Nightime Urination Due To Prednisone

[Guest anneh]

Hi just thought I would check here for some tips regarding dogs with frequent urination due to taking prednisone. My little non grey has been dx with an auto immune disease and is currently on a high starting dose Of course now she is drinking more water and during the day I have managed her frequent urination because someone is usually home but night time its a different story. Last night I stayed up until after 11p to let her out but at 6a this morning when she barked (I think for food) she had already done a whopping pee. I have been bringing a little bowl of water into bedroom but not sure if I should deny her access to drinking water during the night. I guess I was tired but somehow everything seemed too much and very depressing but I told myself that probably someone on greytalk had an answer for me

anneh

[Chicocat]

My answer has always been to plan on losing a little sleep until their body adjusts to the pred. They just need those shorter hours between trips outside when they start on pred.

[Burpdog]

Yes, what she said Do NOT deny her access to water. She needs to flush the kidneys.

[Guest anneh]

thanks to both of you for response and for telling me not to withhold night time water So, generally speaking its possible that it will get easier for her to hold it? I will also put down paper in bathroom and hope she uses it instead anneh

[Guest Mom2Gr8dawgs]

So, generally speaking its possible that it will get easier for her to hold it?

 

It does get better. My Toy Poodle, Sassy, has been on prednisone for a little over a year because she has an insulinoma. She had frequent accidents and got us up during the night at first. Now she rarely has an accident and is able to hold it through the night every night.

[Batmom]

When B started pred, it took 7-10 days for the Extreme Pee Effect to wear off. For the first 5-6 days, he could make it 6 hours overnight but no longer. I took him out @ 10:30 and then set my alarm for 4:00 so I'd be able to whisk him out.

 

During the day I got him up and out every @ 2 hours until it was obvious he didn't have to go that often.

 

Hugs and much luck going forward.

[Guest mandm]

When I had a greyhound on high dose Pred, this is what I did & it seemed to work for us. The dog usually slept on the floor of my son's bedroom anyway. So when she went on Pred, I let her sleep as usual, but closed the bedroom door. I tried to get up once or twice during the night to let her out, but after a few weeks, I became exhausted. If I missed letting her out, she peed on the floor anyway. So I laid plastic (old shower curtains) where she peed, then covered that with old towels. Then all I had to do was launder the towels in the morning. It was not pretty, but it worked.

[ShantisMom]

Any chance of a dog door? Shanti is on prednisone and we are about to increase the dose. That is my life saver, or my floors life saver.

 

My parents used kids crib waterproof pads (without the mattress wrap arounds on them) on their floors for their old dog. Washed them in the morning. They were large, but easy to wash.

[lovinggreysslp]

I agree that it will get better. I did lose sleep at the beginning but as the pred dose was decreased, the urgency to pee and drink also decreased. I also agree that you do want your hound to have access to water.

[Fiona3]

This hint worked really well for us. Hobbes was on Prednisone and in the beginning was leaking & urinating frequently. We purchased a few bed pads that were water proof on one side & quilted on the other measuring about 29" x 33", just the right size to fit on a dog bed. Then we put an oversized bath towel on top of that. It usually caught the overnight flow and the leaking during the day. Sometimes it was flooded but easy enough to throw in the washer (I washed & dried them together). Eventually he adjusted to the medication and we kept them on the beds for occasional "senior" leaks. You can purchase these mats in most pharmacies.

 

Good luck with your girl and keep us posted on her progress.

Edited April 12, 2008 by Fiona3

[ahicks51]

What's the timing on your dosages? If you only have to give it once a day- maybe wishful thinking in your case, but anyway- give it early in the morning.

[onrushpam]

What's the timing on your dosages? If you only have to give it once a day- maybe wishful thinking in your case, but anyway- give it early in the morning.

 

We have managed quite a few dogs on pred for various reasons and various time periods.

 

Timing of the meds is important and totally depends on your life schedule and the dog.

It can take some experimenting to figure out what works. It varies from dog to dog as to how soon after the pred is given the dog will have the uncontollable need to pee.

 

It really IS okay to pick up the water at night, IF it is not for too long a time.

None of our dogs have access to water from 10-11 pm until 5-6 am. We all go to bed in the bedroom. The babygate gets closed and nobody gets water until morning, when the babygate is opened. If a dog needs to go out in the middle of the night, we let that dog go out, along with however many others want to go along. But, the water bowl is empty. They can't come back in and "tank up".

 

As long as they have free access to water during the day, there is absolutely no reason to provide water throughout the night.

 

Just my experience...

 

[Guest sheila]

I have a senior that CAN hold it some nights and some nights he can't. Even on the nights he can hold it he is dancing by morning and may not make it all the way to the door when he gets up. So middle of the night pee breaks are just part of the routine here. Luckily I have a fenced yard so I can let the hounds out and take a quick potty break myself and have used the time to write in my 'dream log' (a new fascination of mine).

I would never withhold water for a dog whose diagnosis and treatment increased the need for frequent hydration and elimination. If a creature is thirsty they should be able to drink, and if they need to pee they should be allowed the opportunity to do it appropriately. Even if it means I have to get up for 5-10 minutes in the middle of the night. Forcing my dog to go w/o water that he craves just because it's inconvenient to me is not an option.

[greyhndz]

I would not withhold water under any circumstances unless the vet specifies that you should do so.

 

If you can't install a dog door, a good alternative is washable potty pads: valethics. I have an iggy who is on pred for autoimmune polyarthritis, and also now developing renal disease, so she does a lot of drinking/peeing. I buy the used pads, pop them on the floor near her bed, and she can potty at will. Then, the pads go into the wash, and the floor isn't peed on (well, except when her aim is off ).

[Guest longdogs]

It's just one of those things unfortunately. William was always fine until he was put on pred, then used to have to go out a couple of times a night. On high dosages he couldn't help leaking in his sleep.

[Guest anneh]

How wonderful you all are, thank you for all being so kind and generous with your help. I have read each post and love the encouragement and advice. I will look into the underpads and place them around the bedroom or at least purchase something similar A doggy door would be perfect but won't work for our house but I am blessed to have a fenced yard which is very helpful. I guess its always so helpful when others have gone thru same experience (misery loves company LOL)

anneh

[Guest Cris_M]

Anneh,

Two inexpensive things that helped us were plastic tablecloths from the $1 store and $1/yard fabric from Wal-Mart (any fabric store would do). We tossed the tablecloth over Gabriel's bed (it fully covered his bed plus some) and then tossed the soft fabric on top of that (it was maybe 60"X72" -- we are talking a huge bed for a grey here). The nice thing was that the fabric could be washed without filling up the whole washing machine and the tablecloth could be thrown away once it couldn't really get clean anymore.

 

I hope you find something that works for you and your pup.

[Guest kick]

Dealing with this now using:

 

Waterproof picnic blankets - under dog bed/over rugs ...$19 at bed bath beyond

 

Plastic table cloths - over dog beds w/sheet on top easily washable

 

Adult Bed pad protectors -washable (cover dog beds - under table cloths

 

Pet pads-tuck under her bum once she settles down