The paraplegic dog does not always need help to pee. The care of the pet tends to vary according to the severity of the injury: it may be that the dog adapts and continues to do his needs alone, develops urinary incontinence and needs to use a dog diaper or, in the worst case, completely loses the ability to urinate alone. In the latter case, the guardiansneed to massage the dog's bladder to stimulate peeing.

Manually emptying the paraplegic dog's bladder helps prevent urinary tract problems and should be done between 3 and 4 times a day. Care is essential to preserve the pet's health and well-being and should not be delayed for more than 8 hours. Check out some tips from Patas da Casa that can help you with this task!

Paraplegic dog: how to care? 4 tips for emptying the dog's bladder

Although it's a quick process that only takes a few seconds, manually emptying your paraplegic dog's bladder takes practice and learning time. Your vet is the ideal person to explain all the details of this daily ritual. But, as we well know, when you're nervous, it's normal to look for extra tips from other sources. That's why we've put together a simplified step-by-step that might help youhelp - in conjunction with the professional's instructions, of course. Check it out:

Step 1) Position the paraplegic dog

The bladder emptying massage can be done with the dog lying on its side or standing. If you prefer to do it with the dog standing, you may need the help of another person or even accessories for paraplegic dogs. The important thing is to find a comfortable position for you and the pet.

Step 2) Locate the dog's bladder

Place one hand on each side of the paraplegic dog's abdomen, just in front of the hind legs. In a male dog, you will find the bladder above the penis. In female dogs, the bladder is located further back, towards the rump. Depending on the amount of urine accumulated, it is normal to feel that the bladder is full, as if you were squeezing a water balloon.

Step 3) Gently press the dog's bladder region

With your hands correctly positioned, start gently pressing on the paraplegic dog's abdomen, directing the movement towards the back of the animal. It may take a while for the urine to come out, so keep the pressure between 3 and 6 seconds before repositioning your hands. Talking gently to the dog can help him relax his abdominal muscles and also makes all the differencein this process.

Step 4) Empty the dog's bladder completely

When the pee starts to come out, keep applying pressure and wait until the flow turns into drops. At this point, you can remove your hands from the paraplegic dog's abdomen. Wait about 30 seconds for the bladder to recover, and then apply pressure again. This step is important to eliminate the urine completely and reduce risks of urinary infection in dogs.

If you still have questions and/or notice that your paraplegic dog is showing some discomfort during the bladder massage, please contact your veterinarian.