Medical dog knowledge needed please...

[mama2cntrykids]

We've had our Rottweiler for 3 years. She came from a animal shelter and we adopted her when she was almost 3 years old. She was doing great up until several months ago.

 

Once about every week to ten days or so, she poops in the house at night. Sometimes she'll throw up, but mostly poop (never runny, mostly hard or pasty, sorry if that's tmi).

 

She never has had that problem in the past, never. We've been feeding her the same food the whole time, so I don't think that's it. The only thing that's changed is we moved into our current home in June 2010.

 

I don't know if she's eating something outside she shouldn't or what. We live in the country and she has free roam on our almost 6 acres.

 

My dh said if we can't figure it out, he's bringing her to the humane society (which I don't want). We can't afford much money to pay a vet for testing either, we have waaay too many human medical bills.

 

She made a real mess last night and dh is fed up. Yes, she stays in a kennel and still messes. We have a barn that she has stayed in at night in the past but we felt sorry for her and let her back in the house.

 

Any ideas?? Like I said, I really don't want to let her go. Oh, also, she howls at night. Usually if dh hears her, he'll get up and let her out, but he's tired of doing it. My ds is also tired of the howling. He has the only bedroom on the main floor (everyone else is upstairs on the third level), so he can hear the dog plain as day when she's in her kennel in the basement.

 

Thanks for any ideas!

[bbkaren]

I'd let her out and then crate her at bedtime. A tight crate that she can lay down, stand up, and turn around in, but that's it. No extra space.

 

If you want to keep the dog, she needs to pull it together.

 

I can't imagine something that causes a once-a-week accident except maybe someone forgets once in a while to let her out right before bed?

 

Others may know more than me, but I know of no "once-a-week" ailments that would cause this.

 

And if you're getting up and letting her out when she howls, that's why she's howling...you might need to get her used to being quietly in her crate as well.

[Critterfixer]

Do you have her on a regular parasite prevention program?

If not, at least consider having a veterinarian do a stool check on her for parasites. Typically those are not very expensive.

Just because you don't see worms don't think that the dog can't have them. And not every worm causes diarrhea. But nearly all of them do upset the GI tract in some way.

Especially if the stools are "slimy" you would want to have this test done.

[mama2cntrykids]

I'd let her out and then crate her at bedtime. A tight crate that she can lay down, stand up, and turn around in, but that's it. No extra space.

 

If you want to keep the dog, she needs to pull it together.

 

I can't imagine something that causes a once-a-week accident except maybe someone forgets once in a while to let her out right before bed?

 

Others may know more than me, but I know of no "once-a-week" ailments that would cause this.

 

And if you're getting up and letting her out when she howls, that's why she's howling...you might need to get her used to being quietly in her crate as well.

 

We try to remember to let her out before bed, but sometimes that doesn't happen. Yeah, her crate is probably too big, but we can't afford anything smaller at this point. It's big enough that her and our cocker spaniel can fit in it together.

 

Yes, I agree, she needs to pull it together. It's pretty bad when I can smell the poo from the top floor and she sleeps in the basement. Yuck!

 

Do you have her on a regular parasite prevention program?

If not, at least consider having a veterinarian do a stool check on her for parasites. Typically those are not very expensive.

Just because you don't see worms don't think that the dog can't have them. And not every worm causes diarrhea. But nearly all of them do upset the GI tract in some way.

Especially if the stools are "slimy" you would want to have this test done.

 

No parasite prevention, no. Would that cause this issue? She's my pig and thinks she needs to eat anything she happens across outside:glare:.

 

Thanks to both of you for your suggestions. Anyone else?

[Critterfixer]

Would that cause this issue? She's my pig and thinks she needs to eat anything she happens across outside

 

Most intestinal parasites cause digestive upset issues in some way. If a dog has been housetrained and then suddenly starts having issues I'd check for worms--especially whipworms.

