Need help with rescue sheltie

N

NLadybug

Forums Regular
We have had our "new" rescue sheltie for a week. Sophie is a 7 yr. old blue merle that was dumped at a shelter in northern Colorado witha few other shelties. She was a breeder at a puppy mill from out of state. She is a beautiful sheltie (see link below). But she has had little to no training, and I think she must have spent most of her life in a crate. She is very shy, and if I would let her, she would continue to spend her life in the crate. So now she only goes in at night, and when I;m gone.

OK, so my main problem right now is that she won't go to the bathroom!! This is Wed. morning, and as far as I know, she hasn't gone since Monday!! I say as far as I know, because there was a 3 minute period yesterday when I was sitting on a cinder block outside in the sun, with Sophie on a (retractable) leash and she had walked up around behind me and I was "zoning" instead of watching her.

I took her out 5 times yesterday. She likes to follow Duncan, our 11 yr. old sheltie (we've had him since he was 7 weeks old), around the place. We don't have a fenced yard, so I have to take her out on a leash. (I live on 4 acres out on the high plains of Colorado, 30 miles southeast of Denver.)

She loves the walks, but just won't go! The first 2-3 days she would go, several times, but now...nothing! :confused2: Can anyone tell me how to get her to pee and poo??

Thanks! Nancy

http://picasaweb.google.com/nwwiswell/OurShelties#5563997201864455906
 
going pottie

I would suggest watching her intake. I am a nurse and of course we monitor patients' intake and output. Is she taking in fluids? And how much is she eating? Dogs should never go longer than 24 hours without urinating. As far as a stool- you can give her applesauce or canned pumpkin. Those food types should get the colon moving. Good Luck!
 
Sophie is eating well, I feed her twice a day, 7am & 6pm. She has eaten the last 3 meals. But she is not drinking very much! How to get a dog to drink?

Also- she eats her meals laying down--I have never had a sheltie do this....
 
Yep or a tiny amount of gatorade, when Sca got dehydrated that is what the vet recommended.

A thought just occurred though. What kind of bowl are you using for water? I remember some people having to use metal or plastic as the dog did not like the other. Might help her drink which I would think is a huge part of it and certainly not good for her.
 
Oh thank Heaven, she did #2 today, but still not the other. I am sure she felt much better! :smile2:
I will try a little chicken broth. Her bowl is a divided plastic one for now. She drank out of it a couple of times, but hardly at all the past couple of days. However, she did drink some out of the little bowl attached to the inside of her crate.
She is starting to warm up to me, now, when I was sitting outside on the lawn, she was on a chain, so she could have wandered around. But she cam up to me and lay down beside me. How sweet. Maybe its the "scratchies" I give her...I don't think she has been touched alot, and she likes it!
 
SheepOfBlue said:
Yep or a tiny amount of gatorade, when Sca got dehydrated that is what the vet recommended.

A thought just occurred though. What kind of bowl are you using for water? I remember some people having to use metal or plastic as the dog did not like the other. Might help her drink which I would think is a huge part of it and certainly not good for her.
Click to expand...

I think this is such a good thought! My friend had a plastic bowl for her dog's water and he would not drank much. When her sister dog-sat she used a ceramic bowl and Kyle drank up a storm! For some reason he prefers the water from the ceramic bowl. I would try changing it up. Perhaps she's not used to the type you're using.

Keep us posted and remember that rescues take some time to acclimate to their new surroundings, routines, etc.
 
I had a similar experience with our rescue, Abigail. (Who also is a merle with a brother named Duncan!) When we got her, she was obviously not comfortable yet and would not go to the bathroom. She still doesn't like going out in the open (10ish months later). We found out that she will go immediately if she is in a fenced yard, but we also don't have a fence. However, we found this out long after we had her and brought her to he dog park for the first time. The main things were patience, a looooong lead (I use a 40 foot tie-out as a leash, it was cheaper and sturdier), and no getting mad at the dog!

In the past couple weeks, I changed where we walk to a shady forested area and that is enclosed enough for her to be really comfortable. She just doesn't like the Florida-openness!

Find out what is troubling her. Maybe you can't look at her when she goes, need to take her out earlier in the morning than you thought, or whatever! And if she doesn't start drinking more water soon, I'd check with a vet (after trying the great ideas presented by other posters!). Good luck. It is going to be a very rewarding time with your new pup!
 
Hi all,
Thankee for your replies and help. I changed her bowl to a ceramic one and she is drinking better. She is also eating up every meal. Sooo, what could be the problem? Check this out: (OK, its gross) yesterday, I saw that she was licking herself down "there" in the afternoon, and again just after I brought her in from a walk at 11:00 PM. My question is, could she be lapping up her own pee? Why on earth isn't she going? Been with her all day today, kept her with me, and brought her to her water occassionly, which she did drink, but no go!!
I have a couple areas on my place that have 3-4 trees, and we go around those places every day. Its all I got; otherwise, well, we are on the high rolling plains of Colorado....
She is getting a little better with everything else, even got her to go down the stairs now! Thanks & God bless!
Nancy
 
My guess is it's one of two things. (Basically, it's not normal for her not to be peeing regularly)

1. She's peeing somewhere and you're not finding it
or
2. She has an infection/blockage/issue (may be why she's licking herself)

Just a thought.
 
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