# Sleeping through the night???



## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

Ollie is almost 12 weeks and is still waking up 3-4 times a night to potty. Is this normal? He sleeps in a crate by my bed and cries when he needs to go. I am paper training him, so at least I only have to go as far as the bathroom to take him to potty. He does go every time, usually poop, so he's not just crying for attention. I don't go gaga over it when he does it at night, just a good boy, a pat on the head and back into the crate, so I don't think he just wants attention either. I have moved his last feeding up to 3 or 4 in the afternoon (once in the morning, once at 3 or 4), but that doesn't seem to help. It just seems like he poops more than he even eats!!! I'm exhausted and wondering if I should be worried. Any ideas????


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

Well you are feeding him early enough,

What time are you going to bed?
Do you take him to potty, right before bedtime?
Is his stool firm?, if not could he have worms..
What time are you taking his water up?

I got my three at 10 weeks and they were sleeping through the night by 12 weeks..


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

I got both of mine at 11 weeks and they slept through the night. Shelby had a little span where she would get up during the night, but it was usually because she had to poop. And it was only a few times and not more than once a night.


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## Alexa (Jun 17, 2007)

Pooping that often does sound strange....can you take a stool sample to your vet and have them check it? 

I can totally relate on how the getting up at night wears you down....Marley would have probably been just fine, but since he's my first dog ever, I took him outside after every whimper, not knowing what to really listen for and boy was I TIRED every morning. He never did and still doesn't poop that often and hardly ever at night, so I definitely would rule out a health issue first.

Alexa


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

It sounds like he may have worms. I can't see why a puppy would be pooping that often. When he was 13 weeks, Kubrick was pooping 3x a day and sleeping through the night with no problems. Do take a stool sample to your vet for him to check it!


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Yes,

Pooping at night here is a 'rarity', it seldom happens. When she was a puppy, it was more like 3X a day shortly after feeding and maybe 1X peeing at night and she was sleeping through the night at about 12 weeks.

I'd ask your vet. Is he pooping during the day too?

Kara


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

Hmmm...now I'm worried. The vet did check a stool sample last week and said he did not have worms, so that can't be it. He does have soft stools more often than hard. And yes, he poops during the day many times too. I'm not feeding him as much as he would LIKE to eat either. Probably 1/4 a cup twice a day. Occasionally, he manages to get to my chihuahua's food before I remember to pick it up so he probably gets a little extra. Do you think it could be the food? I'm feeding Life's Abundance. The breeder recommended it. It's made with human grade ingredients...the press on it sounds good. I'm just wondering if he's pooping all the time, how much can his little body actually be USING? 

I've been determined to keep him on a schedule and potty train by the books, but I'm discouraged. I feed him and wait for him to potty before I let him out to play, but half the time, he'll potty again anyway before I can stop him. It seems there is no end to going potty!!! :frusty: He can potty at any time! He also gives no signal that I can discern before going wee. We don't have many poop accidents, but wee...that's a different story!

We go into the vet this week for another shot...hopefully she'll have some answers.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Shelly, I have never used Life's Abundance, but on your comment I went to look online for reviews and for every person that stated that it's a great food, someone said that their dogs didn't do well on it. I read a ton of reviews of dogs with allergic reactions and inconsistent bowels. I'm not sure if that's what could be causing the problem, but why don't you try to feed Ollie boiled chicken and rice for a few days and see if his bowels improve? It might be worth it.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

I didn't read the reviews on the food yet, but if there is a common problem and others have claimed too frequent stools, you may want to try the boiled chicken and rice like Lina suggested to clean out his system and then try a new food? There are some others that are 'human grade'. I remember Gucci did pretty well on "Fromms", but I know other forum members have had successes with other brands, too.

It just seems excessive to poop 6+ X a day?  I'd strive for 3X for a puppy and then adult should go 2-3x a day (according to my vet)

Kara


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

*Good ideas...any ideas for our road trip????*

Lina, it's a good idea to check the reviews. I didn't think of doing that before. So far I've only checked one site and whew! what a debate! I'll check others when I have time and I think for dinner this afternoon, Ollie may be getting boiled chicken and rice.

