How Disposable Dog Diapers Compare to the P-Suit® Diaper
By Cat Pesale
Max, our rescue chihuahua mix, shows off his thunderbolts & navy, medium-sized P-Suit® dog diaper.
If you're strolling around your local pet store to pick up dog supplies, you've likely come across disposable dog diapers. These diapers come bundled in bulk, often marketed in the same section as pee pad brands and smell deodorizers. They're also some of the most prevalent items that will pop up as you research dog diaper options on your preferred search engine or online marketplace.
These no-frills diapers look like human baby diapers for pups – especially in their design. Many include a tail opening, while others even work in details like wetness indicators that let dog owners know when to change their pup's diapers. Naturally, these diapers can handle both urine and poop, with the idea that dog owners can dispose of and replace their pups' diapers when needed. They also come in combos for males and females; some are even unisex.
The convenience of a disposable dog diaper can seem enticing at the surface for some owners. But what works well for human babies doesn't necessarily carry over to fur babies. There are a host of factors dog owners need to review more closely when assessing whether disposable dog diapers are the way to go for handling dog peeing, behavioral marking, and dog incontinence. We've included a few here, particularly the most prevalent complaints we've received from customers transitioning away from disposable dog diapers to our patented P-Suit® dog diapers.
1. Achieving a secure fit can be an issue
The biggest drawback of this type of dog diaper is how the diaper secures itself to the dog's body. Most disposable dog diapers wrap around the dog's anatomy and rear, relying mainly on a strip of adhesive tape or a sticker-like tab to stay together. The problem with this approach is that despite the manufacturer's best intentions, these tabs are neither secure nor flexible enough to move around with a dog's body. While a toddler, at worst, can crawl around or stand up without too much motion, dogs can jump and run without a problem, as any owner of a dog with the "zoomies" knows well. With some serious wiggling, that single piece of tape holding a dog's diaper together can unravel and break away, leaving a household at risk for severe urine damage.
Rosie, our pug, is securely fitted in a medium-sized P-Suit® dog diaper.
How the P-Suit® Solves This
Most new customers who come to us seeking solutions for their little "Houdinis" often reference this situation after trying out disposable diapers. Our P-Suit® diaper's adjustable back and rear snap system puts fit issues to rest by allowing dog owners to comfortably adjust the suit to their dogs' unique dimensions and body types. With the right snap setting, our P-Suit® diapers will never be too snug or loose. We also use breathable, four-way stretch fabrics that adjust to and accommodate how dogs move. Therefore, our design will stay on regardless of whether a dog jumps, runs, or cuddles in the suit. In addition, our snap system makes the P-Suit® diaper easy to put on a dog. All a dog needs to do is step into the suit and snap up! Whenever owners need to take their pets’ P-Suit® diapers off, they can unsnap the suit and their dogs can step out.
2. Sizing methods for disposable dog diapers can be problematic
Selecting the appropriate size is crucial for ensuring any dog diaper stays on and functions properly. For disposable dog diaper users, finding the right fit can be challenging. Most manufacturers of human-diaper-like dog diapers ask owners to measure the dog's waist, usually in front of their hind legs. While this may sound like a simple measurement for dog owners, owners need to look no further than their dogs' bodies to see why this measurement is not appropriate. For many breeds, a dog's body angles and curves upward from the chest to the legs. Therefore, owners could conclude their dogs need different sizes depending on where in front of the hind legs they measure. Even spotting a tape measure as far as a quarter-inch off could be enough to skew dog sizing, increasing the likelihood of an owner's pup getting out of the diaper or feeling uncomfortable.
Our chihuahua, Eddy, napping in his teal & navy, medium-sized P-Suit® dog diaper.
How the P-Suit® Solves This
These inconsistencies are why we never ask our P-Suit® customers for their dogs' waist measurements, as we've found it to be an unreliable indicator for sizing. After studying more than a decade of orders, we've found that measuring a dog's body length and neck circumference fully accounts for different body types across breeds. Learn more about our simple and effective sizing approach, which has helped big, small, wide, and thin dogs fit comfortably into our P-Suit® dog diapers.
3. Disposable dog diapers do not accommodate the way dogs pee
Another significant issue is how these dog diapers fail to accommodate a dog's anatomy or how dogs pee. Unlike humans, a male dog tends to pee forward and outward, mainly because a male dog's anatomy tends to be parallel to -- and pointed in the same direction as -- his torso. Most disposable dog diapers do not reflect this reality in their designs and constrict the male dog's penis, forcing it to point upward. As a result, these design flaws cut off the forward flow of dog urine, forcing many owners to confront leaks and urine-dampened furniture. It is also a key reason why many active dogs experience chafing and discomfort when wearing this type of diaper. Females in heat also experience similar issues, since many dog diapers do not account for how female dogs mark during heat.
Max, a chihuahua, stretches in his P-Suit® dog diaper.
How the P-Suit® Solves This
These considerations influenced the design of our P-Suit® bottoms. Our bottom pieces are the part of the P-Suit® diaper into which dogs pee. To accommodate how dogs naturally pee, the bottom piece — which is designed to be used in conjunction with a winged adhesive sanitary napkin — covers the whole belly, and widens out toward the chest to fully capture urine during urination. Our bottom pieces are also cupped, allowing the suit to capture dog pee, much like a baseball mitt absorbs a baseball in motion. Once a dog is done peeing or marking, all a dog owner must do is insert a new winged adhesive sanitary pad inside the bottom piece and use a belly wipe to clean the dog’s belly if needed!
4. The construction of disposable dog diapers prevents them from absorbing urine effectively while keeping dogs dry
Of course, a diaper is only as good as its ability to hold in pee. Many disposable dog diaper manufacturers incorporate a single, leakproof layer inside their diapers to try to keep dog pee within their diaper products. While it's important to work in a leakproof diaper layer, dogs wearing disposable diapers can still wet themselves, since no added fabric layer protects the dog's belly or anatomy from urine exposure. Furthermore, because dog urine flows forward and out based on how dogs urinate, any urine that flows outside the leakproof area could still dampen the dog's diaper and lead to urine-dampened furniture, rugs, and drapes.
Our female pug Rosie likes to nap in her P-Suit® dog diaper.
How the P-Suit® Solves This
A dog's diaper should ideally pair a leakproof layer that prevents excess urine from leaving the diaper with a waterproof layer that wicks moisture away from the dog's body. This dual-layer approach traps urine but leaves the dog's belly dry after each cleaning. Our P-Suit® diapers leverage this concept with a patented two-layer, waterproof-leakproof design that – when used with a disposable, winged sanitary napkin – keeps dogs and their surroundings dry when they pee, all while keeping dog urine within the suit. All a dog owner needs to do is insert a fresh winged, adhesive sanitary napkin within the P-Suit® diaper's bottom piece, and replace it when needed. In addition, owners will not need to worry about poop. Because the P-Suit® dog diaper allows for poop to clear the diaper, there’s no mess to clean up and no dog to bathe.
Max, our chihuahua, likes to sunbathe in his P-Suit® dog diaper.
Dog diapers can be an excellent solution for managing issues such as dog incontinence and behavioral marking. That is, of course, if you select the right type for your dog. At Barkitwear®, we've decided to take a different approach to address dog pee than some of our peers by creating a patented, waterproof, and reusable two-piece body suit design that fully accommodates a dog's anatomy.
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Learn more about how our P-Suit® diapers work and how they solve the many shortcomings associated with disposable dog diapers and related products.
