Jump to content
BC Boards

My last nerve


Recommended Posts

Take her off rawhides PERIOD. Lots of dogs don't tolerate rawhides well and if she has any sort of digestive upset, I would take her off totally. Certainly switching to a new type could have made the stomach upset worse but any rawhide at all is probably too much for a dog with digestive issues.

 

Lisa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The 4 poos are basically 2 normal ones, with a break in the middle to move to a new spot. She can't just poop in one spot she goes 1/2 on one side of the yard, then fnishes at the other side of the yard.

 

Oh, You've just got yourself a "traveler" LOL.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When I first got my dog, he would poop every 10 minutes or so for as long as I was walking him. Never any accidents, and never any pooping in my yard (to this day!), but just frequent poops when he was out and about. I had to carry loads of bags with me every time we walked. After he settled in, this switched to a usual pattern of 1 - 2 poops per walk. But, he still sometimes will squeak out a third one, after I've used my second and last bag. These are healthy, fully-formed poops, and he never has accidents. He can hold from 7:00 a.m. till 5:30 p.m. if I have a late night. It just seems that if we're walking, his digestive system is kicking into high gear. I've always thought maybe that's a survival thing for dogs who have to hole up or hunker down for long periods of time - their bodies hold tight when they're in their dens, and then when they're away, their bodies "let go."

 

I think the "normal" BM patterns of dogs must vary a lot by individual. As do, I imagine, the patterns of humans. I used to travel with a friend, and she'd have to pull over after every meal, 3 - 4 times per day. Seemed a lot to me. Meanwhile, she though MY once-per-day was abnormal and unhealthy. ::Shrug:: (Is that in the TMI category!? Why is it OK for us to dissect the poop of our dogs, but to never discuss our own health regarding this issue!?)

 

Mary

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to travel with a friend, and she'd have to pull over after every meal, 3 - 4 times per day. Seemed a lot to me. Meanwhile, she though MY once-per-day was abnormal and unhealthy. ::Shrug:: (Is that in the TMI category!? Why is it OK for us to dissect the poop of our dogs, but to never discuss our own health regarding this issue!?)

 

Mary

 

:rolleyes:

 

TMI!!! But, yes, you are normal. She is weird and/or she eats lots of prunes.

Ailsa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I have. Didn't seem to make a difference. They liquid stools come and go and it's been hard to predict. I've used OptiGest. Maybe a different brand would be more useful. I'm pretty willing to try anything at this point.

 

The Dogzymes digestive enzyme product is worth a try. It's called "Dogzymes Digestive Enhancer". They do offer a money back guarentee on their products, I believe.

 

If you should try it, give it about two weeks before making a decision about it's effectiveness. All of my dogs got soft stools when I started them on it, but within two weeks that cleared up and not one of them has had an issue since.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First, it is completely understandable that you are stressed out. I think anyone in your situation would be. But please, take a deep breath and don't give up on your puppy - you are her best shot.

 

Could rawhide bones be causing her some troubles?

 

Second, my dog reacts to rawhides, so it is quite possible that Shadow does too. I use bully sticks, kongs filled with yogurt, pumpkin and other yummy goodies, and also raw knuckle bones and turkey necks for some fun chewing time.

 

Third, I am no expert either, but I think RDM's (and others) advice is a good one. Have you tried some grain-free food? Once I switched my dog from Solid Gold to Innova Evo, she went from 4 poop sessions a day to 2 sessions, and her poop is much firmer too! LOL!

 

Fourth, having her on a consistent schedule ought to help also... my dog asks to go out, but I only rely on it for emergency requests (living in an apartment with no yard will teach you that). My dog can rely on a clear daily schedule - we have a routine for everything, and she knows when the poop time's coming.:rolleyes:

 

Good luck!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Between her inability to learn, stress from school, and my rapidly decline health I'm almost ready to wander away and simply disappear.

Shadow's Mom,

 

I just reread your original post and caught this line. Please do not wander away and simply disappear! It sounds like things are really piling up for you right now. You need to talk to someone that can help you sort them out, maybe a school counselor. It can be really tough when everything seems to be going downhill in your life, but things will turn around if you hang in there. If you can pick one of these problems and do something about it, the others won't be so overwhelming.

