A Diaper for a Male Dachshund Dog

This entry is for anyone faced with the dilemma of needing a diaper for your male dachshund. Dachshunds have no legs or hips to hold the pet store diapers on...they slip out of them like a snake. I hope this idea helps someone out there, I know how desperate I was to figure something out that worked and that our dog would agree to wear. Luckily Ollie only needs to wear his at bedtime and for long car rides.

Since starting medication for his heart failure Ollie has occasional incontinence at night. I needed to try diapers, as Ollie refuses to sleep anywhere other than the bed. I spent weeks looking in the pet stores and online for diaper solutions... after trying several ideas/contraptions I figured out my own solution that both Ollie & I can live with.

Here's what worked best for a 16 pound, very long, male dachshund dog. I bought a package of Gerber Baby Onesies (size 12 months) and modified them into a diaper holder:

• I sewed the neck area to reinforce it and stop it from opening up on the sides and sliding down the dog
• I sewed elastic straps to the bottom back of the onsie, about 6-7 inches long
  
• I sewed a 2inch strip of velcro onto the ends of each elastic strap
• I sewed the other side of the velco to the bottom front of the onesie

Voila, you have a diaper holder...for the "diaper" I stick a feminine pad inside the back of the onesie and put it on him backwards, so the back of the onesie goes along his belly with the pad inside. I'm sure you can make adjustments to suit your pooch, luckily Ollie was a pretty easy fit. He doesn't mind wearing it and it keeps the bed dry. We've only had 2 small leaks in the last several months--not bad! You can see Ollie sporting his "pajamas" (we don't call it a diaper around him) in the picture above.

The pads I found work and fit best are Walmart Super Absorbent Overnight pads with Wings, a teal and melon orange package. I tried Always, Kotex, Serenity, and multiple other brands and for some reason the Walmart pads work the best--and they are very affordable (about $5.00 for 28). The other brands leaked out the sides or would come unglued and stick to his fur.

Hope this helps, if so please leave a comment for Ollie & I. Ollie is a proud, active, happy senior dog that is on diuretics and blood pressure medication to help his heart failure. These meds cause him to have to pee a lot... he is good during the day, but at night he has accidents/leakage. We can't fault him for that...I'll probably have the same problem when I'm his age...13 going on 14.