[Joker]

It might be worth it to do a quick online check for complaints about whatever food you use. We had used the same food for two years when our dog started having tummy troubles. I found out by looking that many others were having the same problem.

 

I only started researching because our doggie got really sick last month and he's been ok since the vet treated him and we switched foods. I found the first complaints when I searched consumeraffairs.com. Hope you figure it out!

[bbkaren]

We try to remember to let her out before bed, but sometimes that doesn't happen. Yeah, her crate is probably too big, but we can't afford anything smaller at this point. It's big enough that her and our cocker spaniel can fit in it together...

 

Does the cocker need to be crated? If not, you could put something in the crate to block off some of that excess space. Also, many crates come with an extra "grow panel" that you can adjust...expanding the location as the dog grows.

 

A chew-proof box or something of that sort might do the trick to block off the space. Or if hubby is handy, he might be able to fashion a panel out of something sturdy...fencing, maybe? And attach it to narrow the space down. Of course, be careful that the panel is securely attached so she doesn't get her head or leg stuck under it and hurt herself.

 

Not having extra space is an important part of crate training a dog...if they have that extra space, that's their potty... and life is grand!

 

But I think your real problem is not letting her out before bed. That really has to happen consistently, in my opinion.

 

Good luck!

[vettechmomof2]

Most intestinal parasites cause digestive upset issues in some way. If a dog has been housetrained and then suddenly starts having issues I'd check for worms--especially whipworms.

 

:iagree:

[vettechmomof2]

Also I would get on a regular schedule of letting her out properly before nighttime and keep a record of if that makes a difference or not.

Feed her at least 2 hours before bed and give her a good walk before bed.

 

Has she seen a vet at all to just talk about these issues before you decide to rehome her? Even if you do not do any testing other than an exam, it is still a good idea.

 

P.s. a 6 year old rottie would normally not be a good shelter dog either.

[astrid]

:iagree::iagree:

Was just going to post this. When does she eat dinner? And what time does she go to her crate for the night? If your family turns in early, and you feed her late, it might be a lot to ask her to go 12 hours without pottying.

 

I would say she definitely needs a parasite screening, especially if she roams around outside and gets into who-knows-what.

 

Back up her feeding schedule at least 3 hours before bedtime, with a good walk right before bed. Be sure you see her eliminate. Just opening the door and letting her jog around the yard often isn't enough. She needs to be on a schedule of eat/play or hang out/eliminate/bed.

 

A six year old Rottie turned into a shelter would likely never even be put up for adoption, just euthanized. If you MUST rehome her, PLEASE contact the local Rottweiler rescue group.

 

good luck with her; she sounds sweet.

 

astrid

[mama2cntrykids]

It might be worth it to do a quick online check for complaints about whatever food you use. We had used the same food for two years when our dog started having tummy troubles. I found out by looking that many others were having the same problem.

 

I only started researching because our doggie got really sick last month and he's been ok since the vet treated him and we switched foods. I found the first complaints when I searched consumeraffairs.com. Hope you figure it out!

I will look into it. Thanks!

 

Does the cocker need to be crated? If not, you could put something in the crate to block off some of that excess space. Also, many crates come with an extra "grow panel" that you can adjust...expanding the location as the dog grows.

 

A chew-proof box or something of that sort might do the trick to block off the space. Or if hubby is handy, he might be able to fashion a panel out of something sturdy...fencing, maybe? And attach it to narrow the space down. Of course, be careful that the panel is securely attached so she doesn't get her head or leg stuck under it and hurt herself.

 

Not having extra space is an important part of crate training a dog...if they have that extra space, that's their potty... and life is grand!

 

But I think your real problem is not letting her out before bed. That really has to happen consistently, in my opinion.

 

Good luck!

No, the cocker doesn't have to be crated at all. He loves the rottie's crate though:D. I will be more consistant with letting her out before bed.

Also I would get on a regular schedule of letting her out properly before nighttime and keep a record of if that makes a difference or not.

