The When, How and Why of Doggy Diapers

Doggy diapers can be very useful for young puppies, females in heat, dogs that are paralyzed from the waist down and older dogs that have urinary incontinence.

For one reason or another, there may be times in your pet’s life where they need to wear doggy diapers. When that time comes, don’t lose your cool. It’s something natural and this might sometimes be the only solution. You should always do what you can to make your pet comfortable.

How does your dog end up having to use doggy diapers

These kinds of products may become necessary for several reasons. The most common are:

• Urinary incontinence can affect your animal for a variety of reasons, such as urinary tract infections, diabetes or bladder problems. These reasons will require your pet to wear use doggy diapers, at least at home. Sometimes, veterinarians can fix the problem with surgery or medications, but this is not always the case, especially when it is a question of age.
• Females in heat produce secretions that can ruin your floor and furniture. During this time, doggy diapers can be very useful.
• When a puppy is learning to go to the bathroom outside, a good option to protect your furniture is to use doggy diapers. In any case, don’t neglect training them because this is only a short-term solution.
• If your dog is paralyzed from the waist down, they will not be able to control their sphincter and they will need to use doggy diapers for the rest of their life.

Doggy diapers: How to use them

Just like with baby diapers, you can find disposable or fabric doggy diapers. The latter is less harmful to the environment, although they also need to be washed constantly, which wastes fresh water.

When using them, it is useful to know the following:

• You must change your animal’s diapers frequently. If the dirty diaper stays in contact with the skin for a long time, it is likely that your dog will end up getting rashes or even infections.
• The level of absorption is different for each diaper. Choose the size and type of diaper you want for your dog carefully to make your dog feel comfortable and prevent leakage.
• Use disposable wipes to clean your pet.
• It’s recommended that you have gloves handy when changing the diapers to avoid coming into contact with your dog’s urine or feces.
• Doggy diapers usually have a hole for their tail, but if your animal does not have a tail or it is too short, cover this hole to prevent possible leakage.
• Before resorting to doggy diapers, take your animal to the veterinarian for an accurate diagnosis.