I have an elderly dog that has uninary incontinence, despite the doggie detrol I am giving her.?

she is almost 15, and the detrol has controlled her leakage but she just piddles elsewhere, to my dismay. She is hard of hearing, and somewhat blind- I am at my wits end, I can't go anywhere without being home within a 2 hr. timeframe- despite letting her out often thru the day. I have been told to put her down, and I'm not good with that- she does have a kidney issue but wont eat the special food, and so skinny already- please someone tell me what to do here, I am at my wits end. I respect her life and the good friend she has been, but I am at my wits end for cleaning up piddle spots everywhere and when she does pee on our bed, when we have been out (despite she being out prior) for a couple hours. My vet is leaving this decision to me, she is in good health otherwise, unbelievably- but she cannot control her urine. Diapers are a non issue,tried them and she chews them off. Crating or confining isn't an otption either, she was crated and chewed one ear to a hematoma, surgery req

Everyone goes the traditional medicinal route, but people are learning more and more the benefits of natural healing.

As soon as I read your question, it reminded me of a situation I read in a book of mine called "The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care" by CJ Puotinen. In a nut shell, an 11-year old dalmation was very ill with inflamed kidneys, causing her to not be able to control her bladder. Along with this, she also had a tumor that was growing and she was getting very thin. The dog had been given a few days once the tumor started growing. The owner changed the dog's diet to a natural diet, and also started giving carrot juice (extracted with a juicer). She worked her way up to giving 2 quarts of carrot juice a day. A year later, her dog was still alive, the tumor had stopped growing, the dog had gained weight, the kidney's function had returned to normal and the dog could hold his urine for 8-9 hours comfortably.

There are many ways that you can help your dog to regain health so that she can start to heal and gain weight and grow some muscle back again. You may be very connected to your vet, but I recommend you look into a holistic or homeopathic vet. They see things in a whole different light and will be able to give you other solutions that may better suit your dog. There is also another book that I recommend you look into by Dr. PitCairn called "Natural Health for Dogs and Cats". I recommend you look into both of these books and find a diet that better suits your dog (i.e. not canned or kibble, probably raw meat) and supplements that will help your dog with her specific needs (like kidney function, bladder strength, and even weight).

Many people will tell you it is time to euthanize her, but I believe that until an animal gives up the will to live, you still have a chance to keep it alive. I had a philosophy teacher who told me that after telling me the story of his old german shepherd who he would carry outside to the washroom many times a day because she didn't have the strength to get herself out. His vet gave him tonic lax (a sweet gel type stuff that usually is used as a laxative in animals). The vet said "until your dog stops licking this off your finger every morning, she still wants to live. When she stops licking it off your finger, we need to talk about what to do."

I suggest you look into other things you can do for your dog and also look at whether your dog still wants to live. You named a number of problems (urinary, kidney, weight, hearing, sight), but you still think she has something left in her to give. If you are doing this unselfishly, then let her live and find her a way to live a better quality life.

Good luck and I hope your old girl gets better!

Use the pants made for dogs in heat.

Oh, these seniors are always hard on our hearts. There are other meds for urinary incontinence, but unfortunately they are very hard on the liver and kidneys so this probably not an option. You said that you were told to put her down and the vet is letting it up to you, but the option is always yours not matter who suggests what. Since she is piddling all over, you are very frustrated with her and I'm sure she senses this. It sounds like she is failing in many ways and being very skinny is a pretty good sign that she has some sort of cancer at her age. If it were me, I would think about the quality of life that she has and also the quality of life that you have together with her as she has been your friend for many years. Quantity of time left with you does not = quality for either one of you. I'm not trying to tell you what to do, as it sounds like you already know the answer, you just need someone to tell assure you that your decision is OK. Good luck with all.