Feed her at least 2 hours before bed and give her a good walk before bed.

 

Has she seen a vet at all to just talk about these issues before you decide to rehome her? Even if you do not do any testing other than an exam, it is still a good idea.

 

P.s. a 6 year old rottie would normally not be a good shelter dog either.

No, she hasn't seen a vet about the issues. We feed her for the second time around 4-5pm.

:iagree::iagree:

Was just going to post this. When does she eat dinner? And what time does she go to her crate for the night? If your family turns in early, and you feed her late, it might be a lot to ask her to go 12 hours without pottying.

 

I would say she definitely needs a parasite screening, especially if she roams around outside and gets into who-knows-what.

 

Back up her feeding schedule at least 3 hours before bedtime, with a good walk right before bed. Be sure you see her eliminate. Just opening the door and letting her jog around the yard often isn't enough. She needs to be on a schedule of eat/play or hang out

 

/eliminate/bed.

 

A six year old Rottie turned into a shelter would likely never even be put up for adoption, just euthanized. If you MUST rehome her, PLEASE contact the local Rottweiler rescue group.

 

good luck with her; she sounds sweet.

 

astrid

Yes, she eats about 4-5pm. She was outside last night before bed and dh usually lets her out at 5:30am before work (and also in the middle of the night if she's howling).

 

I agree, that it wouldn't be a good deal to hand her over to a shelter and I don't want to do it. She's super sweet and loves us. It's apparent that she was abused before we got her and is scared of her own shadow (poor thing). I would hate for her to fall into that type of situation again.

 

I'll try talking to dh to see if he'll have more grace/patience with her, but since it's him taking care of cleaning up the poop, he hasn't been too patient about it.

[bbkaren]

I betcha between the crate and a late night doodoo call, you'll see an improvement!

 

It just doesn't make sense to me that a medical problem would cause such sporadic accidents. Seems like if she had worms, she'd have problems more consistently...though I'm not a vet so I can't swear by it.

 

Good luck, I hope you're able to keep your sweet companion!

[livingnlearning]

what's so tough about grabbing a few dog logs?? it's not like it's liquid poo on carpet everywhere.

 

Your husband should check himself-you are putting the dog in a tough spot and he's being peevish about it. He doesn't want to pick up poo so he puts her life on the line? Grab a paper towel and take turns picking up after her if you forget to let her out or give her her big meal at night. that's your bad, not hers. Feed her earlier, worm her, crate her, walk her for a minute. Set her up to fail and then return her is pretty jerky behavior, IMO.

[StephanieZ]

You can also try changing the time of day you feed her. There is a poop-after-i-eat reflex in dogs as there is in babies.

 

Most dogs can safely be fed just once a day, so you could try to feed just in the morning. If you currently free-feed, you could simply take the bowl up, say 6 hours before you go to bed (and thus the last time she gets outside), and then refilling and putting it down first thing in the morning. If you currently feed twice a day, you could move to once/day over a few days or a week by slowly increaing the morning meal size and decreasing the evening meal.

[mama2cntrykids]

Thanks for the responses. My next question...what should I look for in premium dry dog food? Right now we're feeding her Purina, but I now know that it's junk. I looked on consumer reports and there are a lot of complaints out there.

 

So, what should I look for? We live in a small town and going to any big pet stores will be an hour and a half trip one way. We will also be picking up some wormer for her this afternoon.

 

Thanks for suggestions!

[bbkaren]

Just us, but We feed our dogs the Tractor Supply brand, it's $20 for a 50 lb bag.

 

It's not the quality of some of the more gourmet varieties, but we also have four large-to-very large dogs. We go through about 150 lbs a month.

 

We do supplement with dog vitamins (vetri-science Canine Plus in the bucket of 1000 tablets), but we don't worry about the food itself.

 

We're busy enjoying life with them and don't fret about making sure everything is perfect.

[mama2cntrykids]

Just us, but We feed our dogs the Tractor Supply brand, it's $20 for a 50 lb bag.