 

Later on, you'll look back at Shadow's poopy puppy days and reflect on how glad you are that she eventually turned into your dream dog after all. Some dogs just take a little longer to get there.

 

Remember, don't wander away and disappear. We all care about you and Shadow and want you both to stick around here, if for no other reason than that you have one of the cutest avatars on the whole BC Board :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just glanced over the posts about her being a traveller...it's kinda funny. I had a Norweigan Elkhound who was so "gung-ho" about our walks and all the smells he would poo while walking with his nose to the ground or tree, what ever was in his path...it was the most rediculous thing I have ever seen!

 

I don't really have much advice, but I understand completely! I couldn't house train Daisy until she was almost a year old. Now, a girl who was living in my house thought that I was abusing her by keeping her in her crate all day, so she would come home from work or wake up from night shift and let my puppy out and then proceed to have a 3 hour bath with an un-trained puppy roaming free. (I also have a feeling she miss-treated her but I have no proof) Once that girl moved out Daisy was house broken with in days. It was really quite stressful, she would just go where ever she felt like it....I was pretty close to the point you are at. Don't give up on Shadow, you guys will make it. See what the vet has to offer and try new food if you have to. One thing that made it really quick for us is that I made it the HUGEST party in the WORLD every time Daisy did a #2 outside, there was happy voices, treats and lots of "good girls", I know my neighbours thought I was nuts!!

Good luck!

julie

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shadow's mom, go o your vet and ask where you can get some Iams Low Residue food. Most vets carry it. This is what Ido has to be on for her bowel issues. It is designed for doggy's with intestinal issues, and to prevent runny stool. See if this helps her poopy issues...

 

Hang in there, puppy-hood is rough!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm late reading this but it sounds to me like her food doesn't set right. Lots of dogs have special stomachs. I went through three food brands before I finally decided to stick with the Chicken soup brand because it seemed to do the best for him. I have head from other people that feed Candie that it can cause stomach problems. Sometimes even pooping to much. We had one breeder bring in her whole 150lbs of food stock becuase she was tired of feeding it. So maybe that's the whole problem. Also, cheap rawhides are BAD. Some of those discusting things are nasty. Black Jack loves rawhide bones, but if I give him more than one a week he gets bad poops and gas :D

 

Don't give up on her, or yourself! Everyone has already given you lots of good advice. Most of it I just said again :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gypsy doesn't ask to go out either. It was more difficult house training her because of it, but she was on a schedule and for those couple months after I first got her I took her out every chance I got - better safe than sorry.

 

She knew she was supposed to go outside, but she wouldn't ask. Usually she would walk to the back door, wait for a minute, and if no one noticed she would pee on the mat at the back door. Poop too, but not as often since she pooped less.. most of the time anyways, there was one day she pooped 9 times :rolleyes:

 

Ayways, I would definitely try the bells idea. That's what really worked for us. Instead of barking/whining to let me know she needed go out, she associated going outside with hitting the bells, and it just clicked for her. All of a sudden there were no more accidents and my dog was housetrained! It's a great feeling once you finally realize it happened, so stick it out and give the bells a try. Remember dogs don't do things out of spite, Shadow just needs to learn how to get you to let her outside.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I didn't finish reading all the replies to this, but I wanted to comment on the pooping in the crate. Shiner had a similar thing recently, it started when he had dire rear for a few days. He went in his crate one time because he couldn't hold it, and then about a week later, after he was better, came in from outside, went right into his crate, and pooped. I can only guess that he thought after being sick and put in his crate alot that we wanted him to poop in there. I had to stop crating him for a short time, I kept him in the kitchen instead. Now we are using the crate again, no problems.

 

Also, mine don't usually ask to go out either, I just take them out on the same schedule every day. One of my dogs is just starting to ask sometimes by going to the door and waiting there, and he's 15 months old.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a rescue last summer who got a stomach virus and then went through the worst IBS I've ever seen. What finally got him straightened out was a diet with two cooked eggs with shells, raw meat, and lots of veggies and fruits, plus a grain free kibble. When people have trouble with Canidae, many times it may be traceable to the grains. It's a great food but it is a little heavy on the grains (nice healthy ones, but still quite glutineous nonetheless).

