Hey all! First post here, but I've been a reader for a long time. This is a lengthy post just so people can have as much information as they need to give the best advice.
My fiance and I rescued a Miniature Pinscher/Chihuahua mix on Christmas day. Her name is Annie. Vet pegged her around six months old at the time, and she's fixed and a healthy dog.
The people we got her from didn't do any form of training with her, so we began potty training her. She had a couple of mishaps in the house, but nothing too frequent.
Beginning in February, Annie began peeing more frequently, and then she peed in her crate. Took her to the vet, and over the course of a couple urinalysis, turned out Annie had struvite crystals and a bladder infection. No stones. Phew! She's on antibiotics, distilled water and Solid Gold Berry Balance. Her pH level is great now and infection gone. We also upped her water intake since she was never much of a drinker. We now add 1/2 cup of water to her kibble per meal time, for about a cup a day.
Since she's drinking more water, and since she's so little, she needs to go out more frequently. No problem... Until we have to go to work, or have engagements to attend. Then we sometimes, about half the time, come home to her having peed in her crate.
For instance: Today, we fed her dinner around 4, took her out twice before 5, then were gone until about 7. Came home, took her out again, then we were gone until 11. Came home, and found she had peed in her crate.
She's healthy, checked out by the vet and clean bill of health. Her crate isn't too big for her. And, we make sure to give her plenty of opportunities to go bathroom outside before we leave.
So, I'm curious how we can correct this.
1. Perhaps she just needs to go more often before we leave for a lengthy period of time.
2. Maybe getting a larger crate, but putting a puppy pad down in it will work? But we don't want her thinking her crate is the bathroom.
3. Or, maybe the answer lies in changing her feeding habits. Three smaller meals a day instead of two, so water intake is spread out more. If we don't mix water with her kibble, then she won't get a good day's worth of water.
Can anyone offer any suggestions? Thanks!
My fiance and I rescued a Miniature Pinscher/Chihuahua mix on Christmas day. Her name is Annie. Vet pegged her around six months old at the time, and she's fixed and a healthy dog.
The people we got her from didn't do any form of training with her, so we began potty training her. She had a couple of mishaps in the house, but nothing too frequent.
Beginning in February, Annie began peeing more frequently, and then she peed in her crate. Took her to the vet, and over the course of a couple urinalysis, turned out Annie had struvite crystals and a bladder infection. No stones. Phew! She's on antibiotics, distilled water and Solid Gold Berry Balance. Her pH level is great now and infection gone. We also upped her water intake since she was never much of a drinker. We now add 1/2 cup of water to her kibble per meal time, for about a cup a day.
Since she's drinking more water, and since she's so little, she needs to go out more frequently. No problem... Until we have to go to work, or have engagements to attend. Then we sometimes, about half the time, come home to her having peed in her crate.
For instance: Today, we fed her dinner around 4, took her out twice before 5, then were gone until about 7. Came home, took her out again, then we were gone until 11. Came home, and found she had peed in her crate.
She's healthy, checked out by the vet and clean bill of health. Her crate isn't too big for her. And, we make sure to give her plenty of opportunities to go bathroom outside before we leave.
So, I'm curious how we can correct this.
1. Perhaps she just needs to go more often before we leave for a lengthy period of time.
2. Maybe getting a larger crate, but putting a puppy pad down in it will work? But we don't want her thinking her crate is the bathroom.
3. Or, maybe the answer lies in changing her feeding habits. Three smaller meals a day instead of two, so water intake is spread out more. If we don't mix water with her kibble, then she won't get a good day's worth of water.
Can anyone offer any suggestions? Thanks!