Daisy

Hallo all.
I am new to this forum today as I scour the internet for support.
I adopted Daisy from a shelter. She is a cuddly and happy 7 year old sweetheart and enjoys a happy life indoors with us, with a large yard to zoom around in.
She has always had a tendency to toilet in her own den. I have owned dogs my entire life and never experienced anything quite like it... Not sure if this is a staffy thing?? But she is family ... so I just do lots of laundry for her and have established signals and a schedule for her to try and regulate this a bit. *shrug* Anyway, yesterday, I gave her a bath which she does not enjoy so I try to only bathe her every few months. I have a rubber mat so she doesn't slip in my tub and use nice warm water and a soothing happy voice but she still stresses. I even make sure the woodstove is going so she can lie by the fire to dry and be warm.
After her bath yesterday, she has been off. She whimpers walking up the stairs and can barely climb up to her favourite spot beside me on the couch when invited.
She has been "shivering" at times last night and all day today off n on and the corners of her eyes are red which tells me she is stressed. I finally gave her a baby aspirin this evening.
I don't think this is UTI. Her output and appetite are all normal (for her).
She has no blemishes or outward sign of injury.
We live in a remote area of North Western Canada - vet services are limited and less so with the pandemic.
Thoughts? Anyone?
Any tips or tricks to share?

Hi & welcome.

Poor Daisy, she sounds in discomfort, doesn't she?

The toileting in her bed area/house is certainly not a Stafford thing. I can only assume that she was kept in an enclosed area (crate/small room etc) before you rescued her & she had no choice. It's probably a habit, now, but with kindness & perseverance you can re-train her. What do you use to clean up afterwards?

Re: after the bath. It sounds like she has twisted herself somehow. Either her back hurts, or maybe shoulders or thighs? If a dog shakes hard enough & for long enough, they can get a reaction in their nerves which can lead to lameness. If that's the case, i wouldn't bathe her unless she's really Stinky! With vets only seeing urgent cases you could try phoning & asking for Metacam (or similar) to ease the discomfort,and restrict exercise for a while.

Do you give any joint supplements?

Welcome to the forum!

We rescued Mollie from a house where the kitchen was the toilet and only now, 1 year on, is she grasping that she can go in the garden. Its all shes been used to for 8 years so to break the habit was more difficult than basic toilet training a puppy!! We still use puppy pads just incase and use a strong disinfectant pet friendly to clear up. Try and take her back to basics but it will take patience and persistence as Gilly said.

Could the shivering be related to anxiety issues? Again, my boy has has episodes where I just have to sit and hold him tight until he calms himself.

I'll echo the above and maybe limit the exercise and request Metacam.

Nikita x