# should I be concerned?



## teetee (Aug 25, 2011)

Miya has all of the sudden decided she does not want to use her pee pad. She has been going anywhere she can to avoid it-bathroom mats, cats litter box trap, towels...I've removed every possible place that I can think of for her to go to the bathroom on, except her mat. Right now I'm waiting her out. When I tell her to go potty like I normally do, and point to her mat, her tail goes between her legs. She acts like she's afraid to even step on it. What's going on here?

Otherwise she's acting completely normal. About two weeks ago she did have her rabies vaccine...


----------



## KrystalLeigh (Aug 17, 2011)

So strange! If you're worried, maybe get her tested for a UTI. I know that cats with UTIs will sometimes avoid their litter box because they associate it with pain. 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


----------



## teetee (Aug 25, 2011)

well, I isolated her options of pee places like I said and she couldn't hold it in anymore and decided to pee on the kitchen floor...I scooped up some of the urine and we went to the vet right away. The vet said he saw a lot of bacteria in it but he suspected that was from the kitchen floor so he asked me to bring another sample tomorrow. He said from what he could tell he didn't see any blood or any crystals, nor did he think it was a UTI due to the absence of WBCs in the urine. He did say that her pH was on the higher side. Normal range for dogs is around 6 and hers was a 7. Also, he said that her urine was "thin", but that could be because I put a lot of water in her wet food earlier today. He said that made sense. 

I don't know what this could be! She hasn't had any trauma to her pee pad area. We are getting ready to move, so a few boxes here and there and the kitchen furniture was removed. Could that change in her little pee pad area be causing this? What gives?


----------



## zellko (Jul 3, 2013)

All of her preferred places you mention (except the kitchen floor) are more absorbent than pee pads. Could she be getting wet feet on the pee pad and not liking that? Just a thought. Someone mentioned that in a thread not too long ago. (Can't remember what the solution was, though, sorry). Maybe she'd prefer her own litter box. Was the furniture situated so that it gave her a feeling of privacy?


----------



## teetee (Aug 25, 2011)

No, the furniture was against the wall so I don't think she is feeling less private..idk..and her feet never get wet. She's been pad trained for 3 years and this is just now starting. I always change her pad right away. 

ahhh idk!


----------



## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Could it be the change with boxes and moving? I know that sounds weird but sometimes things like that can set off weird behavior


----------



## teetee (Aug 25, 2011)

yea IDK, that's what Brandon suggested it could be. And that's fine, since we're about to move, but I just want to be sure I've eliminated any of the more serious possibilities like UTI, crystals, kidney issues, etc.


----------



## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Yeah if all of that turns out to be negative the only thing I can think of is stress of the move


----------



## zellko (Jul 3, 2013)

Good luck with the move and getting everyone settled back into a routine.


----------



## teetee (Aug 25, 2011)

So strange. We're back from our 2nd vet visit, and 2nd urine sample and he said her urine is fine. No problems. He's thinking it's psychological and could be a result of a change in her environment. 

Maybe the lack of those kitchen furniture pieces is what's doing this...but I've put additional pee pad to her other favorite spots (in front of the litter box and in the hallway, both have privacy) and she isn't using those either. She holds it until she can't anymore and goes on the floor, unless I take her outside first. I hope this isn't permanent.


----------



## KrystalLeigh (Aug 17, 2011)

Well that's good news that she seems to be healthy! So even if it's somewhere that she likes to pee, she'll avoid the pee pad? I wonder if there's something all natural you could give her to help reduce her stress until she settles down.


----------



## teetee (Aug 25, 2011)

i'd be open to that....like what?


----------



## teetee (Aug 25, 2011)

Something in my gut tells me this is not stress related. This is so unlike her. What else could it be if her urine is showing all signs ok?


----------



## KrystalLeigh (Aug 17, 2011)

teetee said:


> i'd be open to that....like what?





teetee said:


> Something in my gut tells me this is not stress related. This is so unlike her. What else could it be if her urine is showing all signs ok?


I was thinking something like rescue remedy, but I've never personally used it before (on a dog). When you did the urine sample, did they do cystocentesis or did you collect a sample after the urine left her body? Cystocentesis is more accurate. So strange that she all of a sudden started doing this.


----------



## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I wonder if a washable pad (human bed pads) would be more acceptable to her? I am sorry, but I would not let this dog wander around. I had an older chi who did this, and after MANY vet visits, plus an animal communicator, I bought a Iris playpen. She spent the remaining years in there, unless I could watch her. (the communicator said that after a terrible hail storm the dog 'thought' she had permission to go in the house! When I asked her to tell the dog, she did NOT have that permission the dog turned her butt to her!!!)


----------



## teetee (Aug 25, 2011)

she knows where she is suppose to go. She holds it until she can't hold it any longer and will go on the floor and then come up to me, tail between her legs. She knows where she's suppose to go. I just don't know why...we are moving, but there aren't a bunch of boxes, all of the furniture is still the same except those two kitchen pieces. I'm getting really frustrated.

No Krystal, they didn't do that test. I might ask for it tho because I'm getting really aggravated with her. I want to make sure she isn't sick, and otherwise, I have no clue why all of the sudden this change in behavior.


----------



## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

Please don't get aggravated with her. Something is wrong. Either she is scared of the pads?or the yard, or urinating hurts her and she will wait until she can't hold it any longer. The fact that she comes to you after she has done 'the wrong thing' with her tail between her legs shows that she knows that you are going to be mad. She really is stressed out, scared, or hurting or all three! I would really try this weekend to get her to go outside if that is easier for her. Patience, patience!


----------



## teetee (Aug 25, 2011)

She does like to go outside, but I don't like to take her outside. I need her to be pad trained. For now we've been taking her out because it's the only place she'll go. We also switched pee pad brands yesterday and still no change.


----------