I thought it was excessive poop too, I'm glad to get at leat that confirmed. I hope I can get it resolved. I'm traveling across country to California (34 hour drive) this weekend, and I don't know how we are going to manage with Ollie. Perhaps I could cook ahead boiled chicken and rice and put it in a cooler? Any thoughts? I'm afraid it's going to be a nightmare trip for ALL of us, but it's unavoidable.


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

reece said:


> Well you are feeding him early enough,
> 
> What time are you going to bed?
> Do you take him to potty, right before bedtime?
> ...


Our bedtime has not been consistant...between 11:00 and 1:00. 
We always go potty right before bed.
I have not been taking his water up. He is using the hanging bottle of water and it is always available in his ex pen, not available when he is crated.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Shelly, boiled chicken and rice in the cooler should be perfect for Ollie. It should last over the weekend as long as it is kept cold. And as far as reviews, I have always read them. Right now I'm feeding Fromm's and it has gotten great reviews and Kubrick loves it! If it's easy for you to get it, you should definitely give it a try. There are other great premium dog foods (Innova, Innova Evo, Wellness, Merrick's, Timberwolf, just to name a few) that others here use who can give you a better idea of what to pick.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Also, I just read your last response and I do think you should be taking his water away around 3 hours before bed time (make sure he's not overly exercising before then, though so he doesn't get dehydrated). This way he won't have to pee overnight.


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Shelly~
Tori was eating a lot and pooping during the night, also. Her sleeping quarters allows her to potty herself when she needs to go, so I wasn't losing sleep. But, it did seem strange to find poop every morning. Well, we just discovered on Thurs. that she had a tapeworm! She had been checked and dewormed less than 2 weeks before that. The vet explained that often tapeworm won't show up in a fecal exam, and the meds given for "typical" puppy worms won't touch a tapeworm. It can also take several weeks for them to begin shedding their segments. 

The way we discovered Tori's was when I went to brush her Thurs. morning there were "things" stuck in the fur near her bottom. These "things" looked like sesame seeds, which were easy to see on her black coat. Well, come to find out they are the dried segments that are shed by the worm. Yuck! The treatment for tapeworm is a shot. Tori had it on Thurs. afternoon and by Sat. her eating had slowed way down, no poop in the night, and no "things" hanging on her bottom. Yay!


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Leslie brings up a good point, Kubrck had hookworms and those are pretty rare (according to my vet) so people might not check for those kinds in a standard test. You should get a stool sample to your vet as well as change his diet, just in case.


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

I agree- check for worms .It is not unusual for wee puppies to have worms .
Be very careful of the worming medication they give your dog . Cosmo had an adverse reaction to one of them when he was a puppy .
Also I am not sure i read correctly but it sounds like you are feeding your dog twice a day . I think he is a little young and he still needs to be fed three times a day .. last fed around 5-6 pm 
I would check a few things out with your vet - the type of food - kibble versus cooked versus raw . I agree it sounds like the current food is not the right one . Also when to pick up the water and when to feed times included .
Cosmo did not sleep through the night at 12 weeks so remember every dog is different . Cosmo got up to wee wee and occasionally do his business .. Everything is still small and undeveloped . Small dogs are different from larger dogs and this is a mistake I made .. He should be further along as he is so many weeks old . Not necessarily the case 
They do settle down but every pup is different


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## Lynn (Jan 2, 2007)

Casper would go to bed around 9:00 pm and potty (no Poop at night) around 1:00 am and then again at 5 or 6 am at that age. Missy at 12 wks, will go to bed at 9:00 pm and sleep most the time until 5-6 am and then poop and pee when she gets up. Since you have a trip coming up, maybe it would be a good idea to discuss this with your vet. 

Sometimes first time road trips can be upsetting to their system, causing stomach problems no matter what you do. Casper was really a good dog on our first road trip, but he did get some diareaha the first day in the car for 9 hours.


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

*Canned Prescription Diet Chicken and Rice?*

I just talked to the vet office and they are going to check again for worms tomorrow. They said what Lina said...some types don't show up in every fecal sample. I hope *if* he does have them that they show up this time. He is going in for his distemper shot tomorrow so they will check again then. You can bet, I'll be checking for those 'sesame seeds', Lina!!!!

I had read to feed them three times a day too, but the breeder said two, so I was going with her advice.

