Often due to age or injury, our canine friends will experience some kind of incontinence in their lives. Sometimes this is temporary and sometimes this is more permanent in nature. Sometimes there is only urinary incontinence, sometimes there is only bowel incontinence and sometimes it is both. Whatever it is, incontinence is an easy thing to manage. You can have a normal happy long life with an incontinent pet… it’s just about having the right tools and education.
Diapers and things that catch things
Boys and girls pee differently so we have different products for each.
For a boy dog who has urinary incontinence, one can use BELLY BANDS.
Belly bands can be home made or found by searching the internet. They come in different fabrics and styles but basically are fairly simple and are fitted around the waist and are designed to cover the penis and catch urine. Some are made with elastic, some are not.
For a girl dog who has urinary incontinence, one needs to use a DIAPER – there are many kinds of diapers available as the demand to contain a female dog in heat has them available in any pet store.
For bowel incontinence, I don’t especially like the use of diapers as they trap the feces next to the body. Especially if you have a female dog as you don’t want to trap feces near the vulva as it can cause a urinary tract infection. I prefer stimulating the bowels 2-3x a day (click here to read more about bowel expression) and then perhaps using a waterproof pad to lay on in case something comes out unexpected.
When used within a belly band these pads are great at absorbing moisture for your male dog with an incontinence issue. Our experience is that they’re actually better than the more traditional feminine hygiene products.
Mylan Enterprises makes inexpensive wee-wee pads.
Note also that there are some great beds now that offer comfort and support – click here to view some ideas for pet beds.