RachelW

Hello fellow Basset lovers! I write this while my little one naps peacefully after a long day at day camp. She sure loves it there.

Anyway, I know I don't post often but I do read and follow your conversations well. I just don't usually have much advice that someone hasn't already shared. Tonight, I'm reaching out to all of you for a little advice...

One thing I have done some research on as of late is incontinence. Maddie is only 20 months old. Recently, she has peed, while on MY bed, twice in the last month. She was certainly awake at these times but very relaxed, just simply laying there. She did not get up to pee, it was almost as if she did not even realize she had done it. On top of that, she has begun having accidents in the house. The two times these accidents have occurred, we've been in the kitchen. She will begin to pee (seemingly uncontrollably) and it almost seems that she realizes, "oh no, I'm peeing inside!" so then she runs to the front door, dribbling pee all the way behind her - unable to shut off this flow.

The last thing that leads me to believe that there is something physically wrong with her, is that she has been peeing in her crate. Maddie did this a couple times when she was younger but has since stopped and I have not come home to a messy crate in MONTHS. Sometimes, I will have only been gone for 45 minutes (running to the grocery store, or gym, etc) and she'll have peed in the crate.

I've joked that she's had a small bladder all her life, and she definitely has. However, the peeing on the bed (while lying there, not even bothering to get up) and the running to the door while peeing are new developments.

*sigh* Perhaps this means she is not entirely housetrained? However, she seems to make an effort to get to the door, once she has begun peeing but she also cannot seem to stop the pee at all. Does this sound like an incontinence issue? I know incontinence is possible in spayed females (which she is) but that it is also more common in older females. Perhaps a UTI issue or bladder stone issue is to blame? Is she not completely housetrained and needing a refresher? What about a behavioral problem?

Any and all advice is welcome. Regardless, I am taking her to the vet, unfortunately she'll have to wait until Tuesday. I am just saddened by this entire situation. My poor little one seems to be attempting to do the right thing but is having trouble doing so. Perhaps I am at fault in some way, in which case, I am open to the recommendations on my part as well. I just want my little girl to go back to the happy, housetrained, lovely little gal she is! This is something that seems to be stressful for her.

Jnfr

I would take her to the vet and have her checked first for a UTI. If that comes back negative, I would have them run a blood test to check kidney levels. I had this problem with Abby (Don't mean to alarm you) but for her it turned out to be a kidney issue.

I've been there waking up in bed to dog pee (noting more fun at 3 am!). I bought and used (temporarily) a rubber/latex/plastic mattress pad to put under the sheets as not to ruin the whole mattress.

RachelW

Thanks, Jnfr! I'm thought about the UTI but she seems to have no trouble producing urine (I know a common symptom is squatting with little or no pee to be seen!). I will definitely have the vet check for this, too.

Good to know about the kidney thing, too. Our little babies can start speaking English any day now.... It would be much easier if she could just talk to me! Haha

Jnfr

That is one of the reasons I think Vets are so great. We go to the Dr. and tell them it hurts here.... fur babby's can't do that, the vet just has to figure it out.

I hope it is something "simple" with Maddie and they can get her back on the right track. If (god forbid) it would be more serious and a renal issue, contact me. I have been dealing with it for almost 2 years and have a decent handle on this issue. Jen

Scully

It does sound like it could possibly be spay incontinence. Could be a UTI/kidney issue too, but incontinence would be my first (completely unqualified) guess, since, if I understand correctly, it seems to happen when she's been sleeping or in a relaxed state.

At one point, we thought that Larsen might have developed incontinence. I started to notice wet spots on his bed, and would occasionally see that when he was laying around watching me in the kitchen some pee would come out. At first I thought maybe he had a UTI, but having had plenty of experience with bassety UTI's, this just seemed different. After urinalysis and blood panels turned out to be fine, the vet suspected it was the male version of spay incontinence. We were given the option to wait it out a few months, to see if the issue resolved on its own, and if not, to come back and discuss medication. In the meantime, I began to realize that the bed peeing would happen when I approached him on the bed, which kind of made me think it was more behavioral, as he has been a bit territorial of his sleeping areas since we have had him. Also, he started to tinkle a bit when I would clean his ears, at which time he was obviously far from being in a relaxed state. Over time, the issue did appear to be behavioral in nature, and actually resolved on its own.

None of my blabbering is very helpful or anything, but I do hope that your baby's issue can be resolved!

__________________
Mom to Larsen, Ninja, and Scully (ATB ~ forever in my heart)
www.countercruiser.com

Lightning&Stomps

I had a female dog who developed incontinence. She was so upset at peeing inside that she tried to eat through the back door to get outside (she obviously wasn't a basset ). Medication took care of it and wasn't expensive at all. Good luck and let us know what you find out.

Mikey T

i am going to make a wild assomption that she is spayed. I had two beagles develop spay incontinance between 2 and 3 years a lot younger than typical the symptoms are all there peeing were they sleep rest not realizing etc. It is general pretty easy to treat with Proin

RachelW

Thank you guys so much for the assurance. I was worried that maybe we had taken a big step back in potty training! (She was a really bugga to potty train, but even then she never peed on my [our] bed!)

I will take her to the vet tomorrow and give you guys an update as soon as I can. Thanks again, I appreciate it so much!

Rachel and Maddie

Mikey T

that is a possibility but fit the accidents are ocurring where she sleeps rest it is not likely, more likely a medical issue ie uti, spay incontinence. Badder tilt etc.