I have been taking him on short car rides every day since I got him to get him used to going in the car since I knew we had this long trip going on. So far he has never been sick from going in the car. I'm hoping (praying!) that means he won't suffer car sickness on this trip.

I have some canned Prescription Diet Chicken and Rice....I wonder if that would be the same as the actual boiled chicken and rice??? My yorkie had stomach upsets often and in desperation I started feeding boiled chicken and rice. The vet told me not to do that and to feed him the Prescription Diet instead. They are also pushing hard for the Science Diet for the puppy. For some reason, I mistrust when a vet offers no options...only one right way.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

Shelly, your vet is pushing Prescription Diet and Science Diet because she gets paid to do that. I'm not saying that it's not a good food, but the amount of "goodies" P/D and S/D give to vets for selling their food explains why they push it so often. A lot of people here on the forum have commented on the pushing for S/D and P/D and how it's a little ridiculous. Why in the world would it not be ok to feed Ollie chicken and rice that you cook yourself if it's only for a couple of days? It wouldn't make sense for you to do it for an extended period of time (they need more vitamins, etc.) but only for a couple of days will not hurt Ollie at all. But go with your gut instinct on this.

Also, Leslie is the one that brought up the tapeworm, not me. I just agreed with her.


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Shelly~ I agree w/Lina about the food. There is no good reason Ollie can't eat the chicken and rice for a couple of days. In fact, when my little Shadow was so sick, the specialists recommended boiled chicken 1st, then went with the P/D after a week because she needed more nutrients than the chicken alone provided.


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

> Also, Leslie is the one that brought up the tapeworm, not me. I just agreed with her.


Oops! sorry! Hookworms and tapeworms....ugh. 
He just had a meal of boiled chicken and rice and then we went outside to march around the backyard and around the pool a few times. He had a good poop.  I'll keep my fingers crossed and we'll see what the vet says tomorrow I guess.



> Shelly, your vet is pushing Prescription Diet and Science Diet because she gets paid to do that.


I know, I guess that's why I mistrust it. I think it's also just intensity with which they _recommend_ it. They make you feel like you're an irresponsible pet owner if you don't. Somehow it just gets my back up.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Ya know..everyone has an "opinion" on food and like my husband says...some opinions are like a-holes. LOL they stink! ound: 

Seriously though, I've been criticized for home cooking, but that's what works for us. If a kibble would've worked better, I'd feed that...if Raw was the perfect thing for her...I'd feed raw!

Every dog is different and some really thrive on certain foods, so if you find a great match, stick w/ it and the vet always pushes the science diet, because they sell it! 

There are alot of good quality human grade stuff to choose from on the market, so I"m sure you'll find the perfect "fit".

Hugs,
Kara


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

> Ya know..everyone has an "opinion" on food and like my husband says...some opinions are like a-holes. LOL they stink!


:laugh:Wise man, that husband of yours! :laugh:

I hope you're right, Kara. I would like to find just the perfect thing so my dogs felt great and lived the best possible life! I guess that's what we all want, for our dogs and for ourselves too! I really thought this food would be great, and who knows? Maybe it is. I'll have to see if the vet finds anything tomorrow.

I wish I had more time to just BE with Ollie right now...it's hard to tear myself away to pack and get ready for the move! I'm all stressed out and maybe Ollie is sensing that too.

:hug:
Shelly


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Aww  The best time spent is quality time, and we always have time for that! 

I hope the vet answers some q's, if its not worms, I'd change the food..and hopefully that will be that and Ollie will be a happy camper! Its no fun have tummy aches...

Some kibbles just don't agree with dogs, like people can't eat spicy foods, etc.

Kara


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

I agree with Kara .. The first thing my new vet asked is what do you feed your dog ..
She recommended home cooked as Cosmo seemed to be so-oo sensitive .
Over time his diet has changed but it is still home cooked with a little healthy kibble for crunch and to help their teeth ..
Like Kara I would feed what works ..
When I had my German Shorthair and as he got older he was having major problems with his health and pancreas .. All my regular vet wanted to do was treat with antibiotics . I found a homeopathic vet and she was able to help me improve his health .. It was not instant pudding - it took time but he did improve . He lived another two years and over time his diet changed as his symptoms changed .. i always cooked for him and i could tell he really appreciated it as he would gobble it up .. 
He was on strictly homecooked food with lots of supplements .
It was a lot of work but he was worth it .. 
This has been discussed in other threads .. but I feel we do want what is best for our pets and we will do it ..
I was also encouraged to buy science diet and the ones the vets sell .. They are full of corn .. Not good for dogs .


