# Should we worry?



## MaxB (Mar 11, 2019)

I ask this question here, because I don't think we should worry, and you more experienced owners might have some insight, and I don't think the vet will thank me for the query. 

Maggie is her usual self, despite the recent episode with the toe nail. Full of energy, fun, etc. 
Recently though I have noticed that she on occasion decides to take herself off to bed, just pops off up stairs and into her crate. This is fine, except she won't have been out for her last toilet time, so we have to convince her back downstairs. 

she just does not want to go out to the toilet. She has started to pee in the rocky part of the garden rather than the grassy part, and seems reluctant to put her paws down on the ground, but only when she is out for toilet time. The temperature has dropped here and we've had a lot of rain, so she's very reluctant to go out...and often will stand at the door for 10 minutes while I try to convince her to go to the toilet. When she does go, she gets lots of praise and a treat, so it's not that....but I worry that she is 'holding' on. We also use the command, 'toilet time', which was working up to this weather change. 

Same thing first thing in the morning, she used to bound out of the crate, and straight downstairs to get out for a pee....more recently, we open the crate, and she just looks at us, and goes back to sleep. This morning we had to really encourage her out of the crate, downstairs and out into the garden. She just stayed in the crate with the door open for an extra hour. once she had been out, and was back in the house, she was back to bouncing off the walls...but it seems that in the mornings, she's happy to just chill out, and stay in bed. This did start when she was restricted with her foot bandages, and we did think she was getting depressed, so we organised that she could go back to daycare, which helped, but this week she is in the full of her health, and yet still, reluctant to go out to toilet. 

We now keep an umbrella by the back door for the heavy rain days, she will eventually be cajoled out into the garden under the umbrella. But seriously, should we worry, or is she just growing up, or is it just that she doesn't like winter coming? She'll be 1 in 2 weeks.


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Hi Max,

There area couple of issues here.

Generally, V's are comfort freaks, so rain or snow, dark of night, any kind of discomfort be it physical or emotional....will result in your V wanting to get under the covers. And rather dramatically too. The task is to separate their neediness from any signal of real distress. So, when it rains, I just put my galoshes on and go out with the Big Baby for potty time. Likewise, if he goes upstairs early, I just leave him be and if he needs to go out earlier so be it. 

But Maggie also had a recent bout of illness, so my first thought is that her behaviors now might be related to that experience. Is the toe completely healed and is she off the meds entirely? Take a look at the foot and gently touch it, see f she reacts. If so, then call the vet, fungals especially are really nasty b/c they impair the body's immune response and often take a few rounds of anti fungals to completely eradicate. Likewise, the impaired immune response also leave them vulnerable to opportunistic infections of other types. So, my first response here would be to suspect she doesn't feel well and try to address that.

The neediness is another story...


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## MaxB (Mar 11, 2019)

Hi Gingerling.....yes thanks, I think you're right, and we have checked her foot. She has a nail now grown over the quick, and she is happy to have it touched, squeezed, poked at....it looks fine, and she is off all meds. The anti biotics finished yesterday. 

I think maybe she was a bit 'discombobulated' by all the to'ing and fro'ing to vets and the disruption to her daily routine. Anaesthesia may also explain some of the behaviour. and maybe she is just a little 'older'. I've also been busy the past few nights, so no snuggle time on the sofa in the evenings. Due to all that was going on, we have delayed her spaying a few weeks, so she can get back to whatever is considered normal for a V. 

I think she just doesn't like the weather we've been having, and would prefer not to go outside for toilet time. We're also heading rapidly towards the winter solstice so it's getting darker earlier every day. We'll see how she does next few days, I'm off on another business trip, I suspect that she might be extra 'needy' when I get back on Wednesday night. 

Thanks again, we'll keep an eye to make sure she doesn't seem unwell.


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## InTheNet (Jun 1, 2016)

Weather change? 
Our female dislikes going out in the cold to pee. 


Both ours really dislike going out in the rain to pee.


When it is time for a run the temp/snow does not matter to them. Just when it is potty time.


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Most of them don't care to potty in the rain. So if you have a out of the way spot, that is still indoors, as in a laundry room, or garage. Set her up a potty place. In the summer I've used a kiddy pool, and a couple squares of grass. I'm sure there are other set ups you could use in the winter. I do this when we have hurricanes or floods. But it could help you rule out if it's weather related, or something else going on with her.
Dogs are good at masking pain, until it becomes intense.


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## MaxB (Mar 11, 2019)

hmm...I'll keep an eye on her. nowhere to keep her indoors for toilet time, we've started turning on all the outdoor lights to see if that helps. Hoping that it is just a 'I don't like the rain, the cold and the wet' issue, doesn't remember it from her early weeks with us, and maybe that she is just a little older and doesn't need to go quite as much. happily goes in the park in the wet, but does try to avoid going outside at all if it's really raining. Just kind of looks at you as if to say, "Are you kidding me? You want me to go out....in THAT!?" l

I do have a doggie toilet, maybe I'll resurrect that and put it just outside the patio, where it's a little more sheltered. 

Don't think we could bear it if she was in pain, but I don't think she is, just being a madam. 

Today's picture of her favourite game..."I have your cushion, and you can't catch me!".


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Imagine, a Prima Donna.

As long as her behavior isn't the result of some demonstrable pain, I'd just leave her be, so if she wants to sleep in, so be it. Ny bet is that when that little bladder gets so full she'll let you know and reluctantly go out to potty. You might still need your foul weather gear and go out with her, though.


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