Took in an abandoned dog, and it's all going wrong

15 months ago, I returned from holiday to find an abandoned crossbreed terrier living in our hamlet. It attached itself to a neighbour who would feed it, but didn't want it, so he was living outdoors. As the neighbour hadn't gone to any efforts to find out about the dog, I took it to the vets (no tattoo or chip), put up notices and posted in forums to try and track down an owner, but without any success.

I didn't want a dog myself as we had 5 cats, but the local shelter was overrun, and I knew he'd have no life there so we took him in. It was all good for a few months; a kind, obedient and affectionate dog. We noticed he was misshapen on one side near his bottom, and suffering from constipation, and some bleeding. The vet said it was quite a profound hernia on one side, so we took him to the city and he was operated on and castrated at the same time. All was good until a couple of months later, he started developing a hernia on the other side. He had to be operated on again, by a well known vet, a specialist in this area, and visited by people from far and wide.

Sadly after this second operation the dog was left completely incontinent. Constantly dripping pee everywhere, and worse still when he needed to poo it would just come out of its own accord with the dog completely oblivious that it was happening. We went to our local vets who were surprised but said it may be a temporary thing, and we got some expensive hormonal medication, but after two months the problem was no better at all.

Our vet contacted the city vet who was concerned and sympathetic and asked if we could return. We did, and ultimately he could only apologise with a sad face, and told us in 25 years this has never happened to him, and that he had no solution for us.

The poor dog now has to live in the barn and garden, because we cannot have him in the house. We tried a few times, but the smell is unbearable and the spread of pee and poo was everywhere, with the cats walking in it and jumping up onto work surfaces and table. It was just impossible. To make matters even worse, a few months before all this happened he'd taken to nipping people like the postman on the ankles, and chases every person or vehicle that comes nearby, which is a nightmare. Yesterday on Christmas I took him for a walk, and we passed our neighbours dog (a much bigger one!) and he just went for her. Previously he would never have done something like that - I don't know if the change of environment and/or medication has affected his usual behaviour. We have a very large garden and some woodland which is impossible to secure, so he can always find his way out. I've spent two months wages on his operations, medications and vet visits, and just can't afford anything else. We can't rehome him, because nobody would take him in his state. There's no solution to his incontinence and I'm at a loss as to what to do. The vet suggested we could have him put down, but we can't do that, he's still a healthy dog in all other regards. I'm about to order an insulated kennel with a gift voucher I was given, and I will be forced to keep him on some sort of long leash for parts of the day. I'm kind of at my wit's end with it all, I don't think there's a solution? I hate keeping the poor dog outside all the time, and can't stand the idea of using some sort of leash, but are there any alternatives?

 

Thank you JoanneF and JudyN. When he had the hernia he quickly started to get into pain and discomfort. He doesn't appear to be so anymore, and the vets he's seen all think he is okay on that front. I did consider the nappies for the pee problem, but I don't know that they'd help for the other without making a terrible mess.

The vets all say he is no more than 10. Possibly 8 or 9.

 

I understand I have to weigh up the balance of his quality of life vs the alternative, but he seems to be a dog that likes living. The kids love him and we can still take him out on walks when we can (usually with the car windows wound down due to the smell!). When we've gone so far and tried so hard to give him a better life I'm not sure we can just abandon him at this stage. The whole situation is quite depressing

 

Thanks Judy. It's a real quandary at the moment. Last night at 5am I had to get up as he wouldn't stop barking; I'm not sure what set him off, but if he does that too often, we will start getting complaints from the neighbours.
All this would be easier to handle in the Spring when the weather is better - we're outside a lot more too, which would give him company, but this time of year, it just feels like the wrong moment for all these problems to arrive at once.

Some of the garden is fenced. By the looks of him I think he squeezed under some barbed wire at the edge of the wood and removed a bit of fur from his back. He knows where the weak points are, and there's plenty of opportunity for him to get out.

Thanks for the link and the kind words. I've been thinking a lot about it all recently. Talked to my wife; she certainly isn't keen on the euthanising possibility. If we ever went down the road, it would be on me, and I think I'd have to keep the secret from my kids. I'm hoping I don't have to go there, but I have to keep an open mind and possibly do the hard thing.