The last week has been stressful and has only seemed to get worse. Astro has a horrible cut on his side and I’ve been having to keep an e-collar (cone) on his head to keep him from licking it so it will heal. Well, because he is scared to death of the e-collar and it makes him all kinds of sad and depressed to wear it, he now has diarrhea. And it’s all over my house.
My house smells like dog diarrhea.
I’m losing my MIND. I cried for almost 2 hours this afternoon. Bawling my eyes out. Luckily I was able to get Z down for a nap so I could handle the MESS that is in my house. I shampooed the carpets, AGAIN. I put the dog outside. I gave him some special canned food that is supposed to help with the loose stools and I washed his feet when he came in. I cleaned my bathroom because he had diarrhea ALL OVER my bathroom too. It still smells in here and is making me feel NAUSEOUS.
I have fought myself back and forth all afternoon over what to do. Spend lots of $$ on a vet visit, new cone, special food, etc.? Money we DON’T have, might I add. Keep him outside indefinitely? Not really an option. Anyone that knows about Great Danes knows they cannot be outside dogs. It’s just not an option. They are family dogs and will become crazy if they are left outside alone, resulting in eventual euthanasia (you know, kind of like how Obama’s health care reform bill is going to throw all the Grandma & Grandpas out there into the wild and let them DIE if they get sick! </sarcasm>). Confine him to one of the rooms in the house that has hard floors (bathrooms, hallway, kitchen) and make him stay there indefinitely? I feel awful confining such a big dog to such a small space.
I don’t know what to do. I gave him some special high fiber canned food to see if it will help harden his stools. I’m letting him lay in the living room with me without his cone on, to give him a little break. I’m waiting on the vet to call me back to tell me if there are any other options other than Suck It Up. Because honestly? I can’t suck it up much longer. I’m losing my mind. This is two days in a row of crying, scratch that, SOBBING over dog poop on my carpet. This is the very carpet that my daughter is going to crawl and walk on, I can’t even stomach the idea of her crawling and walking on something that used to have doggy diarrhea on. It grosses me out just thinking about it.
I love this dog with all of my heart. He really is the sweetest dog in the world. His sad eyes tell it all. But the stress of taking care of his high maintenance need are starting to wear on me. I never wanted to become the person who looked at her pets in a different light once the baby entered my life. But I am sad to say that I think I am becoming that person. Zoey is my number one priority now and the dogs are, sadly but truthfully, taking a back seat to her needs.
My heart is torn.
3 Comments
Crystal on August 19, 2009 at 6:47 pm.
I know how this feels. I’ve had cats that have peed all over our carpets. And if you know about cats, you know that the smell of cat pee never goes away. You can scrub and shampoo and spray all sorts of odor remover stuff and it’s always there. Unless you replace the carpet and padding entirely. Ugh.
Maybe, hopefully, once the cut heals and the cone comes off he’ll be back to his regular self again.
Hollie on August 22, 2009 at 5:14 pm.
My dalmatian was a very high maintenance dog too Candace. I know your pain. Having stuck with him though, til the end, I have to say that it was worth it. When you bring a pet home, they’re family. You’ll get through the hard times, and when Z laughs at him, or hugs him, or asks to go home and see him–all those hard times will be worth it. *hugs*
Jessica on August 24, 2009 at 7:08 am.
I know how you are feeling, trust me I do.
We had 3 cats before I got pregnant with Ethan, one of them started peeing occasionally. We made the decision to take her to the Humane Society because I just couldn’t deal with the urine anymore.
Not saying your dogs need that strict of an option, but maybe just wait it out a little while longer. Who knows, this may pass and everyone will be a happy little family again.
FYI- Great Dane poop is just a terrible thing. My parents Great Dane gets diarrhea every so often and the vet says it’s likely something he has managed to eat (people food wise).