you had trained them out of! I am sooo sorry. (I have a punk teenaged kitten now and I have had older ones with health issues so i get a lot of this. )
Actually a vet: Yes to human incontinence pads. In my practice, she would be on a trial of selegiline to treat canine cognitive dysfuction disorder (brand name Anipryl, but generic is cheaper). I can’t help with your sleep issue, because you’re human. Best of luck.
This is a different issue, but we had a very sweet but simple cat that couldn’t tell the difference between a bean bag chair and the litter box. My parents had given both me and my brother a bean bag chair. We each got covered in car urine by flopping into them. Our chairs and clothes were thrown out. No one has purchased a bean bag chair since. We did get five more cats, though. Fur-babies are precious.
I’m so sorry for your situation. You’re doing everything you can. I’m surprised at all the “helpful advice“ you’ve gotten in these comments. Especially since you specifically requested that people not give helpful advice in the comments.
I believe you said, “so please do me a huge favor and don’t offer helpful suggestions in the comments”. Did they not read what you asked?
I hope you get the sleep you need.
The geriatric season of life is a really challenging one. (I am a vet, and I’m still recovering from the years our family had multiple geriatric pets at a time, even though they passed away over a year ago.) I’m glad you have a wonderful vet to help you navigate this time and all that it may bring. There are increasing numbers of palliative care vets who can provide additional support to families and pets and may be a helpful teammate with your family vet. Not saying this is the time to research that, but wanted to put it out there for you (or someone else reading) when the time is right and you have the emotional bandwidth to think about it. Love and hugs.
Regarding your dobermans incontinence, my sheepdog had diabetes insipidus, it didn’t show in his blood tests, but first came to light through sudden excess peeing. Once he was diagnosed at age nine and a half he still lived on to be nearly sixteen. The medicine was a pain though, a syringe of liquid through the nose everyday!
I definitely feel sorry for you. You sincerely have my deepest sympathy because I am in the same boat, and know, from personal experience, how you feel. My lack of sleep is not due to an incontinent dog, but rather to a 91 year old parent with a compression fracture. I am by nature a night owl. I normally go to bed between 2 and 5 a.m. then experience sleep that is usually interrupted after 2 or 3 hours by leg pain due in part to neuropathy and a wonky knee. I stay up for an hour or two then go back to sleep and get up 4 or 5 hours later. Because I work from home, I’ve been elected to be my mother’s primary caregiver. Mom is a morning person. I love my mother, but I hate mornings, I hate the rising sun in my eyes, I hate having to get up at 7:30 to fix breakfast. I hate the pain in my leg that keeps me from comfortably catnapping in the recliner downstairs with 2 adorable puppy dogs who would otherwise be yapping at the top of the stairs because they lack human company. (Spoiled brats.) I hate that I am now having to climb the stairs 7 or 8 times a day to care for my mom, when, out of consideration for my knee, I previously planned trips up and down stairs to be no more than 3 a day. I am tired, stressed and in the last 2 weeks have lost 10 pounds. On the up side, in the last 2 weeks I’ve lost 10 pounds, lol, which is the silver lining to this particular part of the cloud. I am gradually adjusting to some of this, but some things just won’t adjust. I’ve tried going to bed earlier, but I can’t sleep. You just can’t turn a night owl into one of those crazy birds that start singing at the crack of dawn.
*hug*
I am sorry for your troubles. Have been there with both human & furred family members. Hope you get the help and the sleep you need.
Dealing with incontinence is super difficult, whether canine, feline or human. When our Jack Russell reached this stage she just peed on the bed. If I got lucky, it only went through the blanket and pad underneath and I didn’t have to change the sheets at 4am.
Exhaustion makes everything more daunting, reduces willpower, and eliminate s patience.
Maybe trade off who sleeps with the dog and who uses a guest room for a respite?
Hang in there. Lots of hugs.
I feel you on the sleep and know that nothing wakes you up in the middle of the night like the sound of a dog about to throw up in your bed! Not a vet, but one more thing to look into, our elderly dachshund started having accidents which we chalked up to her being old. The vet agreed multiple times. We took her to another vet when ours was on vacation and she had a cough, and he immediately diagnosed her with bladder stones. My poor little girl had two giant bladder stones causing the issue. A fairly easy surgery later and she was no longer having incontinence issues. Hoping you can get some sleep soon and stop feeling so overwhelmed.
