Pitching fits ...

[Getupngo]

Okay ... I will admit that I am not saint like ALL THE TIME and am not likely to be swept straight to heaven without a pit stop to ponder in Purgatory.

I have tried to be loving and understanding and patient with Bandit's increasing senility (and inability to remember that OUTSIDE is the appropriate place to pee). But sometimes a confluence of events will just ... PUSH ... ME ... OVER ... THE ... EDGE.

I am balanced at the the precipice when I am running late to go somewhere ... step out of the shower ... the phone rings ... I run to get it ... and step into a warm puddle. It's usually my friend Frank on the line to tell me he's going to be late -- OR (even worse!), HE'S EARLY and he's calling because I didn't answer the door.

And I yell at HIM.

Yes. I am a bad person. He has yet to pee on my floor. But there is some surreal link between him ringing my phone and puddles of pee. Into which ... I ... STEP.

So ... is this a venial sin or should I just reserve an RV spot in purgatory?

[Liz]

(((Janice)))

[Forestgal]

Awww, it's hard sometimes being us, isn't it?

Hang in there. While Bandit might not understand the nuances of inside vs. outside anymore, he loves you and counts on you for his very life.

Rant and rave, pitch a fit, or have a good cry. There are lots of broad shoulders -- and plain ol' broads -- here.

Hang in there, friend.

Laura -- and Jed

[Nasoosie]

Just hug little Bandit, and remember that some day, if we are lucky enough, we may need someone to clean up our warm pee puddles, too! Also, be thankful it's not cat pee which is nearly impossible to get out of furniture, rugs, wooden doorways, and more. Dog pee is no big deal...BUT, I know about phone calls that have to wait until you are in a shower or somewhere else important, causing you to RUN to answer the darned thing! Can you unplug your phone until you are ready to answer it? As for being early, let the person sit and stew until the appointed time!

Hugs to you! And Purgatory is probably the place I would like to be when I croak, as I think the best souls end up there, including 4-footers.

[sharon]

Definitely Venial! No blood was spilled. Hang in there, GF, hate to say it, but it's probably going to get worse. Rant and rave all you want here, as Laura said, we've got broad shoulders in addition to being a bunch of old broads! Plus, we've all been thru it at one time or another, and yes, it's just soooo frustrating! Hugs to you and Bandit!

[retiredhappy]

Have you asked your vet about medication? My Sassy has been on Proin for years. She would wet in her sleep.

[avalen]

awwww, you need a good hug. I know all about the pee thing, I have everything covered
in my house now. Bought some of those $4 plastic tableclothes, the ones with the flannel
like backing and everything is covered, the carpet, the chairs, and various other corners.
The flannel tends to stick to the carpet so it doesn't slide and seems very stable to walk on.
My Bandit started doing this two years ago, and I refuse to kennel him when I'm gone.
It started summer before last when he almost died of heat stroke when the circuit breaker
tripped on the ac while I was at work. I love him, I live with it, and although I've tried to
protect everything and don't invite anybody over, I will still see a few stains after he's
gone.

[Acadianmom]

Just be careful and don't step in a puddle and fall. My little fur balls don't pee in the floor but they throw up. I stepped in one recently and when I grabbed for something to hold onto I hit my hand on a cabinet corner. I thought for a while I had broken a finger.

Martha

[Bethers]

And if you don't want to go the medication route, they make dog diapers, too. Don't know if Bandit would wear them - but might be something to try.

Meantime, I feel for you. It's not fun to step in - or even to find and have to clean up.

[cpatinjones]

LOL.

Edit to add: After reading all the post, I realized you are not joking. I am so sorry, I thought it was joke.

Hang in there.

[Getupngo]

Oh no ... it's not a joke ... although I try to see the humor in it -- especially my own foibles. Unfortunately, that is AFTER the fact.

It's not so much Bandit peeing that sets me off as stepping it when Frank calls. How he has that so dialed in, I can't tell you. Maybe it would help if I wore galoshes in the house.

BTW, from now on I'll call him ExBFNowDF (ex-boyfriend-now-dear-friend). Covers a lot of ground.

After all my hoo-hah last night ... we left to go to a play. ExBFNowDF decided while we were driving to 'splain something to me (I think it was about the civil war or something) and I just wasn't having any of that. WHY do men think conversation is a one-sided explanation of what they assume you don't know (or even WANT to know). I told ExBFNowDF I wanted to talk about something in which I can participate. So we did, and I got myself feeling more relaxed. He's actually a good sport.

Now Bandit's incontinence doesn't have a medical cause. He doesn't "leak" or be incontinent in his sleep. He's senile and just forgets where he's supposed to pee. It's very deliberate you see. It's like for him, asking to go out sometimes (not always) is one mental step too many. Other times he does. Now in nice weather when I leave the door open, he (mostly) trots outside and does the biz. And life is rainbows and cherries.

Remember when I said I replaced carpet with laminate floors in the RV? This is why,

And BTW, thanks for the "broad" shoulders.

[BarbaraRose]

I have ferrets so I know all about stepping in stuff. Moxy is great about using the litter box, but Buster thinks that as long as he can see a litter box off in the corner, that he is close enough and there he goes! He is better than he used to be. When he was a baby, he would go on the run! It is really fun when he poops right next to the door and I open the door not realizing it is there and smear it all across the floor! He also thinks the kitchen floor is one giant litter box, so I have stepped in puddles there too. Just comes with the territory, but it can be very frustrating especially when I am in a bad mood already or just about to walk out the door, and end up being late for work because I had to clean it up (and change my socks)!
I use lots of puppy pads around my place now (and in front of the door) which seems to help some.

Good luck and take a deep breath to calm down next time that happens. Doggie diapers might be a good thing to try. They don't work on ferrets tho! I've tried!

[dpf]

(((((Janice))))) We had this problem with our Tinker in her last months....as much as you love them it does wear on a person. I'll say my prayers for you on All Saint's Day.....if I'm not sitting right beside you.

[Forestgal]

Janice, maybe you ought to let your "friend" read these posts ... maybe he'll be encouraged to relax on the phone-calling thing.

Laura

[Colliemom]

Hi Janice,

After readng your post, and having been there, done that myself. But I have good reason to beflieve that Bandit's problem are not necessarly "forgetting to do it "Outside". You need to get a "pee" sample from him and have your vet check him out. After having this problems ith two of my collies, I had to put them on Proin too. As they get older, their bladder just can't hold lit anymore. I can almost bet that once you have it checked out, you will find your vet prescribing Proin too. Don't get made at Bandit for something he can't help
Poor baby.