 

When you switch a dog's diet, remember that it may take up to three weeks of things staying the same overall, until you see significant improvement. That is how long it take for complete cell regeneration - for an absorption problem you have to wait until the gi is healed to get complete benefit of any change you make. However, getting worse is never normal - you might have one or two bad bouts during a healing time, but it shouldn't be a pattern. What I usually do is fast, do a bland course for about a week, and that gives me a blank slate to work with.

 

Good luck!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have a VERY limited selection of foods here; grocery store junk, science diet, medical, blue seal, canidae, and royal canin. Thats it. I cannot get a grain free food for under $80 a bag (which I simply cannot afford) =/ Canidae is the only one that she has normal stools with. everything else is either dire poopies or she will starve herself for 4 days and not touch it (science diet and medical). I don't really have any choice but to stick with this food.

 

I took the cheap rawhides away from her and will have to go to Costco soon for the good ones (they never caused problems, nor did the pet foods store ones).

 

No accidents since the origonal post.. so thats good =D Still taking her to the vet though, as I want to be sure she's alright. The vet did say that she could have had a tummy upset from her Sentinel, and that may be the cause of the in kennel accident, as she has seen it cause tummy upset before; short term, for only a day or two... which sure beats the heck out of parasites.. ick!

 

Thanks for all the info and support guys, really helps, and makes me feel a lot better =)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's great that she's been doing so well! I wouldn't sweat switching her food. I read your other post as meaning she actually poops four times a day (rather than getting distracted in between) and if she was pooping in the house every day on top of that, well, that's a lot. But it sounds like she's doing better on Canidae than anything else. It also sounds like most of the time she can hold it in her kennel for quite a long time. Just stick to a schedule, crate her when she can't be supervised, and don't give her the opportunity to screw up. She will get there. Hope her successful streak continues!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know if anyone has mentioned this but does she get really active right before she goes? Like is she running up and down the stairs, playing, doing anything that might stimulate her?

 

I can predict rather accurately when my dog will poo based on her activity level (like she'll go after a run around the neighborhood, or she'll take less time to do it before bed if she's been running up and down the stairs chasing toys). That in combo with the food might be escalating things and making them seem worse.

 

Again, this is just based on my experience with my dog and her habits and food, so it may or may not be applicable to your Shadow, but I certainly hope it helps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How odd at 11 months?! I adopted a BC named Elmo who came from animal control, then went to live outside in a rescue, until coming into my home. I've only had one accident with him and he was only 8 months at the time. O.o

 

Exercise might help as soon as you let your pup out of the crate (at night time)....to push it out of her system and reward her like crazy. Elmo doesn't always let me know he needs to go out either.... >_> But he'll hold it no matter what...so I have to know when it's time to go out. If he really really needs to go he lays by the door.

 

Canidae is good dogfood imho (not great, but better than 98% of it) and affordable for me (I can't afford the Organic stuff either :rolleyes: ).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a thought... two things I advise for my clients to try when they're having housebreaking issues. Not sure either will help, but one never knows.

 

1) For dogs who either won't poop when outside (but will do so pretty much immediately upon returning indoors), or for those who WILL poop outside but don't seem to be "finished" and continue on with pooping on returning indoors... This initially sounds weird and perverse, but I've used it on a couple of puppies with good results. Get a book of PAPER matches - the kind you can snag for free at gas stations and restaurants near the cash register - tear one off, and insert the PAPER end - NOT the sulphur end! - into the - erm - "port of exit", shall we say. The paper stick is sturdy enough to handle this manoever and stimulates the defecation reflex, so as to encourage a reluctant, distracted, or incompletely-emptied pooper to get on with the job in its entirety. [This tip I got from a friend who shows dogs, and told me she uses it all the time to "empty out" her dog to prevent him from crapping in the ring where everyone else has to walk through it. To date, this is the ONLY thing of value I've ever gotten from anything even remotely AKC - but worth its weight on gold on a cold morning when you're barefoot on your deck at 10 degrees F and you're trying to get your puppy to hurry up and go so you can get inside before your feet actually freeze to the boards.) :D This method might help you be sure that your puppy's GI tract is fully emptied before crating, so there will (with any luck) be nothing to deposit in the crate.