Much sympathy! My 140 lb Doberman began to experience dementia when he was 14. He repeatedly tried to beat down our fence to escape when left alone- separation anxiety I am assuming. We always took him to work with us until he could no longer get into the car and picking him up caused him to lose bladder control. He paced the floor of the house all night long- with much nail clicking I will add! He would try to either pull me out of bed or climb in with me, when his poor old joints kept him from even climbing on the couch. I finally had him put to sleep when it was obvious his mental state was deteriorating. Broke my heart! Dobies are such sweethearts!
Tons of sympathy to you! 🥺
Thank you for the snippet!
Love the snippet! I have a soft spot for Leon. 🙂
All my sympathy for the sleep disturbance, your dog’s troubles, and the downstream (ahem, sorry) effects of all of that. Wishing an immediate flash of insight on someone’s part that effects a remarkable cure for your pup. Most importantly, I am wishing you perfect nights of uninterrupted sleep – as many as you desire and need! Sending you energy for ease and grace.
Ow. I feel for you, on both the deadline and the sleep issue.
I enjoyed the heck out of Sweep with Me. It was as delightful as your work always is.
Wishing you good sleep and a dog that remembers to pee outside.
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this– it’s so hard and exhausting, both spiritually and physically. My oldest cat was 17, and had incontinence. I tried everything, many vet visits, and including putting her in a large dog crate with puppy pads. I couldn’t keep doing that to her. Her quality of life suffered. We suffered with her. Finally had to let her go, and putting her to sleep both broke my heart and was a huge relief that I still feel guilty about. Yet I know that she’s no longer suffering. I hope so much that you and your family find a workable solution for you all. Much sympathy and hugs!!
So sorry for the loss of your beloved cat. Thanks for sharing your story, because I´m really happy that I´m not the only one who experienced this. We thought for a long time it was our fault that our cat started peeing inside. At the end we couldn´t let him stay inside without somebody in the house. We did add a little hut for his comfort outside. But he cried the whole night because he was used to be with us during winter nights. At the end he started not only peeing but loosing excrements as well. This was the point that we put him to sleep. And we had been so happy that finally winter was over.
Ilona, you have all my sympathy. My sister has dealt with several large dogs 100 pounds plus with similar issues. One of which was mine. And last year I was dealing with my beloved wasn’t hearing well, had a very narrow area of vision only out of one eye and had become diabetic Maltese. At least he was small. CHARLIE was loved by all and used to sing along when my dad played the harmonica. Dad told me that Charlie preferred the key of A and sang along best with Rock of Ages. Our four legged friends just don’t live long enough. .
You have it all; my sympathy, my prayers, and my admiration. I could not, would not ever have the love and patience for a sieve on four paws! I am hoping this warm hug reaches you in time to meet your deadline. It is laced with energy and peace. Much love, Cby
I’m so sorry you are going through this. I had 2 cats with incontinence at the end of their (fairly long) lives. For me, the worst part was the evidence that my darlings’ time with me was drawing to a close. I was lucky that I was able to go back to sleep easily and feel rested in the morning but I’ve battled insomnia for years, so I feel for you on that score.
Sympathy. ALL the Sympathy. Just for you. I feel sorry for you.
Hope that helped! 🙂
I’m so sorry for you! (see, I follow directions well) You have my deepest sympathy because dealing with anything or anyone who pees on the floor in the house is a nightmare without the sleep. Hang in there and thank you so much for the snippet, it is a gem.
I would have go back to sleep.
Love, hugs and wishes of well being and a full night of sleep.
Much sympathy and support sent your way. I too need uninterrupted sleep, and am not highly functional if I don’t get it. I know you love your dog, and are doing everything you can for her. I hope that between yourselves and your vet that you are able to find a solution that works best for you and Delilah. Some say words are empty, but actions speak volumes. Unfortunately I can only use words in this instance, but at least they are sincere. I know Delilah is a loved member iof your family, and as such any problem she is having hurts, even if it didn’t directly impact your physical wellbeing as well. I am mentally sending positive, healing vibes for both you and Delilah, as well as wishes for a quick, happy resolution to the situation.