 

It's not the quality of some of the more gourmet varieties, but we also have four large-to-very large dogs. We go through about 150 lbs a month.

 

We do supplement with dog vitamins (vetri-science Canine Plus in the bucket of 1000 tablets), but we don't worry about the food itself.

 

We're busy enjoying life with them and don't fret about making sure everything is perfect.

 

I get that, but if the low-quality food is making her sick, I need to get higher end stuff. I can still enjoy life:001_smile:.

[jhschool]

I am a believer that humans who get a dog are

responsible for that animal until it dies (unless there

is dangerous agression towards humans, in which case I

support euthanasia). It sounds like pooping is a manageable

problem. I believe that dropping a dog off at the

shelter because of mess, not

agression, is something humans shouldn't do to their

companions.

 

Now, I know a mess all the time is really bad and

it can ruin a lot of things...you should *both* pick up

poo. It's not fair that just one of you has to do it. Or

you could take over for him.

 

It sounds like she's a dog worth keeping...why risk

her life for a little poo?

 

Check your dog for parasites for sure and get it on a plan

(those little pills you give each month should take care of it).

 

Have your dog sleep outside in a sheltered area where

it (I forgot if it's a boy or a girl) can keep warm

(maybe a heated blanket in doghouse), with water

available. The barn

is a good idea. If it howls, let it howl. Don't bring it in

the house! Don't feel sorry for the dog! It is much worse

if you get rid of it. Then I would feel sorry for it.

It sounds like you are letting it in the house

(which you shouldn't) and then blaming it for making mess

inside (when really it's your fault).

 

Don't get rid of it because it poops. It just seems so...not right.

Edited January 7, 2012 by jhschool

[bbkaren]

Mama2, I'm with you there, but if it were the food, IMO, it'd be more than a once-a-week thing, and seems like it would be more like diarrhea.

 

But again, I'm not a vet and haven't had your problem.

 

Just be aware that there MAY be stomach upset/diarrhea when you change foods, which might be completely unrelated to your current problem. Change foods very gradually, mixing in a little at a time.

 

Good luck!

[celticmom]

Do you have feed stores closer? We feed Chicken soup for the Dog Lover's soul brand and we purchase it at the feed store. There is definitely a difference in the volume (goes down) and aroma (much less) of their business when we feed this food vs. what we get at the supermarket. It can be hard to find but a feed store might be willing to order it for you even if they do not normally carry it. You could also pick up worming medicine at the feed store for much less than the price at the vet.

[Journey]

i have to agree with livingnlearning (or whatever the user name is)...so it's a poo in the house once a week. just clean it up. if the dog is real member of your family what is the big deal. you also mentioned in your original post that you feel bad that the dog had to sleep in the barn...but won't you feel bad if you take her to the pound where they are definately going to euthanize an adult rottweiler? Seriously, feed her earlier in the evening or late afternoon, don't give her any water after a certain hour and put her in her crate (if you don't have a small enough crate then advertise for a free on on Craigslist)(or call your local pound, i'm sure they have one they can give you, ours does that for us). Please don't give up on your dog just because your husband doesn't want to clean up a poop pile once a week or because your son gets tired of her howling. That's not fair.

[mama2cntrykids]

Well, I agree with everyone, it's not fair to give her up. I think you're right, we just need to buck up. I *think* my dh agrees too as we got a different dog food and some de-wormer for her.

 

We mixed the old/new food 50/50. She will be sleeping in the barn (for now...not sure if it's going to be long or short term). We have insulated goat kid stalls in there, she'll be in one of them with hay and a heat lamp (up high if it gets too cold).

 

Whether it's the food or not, we really should be feeding her the premium stuff anyway.

 

We're not giving up:001_smile:. I think dh was just really frustrated/tired (he's been working long hours lately).

 

Thanks all!

[bbkaren]

Mama, how's the dog doing this week?