Potty accident - any suggestions
 

I posted on the health forum but wanted to pick your brains about a solution to the potty accidents we are having.

We have three spayed yorkies. They were groomed on December 12th and since then our oldest girl has had many accidents in the house. I took her to the vet and she ran a urinalysis on her - nothing wrong. I contacted my breeder and she thinks that something happened at the groomer to upset her and cause this. We have gone to this groomer for many years - she is a great person and yorkie lover. Perhaps the person who bathed her was not kind - I am grasping for what could have happened that day.

Our youngest girl shook for hours after picking her up at the groomers that day. She has always loved her crate but didn't want any part of it for about a week. She whimpered when she was put into her bed. This is all so weird.

The oldest girl has never been one to have accidents or even need to go out often. Now we must let her out every hour or so to avoid an accident. It is like having a puppy in the house again. (she is 6) She isn't one to bark or whine at the door so I need something at the door that she can ring or make noise with to alert someone to open the door. (just a reminder to my other post, she goes all night long without an accident - so it has to be behavioral - right?)

If you have any suggestions to help, PLEASE let me know. Also, what about the product "Urine Gone"? What are some great things to clean urine up with so my house won't smell like potty?

Yikes, I don't know what could have happened. My old dog hated going to the groomers. We bought Urine Gone but haven't used it yet. I'll write a review after we try it out. Good luck!

If it was me, I would go to another groomer. Something is very suspicious about their behavior after being groomed there. Of course, I'm very protective and when I even think I see a warning sign, I follow my "mother's instinct." I would be afraid to take mine back there. Something happened.

I have these bells hanging at my doors. That's how I taught mine to ask to go outside:

http://www.poochie-pets.net/

Of course, you could just make your own. Perhaps she isn't too old to learn something new like that. I just took her paws in my hands and reached up and rang the bells. She caught on very fast. There's a video at that site and you can see how it works. Good luck.

When I was house training mine I used Simple Solution from Petsmart to clean up the accidents.

I suspect something happened at that groomers also. The first groomer we took Chachi and Jewels to she said she had problems with Chachi. He acted strangely and we suspected something happened. We took them to a new groomer the next time and she said they both did great. They just sat there and let her do her thing. I would find another groomer. There is a reason why your dog was so scared.

Since you have three, it would probably be economical and better for your girls to have the groomer come to your hosue so you can monitor. A mobile groomer is a great solution and you can pop in and out at will to make sure your babies are not being abused.

I hope they were not abused but I have heard so many horror stories about groomers that I have never left mine with a groomer.

I have heard that spaying females can cause incontinence in some dogs but I don't know if it can happen a long time after spaying or if it happens immediately.

Good luck with finding a solution.

BTW, does your groomer use a blow dryer attached to the side of a crate for drying? I had a groomer tell me to never let a groomer dry a dog any way other than by holding a blow dryer and doing it manually. Too many dogs have gotten overheated and perished in this manner. Maybe this is why your one little one is afraid of the crate now. :(

Simple Solution
 

Simple Solution is the product that came highly recommended here in YT when I was searching for something to clean up potty accidents. Good luck with getting your baby retrained! :(

http://www.inkabijou.co.uk/incontinence.htm

here is a god site outlining different causes of incontinence

hope this helps

A friend's rescue German Short-hair started have incontinence several years after spaying and was diagnosed as having spaying incontinence. The vet prescribed phenylpropanolamine, the drug in many cough preps. It is not outlawed but the vet works with a pharm. and she is controlled complately while on meds. Let us know what the vet says..

Thank you for the citation to the article. It contained the answer to my question about incontinence from spaying. Here is what it said:

The most striking feature of urethral sphincter incompetence, however, is that the overwhelming majority of cases are spayed bitches.

The onset of incontinence can take place immediately after surgery or many years later. In most cases, incontinence is observed about three years after spaying. Obviously, the underlying mechanism of incontinence in these dogs must be related to ovariohysterectomy. Some veterinary urologists believe the culprit is low post-surgical estrogen concentrations.

If her bladder habits suddenly changed, I'd have the vet check her. She might have a bladder infection. The fact that she can hold it at night doesn't necessarily mean anything, IMHO.

I just hang a cheap bell from the back doorknob. Joey rings it when he wants out.