I am a vet. Have you tried therapeutic diets that may help with cognitive disorder? I have had luck with them in some of my senior patients. They take a while to work…weeks not days.
I’m so sorry Delilah has incontinence. I know you are worried about her and dreading the future. She is elderly, and old folks have problems with memory and such things as incontinence. I wish you rejuvenating sleep, and hugs, kisses. and snuggles for Delilah.
You have my absolute sympathy. I spent 7 months getting up twice a night o take a dog out.
My question is why does her urine stink like that? I’ve had several elderly Dobes, as well as other breeds and I have never had an old dog with urine that was stench like. We’ve had incontinence issues in some but no foul smell. We owned a boarding kennel for 27 years and boarded many old and incontinent dogs and never had one that had foul smelling uring. I would want the cause of that investigated.
I understand you can’t use a crate but would she tolerate an exercise pen? You could line it with newspaper with puddle pads on top in an area where she can walk around and have a comfy bed in there for her to sleep on. Or would she do ok in a bathroom with pads down? Maybe a closet with a baby gate so she can’t get out, but she’s contained in a smaller area where you can protect the floors but she’s still in the room with you. Old dogs are hard.
Maybe check out Peadpodmats? Those things can hold A LOT of liquid They are machine washable, but have to hang them to dry because of the waterproof backing.
Totally feel your pain. Our last dog devloped incomtinence in her later years too. Those late might/ early morning (YES YOU WILL GO OUTT AND PEE !) breaks really suck.
I do feel for you!!! Going through the same with my ridgeback, she is 11 and about 150 pounds. And yes the urine STINKS!!! Finally found a medication that works, hallelujah. Got some who said I should just put her down…huh? She and I are in the same boat, both getting older with creaky joints and leaky bladders. No that is NOT a reason to “put down” my best friend! You have my sympathy, know that I feel your pain and hope you get some good sleep.
Older pets. Feel your pain. All the sympathy in the world to you, so sorry you’re dealing with that.
Thanks so much for the snippet!
There, there Ilona. And there! there! Delilah — on the puppy pads! Wishing only good things for both of you. ❤️
Sending you supportive vibes and hugs. Sometimes life just sucks.
No matter how much you cover it up
You are not mean selfish or uncaring
You survived the fears of last year AND now look how this one wants to kick off
You search for the humor, you turn the ache or at least try….
Delilah trusts, trust her trust in you
My deepest sympathies
I empathize, I sympathies, I feel you and am there with you.
I no longer can have any rugs down in my cold, cold kitchen and bathroom. Heavens forbid a towel fall off the towel rack.
Two elder kitties…. One just pees, she gets in the litter box and just pees right outside of it. and the other one has tummy issues and well… it’s just not pretty.
I have mats, mats and I should have stock in Natures Miracle….
But they are still here and purring.. So all worth it..
Don’t think I saw anyone else post this but, to to your local Wal-Mart in the depends is you will find chucks. They are the same thing as per pads but made for humans a this much larger! And usually cheaper to, you can even get washable ones! You have to really look there packaging looks just like all the depends packages. Hope this helps!
P.S. I can also Sun-Times find them at my local Dollar General.
I’m so sorry to hear you’re having these issues. I too need a long chunk of uninterrupted sleep to do well. Otherwise the build up of sleep deprivation can really make me cranky with a short fuse. I had to read the line about the blood work multiple times because my brain wanted to randomly connect it to the previous sentence and throw half the words away. I was left being confused about why Delilah had green pee. Perhaps I need more sleep.
Thanks for the great snippet and best wishes for some resolution to the challenges.
Thank you for the brotherly love ❤️
I’m so sorry about your leaky senior pup. We went through it with our Ann this past summer. She had a tumor and became incontinent but wouldn’t go outdoors very much and could only walk a little. So when she kept having accidents of both types, we got the biggest puddle pads we could find. We wrapped all her beds in trashbags and laid overlapping puddle pads on top. She would move from bed to bed when she soiled and we would try to keep up spraying, wiping, mopping and replacing.
