Skip to content
Basenji Forums
  1. Home
  2. Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  3. Fecal incontinence after possible spinal injury

Fecal incontinence after possible spinal injury

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • N

    Hi All ~
    My 10 year old girl is a pleasure to have. Not destructive in the house when left alone and no accidents in the house or car. Sometime early this year, it seems she must have suffered a spinal injury. No obvious signs except for a yelp when she went to get up. She doesn't play with other dogs very much when I take her to a dog park (after stopped doing that now!) and when she does to doggy day care, they are very watchful and she is on their pet cam but she could have injured herself in the house when she slipped on the vinyl floor when getting ready to go upstairs; saw that happen twice before she started to yelp so I have put a mat there and she can get up the stairs fine now. She did see her vet who put her on Rimadyl and one other. The yelping has stopped for several months but now she doesn't seem to know when she has to defecate or if she has already started defecating. On our rare walks (I'm older and have to work strange hours so walks are not always possible) I can sometimes see the poop coming out of her anus before she knows she needs to squat. Sometimes in the house, she will lose one perfectly formed turd - just one. In the yard (she has a half acre fully fenced secure yard) she may squat to poop but then start to gallop off before she finished (doesn't seem to be in any pain). The vet originally did not order x-rays because the dog responded to the meds and I think she realized the cost of further dx might be prohibitive for me. The vet says she may have lost sensation in the lower bowel and has given me some exercises to do with my girl.

    Was wondering if anyone else has encountered this type of issue. I will crate her now (just to prevent surprises when I get home). I thought about using poop panties but am a bit afraid that might lead to a UTI. I don't want to use the show people's trick of a suppository because that might make the situation worse over time. She seems to be a happy little camper other than this ; loves her car rides and midnight treats and eats like a little champ. Not putting my dog down for inconvenient poop issues!! Just wondering if you have any thoughts, experience or suggestions.

    Thanks for your time and attention.
    NJ Deb

    0
  • SavingS

    I had a spinal injury a few years ago and the surgeon warned me of permanent nerve damage causing incontinence being a potential consequence if it got worse. It's called "cauda equina syndrome", I did a quick search and it looks like it occurs in dogs too. Essentially you lose all nerve feeling on your bowel, hence not knowing when you need to go. I'm not sure what the solution is (if any) but it could be a clue.

    0
  • N

    @Saving Thanks so much for the information! I am researching further and continuing with her rehab exercises as best I can.
    Glad you recovered from your spinal injuries.

    0

Suggested Topics

  • A

    Fecal Incontinence Post-Surgery

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    1k Views
    senjisillyS
    A quick Google search suggested that diarrhea isn't unexpected with either of these drugs. Could the leakage be a result of the combination of the drugs? Rimadyl ... potential side effects, which can range from mild to serious.... Diarrhea The most common side effect of Flagyl (aka metronidazole) is diarrhea... I don't know how long the drugs will stay in his system, but I'm leaning towards the idea that he would return to normal once the drugs dissipate. I am also (curious) why your DVM didn't think about the side effects of the medication(s) as possible contributing factors and jumped straight into another procedure. (Doggie diapers are always an option until the issue is resolved.) I agree with elbrant the side effects from the drugs are likely causing the fecal leaking. As the human, I had to be on a long course of Flagyl having contracted Amoebic Dysentery in Nepal. Believe me, I was never far from a bathroom while taking this drug.
  • AlexA

    Hard swallowing, possible acid reflux or allergies

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    10
    0 Votes
    10 Posts
    6k Views
    Baba BamideleB
    Cosette does the throwing-up-bile thing on occasion, and in her case, it always seems tied to overexcitement. We've been working with her to get her used to cohabitation with our cat, and she's puked up bile in at least two instances when we picked the cat up or the cat ran across the floor, and we had to calm the dog down and take her attention away from chasing. Just another data point for you that may be helpful!
  • M

    Possible seizures????

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    15
    0 Votes
    15 Posts
    3k Views
    lvossL
    I only just realized where you live, has he been tested for Valley Fever? Here are some of the symptoms of disseminated Valley Fever: ? lameness or swelling of limbs ? back or neck pain ? seizures and other manifestations of central nervous system swelling ? soft swellings under the skin that resemble abscesses ? swollen lymph nodes under the chin, in front of the shoulder blades, or behind the stifles ? non-healing skin ulcerations or draining tracts that ooze fluid ? eye inflammation with pain or cloudiness Here is a link to a full article on Valley Fever, http://www.vfce.arizona.edu/Content/Documents/Valley%20Fever%20in%20Dogs%20for%20PDF.pdf I know there is at least one person on the forums that had a dog with disseminated Valley Fever.
  • ramseycleaR

    Incontinence Issues

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    3k Views
    tanzaT
    @ramseyclea: I didn't know incontinence was one of the symptoms of hypothyroidism. So, I'm kind of glad to hear that. I know the weight gain and low energy level are definitely symptoms (I suffer from hypothyroidism myself). I will tell the vet to do the ful panel. Thanks for all the advice! This is such a great resource! There are many things that can be a result of low thyroid…. maybe not directly connected, but a off shoot of the condition. My OJ was loaded with hives... and regardless of what we gave him they would come back over and over... finally tested his thyroid and it was very, very low... put him on Soloxine and never another hive.... so while hives is not generally a symtom of low thyroid, the fact that it lowered immunities in other respects, hives popped up.... Not saying this is the cause... but again her age is pretty young for this problem, IMO. So best to rule out other things before moving on to hormones... and again I would still not rule out a UTI
  • BenkuraB

    URGENT ADVICE - Possible insect sting

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    52
    0 Votes
    52 Posts
    13k Views
    soulmateS
    super they are better now. Sorry, I just have read it now. In case of any stings you can use raw onion. Cut it in half and put it on the sting for a while. It pulls the poison out of the wound. We here in our area have lots of adders around http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vipera_berus for this reason I bought a "snake-bite-kit" which is always in the car, just in case. If you think of any allergic reaction maybe to plants, check if you have any of the Ambrosia artemisiifolia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambrosia_artemisiifolia in your direct area. They can cause massive allergic reactions and the seeds are used in bird food blends. Washing with Vinegar (preferably made out of apples) can help to stop the itching. Regards, Esther
  • BarklessdogB

    My dog had a Spinal injury!!!!

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    33
    0 Votes
    33 Posts
    19k Views
    BarklessdogB
    My wife's hand is worse where she can't bend her finger or lift objects. I finally got her to go to the doctor, they X rayed her hand and asked her how long she has had arthritis! So this is how she found out she has arthritis at age 48. It seems that her knuckle where she was bit has an inner infection, no broken bones, they put her hand & finger in a splint. The dog bite did not break the skin, but as any body who has been "really" bitten by a basenji knows they have bone crushing jaws. They leave horrible bruises even if they don't draw blood. The dog seems all better still, no more pain attacks. While petting him we noticed a scab on his ear after the fight. It goes all the way through his ear. The other dog bit a hole in his ear, when she tried to finish him!