14 year-old Shih Tzu With Recent Cushing's Diagnosis

Well, Hannah had me in tears last night, both from worry and frustration. I think my husband thought I was ready to be committed. She did not want to pee. She went at 12:30 p.m. at my parents' house and then did not go again until 9:00 last night. I finally tried the front yard where the snow was not so icy and after SEVERAL trips out and me finally bursting into tears, she went. I was planning to take her to the vet this morning to just get blood work done (we were going to check again in a week or so anyway) and then see a vet if we needed to. I go back to work tomorrow and won't be able to let her out every hour until she finally goes, and I don't know if she would eventually go in the house or not.

Anyway, I got up about 7:00 this morning and put her out in the front yard and she went without much issue at all. At this point I was wondering if it was just the really cold weather, high winds, and icy snow. My dogs also take some time to adjust to the snow, and then back to the grass in the spring, but I've never seen Hannah do this.

She hadn't pooped since Sat., so about 11:30 I decided a trip to the pet store would probably prompt a BM. We went and wandered around the store, which both Hannah and Izzy love, and she happily trotted along sniffing everything and everyone, and she pooped AND peed again...with no trouble. Just squatted in the middle of an aisle.

So, I now am pretty convinced that there is nothing wrong with her, but that she does not like the cold weather and snow. In most of our trips outside, she was getting lots of little frozen snowballs on her feet, which I'm sure is not comfortable, and her feet would freeze up and she would hold one up and I would have to pick her up. We didn't go to the vet today since she seems fine. She is eating normally, drinking water, chewing on her bones, toys, following me around, etc. It's supposed to warm up in a couple of days, so I hope that will help thaw out some of the ice covering my deck and the grass in the back yard.

I'm really hoping I can get her to go out tonight and tomorrow morning because I cannot afford to go back to my 3rd graders stressed out and upset tomorrow. Man, she can sure drive me crazy. If only they could talk I keep thinking...

Julie & Hannah

Hi Julie,

Trinket HATES the snow. She is convinced it is aliens from another planet and any contact could be transforming in a very negative manner. :p I learned last winter that she requires a spot completely cleared of snow, down to the dead grass and mud - no snow, or she will not go outside. I lucked out in that the area by my brother's heat/air unit is close to the camper and the run-off from it keeps a small area snow-free. So she got carried over to that spot several times a day and nite. You might try finding or making a spot that you can keep clear of snow that is somewhat protected from the wind and see if that will help.

Squirt will get those little snow-balls all over her but could care less! She LOVES the snow! The more the merrier. She will drop her face down in it and start plowing through then raise her head and grin at me from ear to ear! :D

This may be Brick's first snow if we get any this year so I am looking forward to his reaction! ;)

Hugs,
Leslie and the gang

PS. Trinket wants me to remind you to remember that snow might be fatal if it touches you. ;)

Hi Julie,

Zoe will refuse to go out and poo if the snow and cold are too bad. How she held it so long, I could never figure out. She would sometimes poo once a day or none and I would get worried too.:o:o:o:o

Hopefully sweet little Hannah will adjust. I know it is easy to say don't worry because we all do worry anyway;);) I'm trying to be mad at Zoe for her impossible behavior today but I really am worried about her too.:o:o:o

So take a deep breathe, breathe in, breathe out, I am doing it with you:)Feel the stress go away? No? Ok, lets try a hot bubble bath along with some Chocovino. IF that doesn't work, I'll pass our Zoe's bottle of melatonin:D:D

love,
addy

It was 81 degrees here today so I can't relate to the snow problem. :p

Julie, I suspect that there is probably nothing wrong with Hannah. A lot of dogs, including my current foster, think nothing of holding their pee for eight hours or longer. At first I was concerned but then I remembered that my foster dog is normal where my dogs are not. I have Jojo who has diabetes insipidous, Lulu who's cortisol is running high so she is urinating more often and Jasper and Buster are on diuretics so it's a peefest around here. I wash a load or two of hospital pee pads every day.

HIJACK!!!!!! :D

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I wash a load or two of hospital pee pads every day.

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Glynda, there are washable peepee pads? Where do you get them? Brick goes thru about 3 pkgs. of 18 pads a month or more. Washable might be less expensive to use! Thanks!

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Originally Posted by Squirt's Mom

HIJACK!!!!!! :D



Glynda, there are washable peepee pads? Where do you get them? Brick goes thru about 3 pkgs. of 18 pads a month or more. Washable might be less expensive to use! Thanks!

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I found out about these from Glynda, too! I used this type of washable pad for Harley: http://www.petco.com/product/8830/Po...aking-Pad.aspx

Not sure where Glynda gets hers.

Oooooooo, thank you, thank you, thank you! They are expensive to buy but will save $$ in the long run! Definitely going on my wish list!

Well, Hannah would not go pee for me this morning, or for my parents when they stopped over later this morning. They tried everything they could think of. She finally went about 3:45 when my husband came home. That means she held it from 9:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. the following day. I talked to my vet today and because she is otherwise acting normal and because she IS urinating they think it has something to do with the really cold temperatures and ice we have had after a very mild winter. It is hard to know...I was really hoping the potty pads or the rugs in my kitchen would be wet...but they weren't. I cannot understand how she held it that long. The vet said the worst they were worried about at this point is her getting a UTI. They seem to think she will go when she absolutely needs to. The vet said they could check her urine if I want, just to be sure. Both dogs are going in Thurs. to be groomed, so I thought maybe I could bring a sample then. I sure hope that when it warms up a little she will get back on track. I don't know what will happen when we have our really cold stretches. I would love it if she would just use a pee pad. UGH. This dog is killing me slowly...

Julie & Hannah

Killing me softly with this dog, killing me softly with----ok I am no Roberta Flack:D:D

Wow Julie, that is a long time to not pee. How the heck did she do that? Poor Julie, you must be a basket case with worry. I would be.

My little Kujo, oh, I mean my little Zoe was bouncing off the walls when I got home from work. I put her sweater on and took her out, she peed, tried to eat her night time snack of bunny poop ( she thinks they are cocktail peanuts before dinner) and when I brought her back inside and tried to take her sweater off she tried to bite me:rolleyes::rolleyes:

It is going to be a long January, BIG SIGH ICON HERE;););)

Maybe Hannah will come around. I think it is to get warmer later this week.

Great, baby Kujo just decided to go to sleep without going out to poo.

Julie, how about we take a cruise and leave the dogs with the hubbies?

love,
addy flack;)

by any chance can you get sod anywhere? or fake grass? put it in your garage....sometimes they will be apt to go out of the elements even though the garage is still cold not as pad as outside. or even grass clippings from yard sometimes will work.
at one point i had a little potty area with small little space heater so as i supervised we all didnt freeze. lol,