We also tried to save money after two midnight runs to Walmart for giant boxes of puddle pads of the largest sizes available. We tried to slow expenses and the rate we were filling the landfill by cutting out sections of puddle pads that were dirty. It started becoming a puddle pad jigsaw puzzle challenge to cut, clean, rearrange the holey puddle pads for full dog bed coverage before she could return and circle multiple times and lay down… with her bum off the pads completely. We learned to maneuver pads to land under her bum. We thought we were probably crazy as well as going crazy. It was exhausting and we took turns not sleeping/napping and were short tempered and stressed. I totally relate to not getting enough sleep and elderly companion animal caretaking challenges so I’m sending you virtual hugs and lots of sympathy/empathy.
Despite the challenges, we feel lucky we got to have our Ann for a little longer (6weeks from diagnosis) before she lost the battle with cancer and laid down for her final peaceful rest at summer’s end. We were glad she would not be in any more pain or embarrassment but we were heartbroken, losing her after only had her under five years.
One blessing was that we found a vet that did home visits, coordinated with our regular awesome vet, and walked us through what to expect with her decline, and the vet made everything easier and made us feel like we were doing awesome when everything sucked lemons.
I hope you have some time to have peaceful moments with your pooch. ❤️ We had to learn to slow down for ours and just be with her in between the frantic, chaotic moments because everything passes eventually.
Ugh. I feel for you. I have a sensitive nose for sleeping and I can entirely imagine how the smell would wake you. Make Gordon take turns with you on who is getting up and cleaning. And go easy on yourself when your sleep has been interrupted for any reason. Snuggle that pup extra from all of us.
Snippet was awesome. Leon is the best.
Have you tried duct taping a group of puppy pads together?
I tried the fake grass square they have for dogs and was not very impressed.
It would be easier to have made a box with real grass and sod that I could roll outside post use and transplant used material outside😑
Sending sympathy and love your way. When our older pup entered the incontinent stage, we had old sheets on the floor everywhere. It sounds like you are doing your very best!
Oh that sounds horrible! Poor dog, and poor you! I am feeling with you.
My younger boy isn’t sleeping through the night .. yet. He is 15 months old. And I have to get up at 4.30 am to milk our cows. And afterwards my older boy is ready to wake up so no more sleep for me afterwards. High five anyone? 😉
I am also the must-get-complete sleep person. So all I can say is yes- that is the priority. Take care of yourself + hope things improve.
Poor you! I am so sorry you’re going through such a rough patch, that is a lot of stress to deal with. It speaks to the care , and love you’ve given that your Dobie has reached such an age.
I am VERY sorry for you. I share your sleep vulnerability so completely understand. I am counting my blessings that age-related incontinence was an age related afflictions my beloved Basenji called Misty did not develop. Fur Family are so special and so vulnerable.
I’m sorry for all the reasons.
I feel your pain. I told a client I was cleaning her fridge….It was her shower.
Short sleep does not work for me, also dog related.
I have been through this with pets before. It’s a very emotional challenge. My heart and hugs go out to you.
You have my deepest sympathies! I hope things get better. I do have to Thank you for the laughs tho. I thought your idea with puppy pads would work for my old incontinent feline,so I was looking them up online. There I stumbled across The Products! Good Goddess! I was laughing so hard I was snorting! Everything from indoor grass to potted plant pee systems!!! In my day my parents put out a pee pad with an upright piece of firewood on it for a tree! Way cheaper!
I have a seventeen year old Cardigan Welsh Corgi having similar problems. I can manage it during the day by taking him outside every two hours. At night there are accidents. I just clean it up and appreciate that he is still here. But it doesn’t wake me up because he walks out to the kitchen to go. I feel your pain though. He used to wake me up in the middle of the night to be let out.
When our first dog became incontinent, we looked towards the human products. We bought the pads they put on people with the same problem who are bedridden. They hold more water and are less expensive than the dog ones. Even the washable dog pads seem to be more expensive than the people ones. You can get ones that are very large (up to twin bed size).