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

*Ghiardia!*

I fed Ollie the rice and chicken yesterday afternoon and thought all was well. He slept until 5:30 this morning. When he woke up, I took him to the potty pads and he proceeded to do his business. Then much to my surprise (and HIS) he had a quite impressive case of the squirts! As he whirled around to see what was going on back there he continued to squirt and and whirl even more! It was quite spectacular. Nothing like a whirling, poop shooting puppy to start the day. Thank God I had three potty pads lined up! Most of it I was able to just fold up and toss. EEEEWWWWW!

The vet tested and Ollie has Ghiardia. Contagious to other pets and people too so I've spent most of the day today santizing every place poor Ollie has been. He is on ID Prescription diet chicken and rice, meds for the ghiardia, and an antidiarrieal med. Sigh.....hope we get this under control before Saturday!!!!

I took the ingredient list from Ollie's food to the vet and she said her only concern was the grape seed extract. I had wondered about that one too. I will probably switch him when we get to CA, I haven't decided yet. I know there have been other discussions on the forum about grape seed extract. I can't remember if there was any definitive conclusion or concensus about it.

You guys are great and your kind words and advice are such a help to me.


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## Paige (Sep 12, 2006)

I glad to hear that Ollie is now being treated.

Things should be getting better for you and Ollie, and you both can get some sleep..

I was cracking up at you situation you had this morning.


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## Lina (Apr 26, 2007)

I hope that Ollie feels better soon! I'm glad that you were able to find out that it was indeed Giardia affecting the poor little guy. I think Beamer went through this, so you can probably ask Ryan if you have any questions.

I did laugh at your pooping incident but we've all been there, so it was all in good fun. 

I'm not sure about the grape seed extracts. They are supposed to be okay but I still don't trust it since they don't know where exactly the grape toxins are. But that's just me. A lot of dogs take them with no side effects so just go with your gut instinct.


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

It's ok to laugh at the whirly poop. I didn't laugh at the moment, but afterwards, picturing it, I had to crack up. He's always so interested in his poop anyway and I'm trying to break the poop eating....I can only imagine what he was thinking this morning...........oh! Goodie, a Slurpie! ound: ound: ound: Ok, that was so gross, I apologize!!!! I have to laugh or I'll never get through it!!! 

Thanks for the kind thoughts...I hope he's better soon too. I feel glad that they actually found the cause and the treatment is not too bad.


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

havaluv said:


> oh! Goodie, a Slurpie! ound: ound: ound:


ound:ound: ROFLMHO!!! ound:ound:


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Shelly, I am LMAO ound:ound:ound:ound:ound: Hope Ollie is better soon.


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

I am so glad you figured out what is going on! Thanks for the gross storiesuke:. Of course, we can all appreciate what you are going through. I certainly hope your little one feels better soon!!


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## Alexa (Jun 17, 2007)

OMG..that was the funniest thing I've seen all day! I needed that laugh *ROFL*

[...........oh! Goodie, a Slurpie! ound: ound: ound: Ok, that was so gross, I apologize!!!! I have to laugh or I'll never get through it!!! 

.[/QUOTE]


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Awww..

Poor baby!  I am glad he's now on medication and the chicken/rice to clean his system out.

Alot of us have been through several foods to find a good match. I would buy small bags to start until you find something that really agrees with him!

Hugs,
Kara


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

I wish Ollie a speedy recovery!


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## havaluv (Oct 15, 2007)

Thanks so much, Kimberly and Kara. He seems to feel great, playing and active and cheerful. He was up 4 times in the night to poo, though. Hopefully it will get better each day!


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

Shelby has a sensitive stomach - the vet said like a mild colitis. But she hasn't had a problem for a while now, and the meds work great when she needs them, thank goodness. Not only do they wake you up, but then you are washing butts all nite, too.


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