 

2) For puppies or dogs who are "sneaky poopers" - or very speedy ones - get a long piece of lightweight but strong cord (like parachute cord) and attatch a snap to either end. (These items are readily found at most hardware stores.) When the dog is uncrated in the house (and until such time as you can trust her), one end of the cord is snapped to the dog's collar, and the other to your belt. This means that the dog is never out of your view, so it can't sneak off and poop somewhere else when you're not looking, AND it means that you have a physical connection to the dog at all times, so that should the dog try to leave you a little smelly present - of either a solid or liquid variety - you can use the parachute cord to physically check the dog as it starts to enter the "eliminatiom posture" of interest, and then rush the dog outdoors to the latrine area with praise and appropriate verbal cues and whatever rewards you normally would apply. This method allows you to be hands-free (since the dog is clipped to your belt) and allows some freedom of movement (since you can make the cord whatever length you like), but it means you ALWAYS have some physical control of the dog, since you can grab the cord at any time and use it to check the dog.

 

Both require a tiny amount of practice to do adriotly, but neither is especially complicated. I kind of wonder if maybe Shadow is either stressed enough about her elimination behavior that she isn't fully in command of it, or if she's maybe just not clear on the concept.... some dogs, for whatever reason (and no matter how bright and quick to learn other things) just seem to have a hard time with the concept of housebreaking. Sometimes it's something simple but subtle, like the cue to go outside needs to be timed for when the dog begins to THINK about elimination (as in, when the circling and sniffing start); in some dogs, waiting until the behavior has already begun is cueing too late for the dog to understand what it is you're asking them to do. As with all training, timing and consistency are key - and every dog is an individual, so they all reason a little differently, one to the next. (Finn, for example, understands that there shall be no peeing in my house - but he's sufficiently aware of the difference between my house and someone else's house that I initially have to watch him like a hawk in a new environment. I know from experience he likes to let everyone know he's been there, so he's inclined to hike a leg in a new place. If I set him up - ie, turn him loose, but never take my eye off him - he will generally within 5 minutes sniff and sidle in prep for marking. If I correct him as he's sniffing, he goes: "Oh, this is ANOTHER place I'm not allowed to pee. Okay, then." - and that's generally the end of it. For whatever reason, he did not generalize his housebreaking - in regards to the marking behavior, at least - to mean "never inside a building of any description", but takes it on a case-by-case basis. However, since I know this about him, it's quite easy to teach him that we won't be peeing in THIS building, either.) :rolleyes::D

 

It can be unbelievably frustrating to have to deal with the incessant cleanup issues, but if you can perservere, it may be that you can triumph in the end. I certainly hope so - and if your patience isn't completely exhausted by now, at least those are some things to try. It may take a little while before you gain any reliability with them, but Rome wasn't built in a day, and any progress in the right direction, no matter how slight, is still progress. Good luck with this and remember that you're not alone! As the bumper stickers say - s#*t happens! :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will just add something that I've found throughout the years.

 

Many, many dogs have whipworm. It goes undetected in stool samples alot as it depends on what stage the worm is in. They are horrid, horrid worms and unless your dog is on monthly Interceptor, if she was ever infected she'd still have them. They live in the soil for years and dogs can re-infect themselves quite easily.

 

Some of the worst "housetraining" issues I've had were dogs who had these nasty worms.

 

I now dose all new foster dogs into my household with Drontal Plus and my dogs get year-round Interceptor for protection. It is not cheap but well worth every penny IMHO.

 

Anyways, just one more thing to consider -

 

Good luck.

 

Kathy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

She asked to go out!!!! She ran over and laid beside the gate to the kitchen (the place she usually poops) and waited for me to take her out. *so proud* Since I'm done school / exams until May I decided to focus her traning on potty skills, and I realized I messed up big time somewhere. Miss Shadow doesn't go potty while on leash, or out of my yard. Sooo heres my plan: tell me what you think (please!):

-all potty breaks for now are on leash, in the yard.

-once used to pottying on leash I'll start taking her to other places.

 

I'm also going to take her to the bording kennel a couple times before my vacation, make sure she's used to it. Luckily the lady who runs the kennels has said she will help with potty issue training while Shadow is there!

 

Thanks for the hints AK Dog Doc! That paper match thing will come in handy for long drives!

 

I used to keep her "leashed" to me when she was young, when I was first potty training her. I wonder if thats why she won't potty on the leash now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...