Also Orvis has some waterproof dog beds (we had a leaker) and bedspreads that do not absorb the water but keep things from getting ruined.
It is a horrible time to go through but you have to remember the good years that you had. Right now I have three old dogs with various issues. Just going out for a walk is an experience between blankets (one freezes in cool weather), ice packs with fans (one has heart issues in warm weather), and treat variations (one is on an expensive restrictive diet). Then there is the lighted stroller in case anyone collapses or tires out. I feel your pain.
you could do a screened in porch with a little heater for winter and a overhead fan for summer? Thats what friends of mine did for their elderly dog…much easier to hose down concrete. Then it became a great cat spot too after the dog passed away and you guys can also enjoy in summer sans mosquitos
Our lovely Dobie Maddie had a stroke at age 12 and the local vet hospital said she wouldn’t make it. Two days later she was standing with help. We bought a harness and since I’m the only one at home I learned to lift this 95 pound dog into the car, onto her dog bed, etc. She got better about standing and moving but we still had to use the harness. By the time she passed at age 13 she was going out 6-8 times per day. Still hear her shake that head and rattle her tags. I miss her so much. What a sweetheart.
So sorry!!! Right there with you – we are dealing with age related incontinence with our 16-y-o standard poodle. Your description is exactly how it goes with us, from quantity of pee to taking them out and then having an accident 3 minutes later. It’s just awful. Sending lots of sympathetic thoughts your way!
I DO feel sorry for you!
I will tell you a sympathy story.
We had a kitty who grew up and old with the children. BEST KITTY EVEH. She let them dress her up, she let them lug her around, she let them put her in a stroller. She played chase with the dog (a look and a tail flick and the chase was on). She started having medical problems we couldn’t solve and she got incontinent. She would get these horrendous ear infections .. I cannot even go there. She was 16 when my husband put her down (she had tried to wander off a couple of times but couldn’t get far). I was at work and I cried so hard. My boss held me in the staff room.
Sleep story some other time.
I hope you get what you all need soon.
I can completely sympathize with you. My extremely spoiled pug is incontinent. Nothing helps and he was a lap/sleep on the bed dog. He doesn’t understand. Fortunately I have no carpeting and he has always been confined to the laundry room when left alone. It breaks my heart.
My cat has found a silver lining, however. She thinks that she is the “only” baby now.
I feel sorry for you. 🙁
And thank you for the snippet. 🙂
Well… My life is dog pee too, I’m in the third day without sleep well, have an approaching deadline and spilled coffee on my computer yesterday, I believe because I was trying to work without managing to function properly, so I am very *very* very empathic with you right now. Today was the lost day of trying to save everything and put the old-not-great computer to work again. All the sympathy. I’m sorry for you and the doggo.
I’m not a vet, but own Dobermans and big dogs in general.
Don’t shop dog. Never big enough. I just bought foal blankets last year for my dogs that finally fit for cold weather.
Try twin size bedding and/or absorbent padding for incontinent adults. The tab style diaper might be worth a shot, too. It’s probably cheaper than dog stuff as well.
Good luck.
I was very lucky when going through incontinence issues with my cat. He would hop into the shower and do his business. Made for easy clean up.
Thank you, Ilona Andrews for post.
You have our sympathy.
I am not a vet but was a vet tech for over a decade. You said blood work but nothing about urinalysis. The fact you noted the urine smelled makes me think urine needs to be checked. Could be normal or bacterial infection or crystals or metabolic breakdown of medication or… Glad to know bloodwork normal except for thyroid.
Some dogs learn to use pee pads that you put on floor and others prefer the carpet instead of easily cleaned up tile floor.
Ilona Andrews I forgot to mention if your pup is taking human t4 thyroid medication then one of known side effects is increased thirst and urination. The mental confusion might be related to being hypothyroidism. If your vet is having thyroid medication made by compounding pharmacist then probably not soloxine known side effect.
There is a veterinary PDR that is very helpful. I think amazon has it on their website now. If not your vet will be able to tell you publisher.
Sympathy.
Ilona Andrews I forgot to mention if your pup is taking human t4 thyroid medication then one of known side effects is increased thirst and urination. The mental confusion might be related to being hypothyroidism. If your vet is having thyroid medication made by compounding pharmacist then probably not soloxine known side effect.
There is a veterinary PDR that is very helpful. I think amazon has it on their website now. If not your vet will be able to tell you publisher.
Sympathy.
Sometimes you just need a hug <<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>
I may be late with this, and you may not need the savings, but if you do… DON’T buy puppy pads. Look for blue pads instead. I’d suggest googling for them at medical supply places. Since they’re meant to protect people size beds, they come in bigger sizes, and usually much, much cheaper. I used them with my gastrically challenged sharpei for years. Best of luck!
Poor baby
Hugs and sympathy for everyone!
Massive sympathy. We went through the same with our Great Dane X Mastiff. He eventually lost (partial) control of his bowels too when he needed to stand up (as you can imagine it’s a strain to stand up when you weigh 14st!) so we would have lumps of poop round the house! And you feel so GUILTY for your frustration because you know they can’t help it. They love you and you love them. And she knows she’s loved. Sleep is an absolute necessity for me too. Good luck. You can do this!
Sleep is most important part of everyone, so not only me but also everybody should care about it. There are lot of causes of sleep problem. If who does not sleep in bed they can choose another option on chair. And must use lift chair and this website may help you how to use it visit http://www.chairsadvisor.com/best-recliner-for-sleeping/.
Gentle hugs. I hope things level out soon for your furbaby. Geriatic care is hard, but our love for them will carry us on.
*Hugs*
Hugs, lots of hugs.
I’m sorry sorry, that stinks.
Poor baby! You should drink some nice tea and just veg for an hour or so. Amazing how that feels!
Southern Sympathy: Bless your heart!
I hope it all gets better soon.
I feel your pee pain. My 14 yr old doxie has the pee issues but related to typical doxie spine problems. He potties better when relaxed,and can’t empty his bladder, so we run around helping him do it. Helps keep the bladder infections at bay. He also poops when asleep and you need a gas mask. It’s a heck of an alarm.
My 18 year old Sheltie/ Chow mix has the urine/poop/arthritis problem. I feel your pain.
Going through something similar with my rescue Toy Fox Terrier. He’s somewhere between 12-15 years old and has been peeing and pooping in the house for the last 6 months. It used to be an occasional problem if I had a long day at work but it became every day. What’s helped: Doggie diapers. There are both disposable and washable kinds as you’ve probably found out. I’ve been trying both. But he has a short stubby tail like your doberman and it….kept…sliding….off. Argh!!! So… He is now wearing a harness and the full diaper (female type) is attached to the harness via a safety pin and a carabiner clip. I was able to visit my parents in Michigan and only had two pooping problems (a piece fell out the side). I also got a small crate only a little larger than him and he stays in that while I’m away from the house. He actually uses it now by preference. All of this is still a work in progress but wearing the diaper seems to be inhibiting him from even trying to go inside. So the washable ones are doing fine because he only rarely goes in them. If you want, I’ll snap a picture. But I definitely feel your pain. Hope something in this helps.
Over the years have had 5 senior dogs with the same issues you are describing. Switched them to the raw diet, load taken off the kidneys, problem solved or much improved.
{{{hugs}}} poor baby! I hope it all works out for you. I don’t have any suggestions or advice but do have an anecdote….
I had a cat and even though his name was Fermi, he was dumb as a post. He kept pooping in front of the framed portrait of my grandson! Every day. I put the litter box right there in front of that picture and he’d poop to the side of the litter box! It wasn’t until I put hid the portrait that he started going in the litter box.
I understand your pain. I got a new kitten. She is box trained, the only problem is she has constant diarrhea. She’s been to the vet a million times, they have no answers, but she’s on 4 medications. Unfortunately, even though she is a good box user, it gets all over her paws and her little bum and is literally smeared on every surface of my house. If you’ve ever had a kitten you will know why. So I spend everyday doing 7 loads of laundry, cleaning the carpet and every other surface of my house (plus the kitty). Just what I want after I come home from a full time job. I love her, and I pray it ends. But I feel your pain.