Total Mystery With Our Senior Pooping And Peeing In The House- Even So

[Guest got2now]

We adopted a senior grey to add to our brood a couple of years ago. She is 12 now, and for the past year, she has been having lots of accidents in the house, mostly when we're gone but sometimes not. The vets have done lots of tests, and everything checks out fine, and no uti's or anything like that. That made us think it was behavioral, but she doesn't seem like she has SA issues. She's not left alone for more than 4 hours at the longest and has our other grey to keep her company. She sleeps all day anyway. She's a sweet, smart dog and doesn't seem nervous, needy or maladjusted; she's steady as a rock.

 

The vet suggested we try to keep her in a limited area when we leave, but she soils that too, so we've been keeping her in dog diapers with a diaper cover over that. She still manages to pee on the carpet - I don't know how she does it - the diaper set-up seems pretty snug, but we will find big puddles and her diaper will be half wet. Occasionally, she'll poop in the diaper, which is a huge mess because it leaks out here and there instead of in just one area.

 

I've been taking her to the vet a lot because I've been concerned about her. She doesn't act like she feels well and doesn't seem active or particularly energetic, but then again, she is 12. All her tests come back normal. She has always had weakness in her back legs, which is getting worse. Her back legs tremble a lot, and when she goes down steps, she hops on one of her rear legs, not like it hurts, but like she doesn't have a lot of coordination. The vet says it's age.

 

I am just at a dead end about what to do- dh is super-frustrated with the mess and all the money we are spending at the vet. Any suggestions or ideas what this could be?

[JohnF]

Most likely LS, see the link http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2084&aid=456

and also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canine_degenerative_myelopathy#Symptoms

 

There's not a lot you can do other than nursing until quality of life for the dog or ability to cope for you as the carer runs out.

 

I used to buy large child cot mattress protectors for my last dog and cut them up into 4, also anticipate every need for pee/poops before the need arose.

[Guest galwaygirl]

B12 deficiency can cause incontinence (pee); common in the elderly. Diagnosed with a blood test & treated with injections.

 

Slippery elm bark (from health shop) does wonders to heal bowel & slow down bowel transit.

 

Good luck with your girl.

 

B12 deficiency also causes problems with coordination. I would insist on having it checked if I were you.

[Guest Gemma]

In regards to her pooping inside, can you make sure she's empty before she leaves? Or does it seem like she's going as soon as it starts to form?

 

Our boy is also messing in the house but with less frequency than your girl. He's 10.

 

I hope you figure something out! Bless you for taking in a senior.

[Burpdog]

Did you do a urine culture (not just a test in the vet's office)? Sometimes the older ones harbor an infection that just doesn't show up. On the older ones, I'll try a round of clavamox and see if it resolves.

 

I would never diaper an old one

 

Chiropractic will help.

[JJNg]

My first question would be whether she's incontinent (involuntarily leaking urine or dropping stools) or having voluntary accidents inside (actually squatting and getting into position to urinate or defecate). Incontinence is often more difficult to address as the underlying medical condition may not be easily fixable. Voluntary accidents can be caused by a number of behavioral or medical factors, and may be more practical to manage.

[Batmom]

I would not diaper. That can contribute to urinary tract infections, skin infections, nervousness and discomfort (leading to MORE pee/poop) ...... Plus, then you have to clean the dog as well as the surroundings.

 

For our elderly whippet, we lined his main "people are not home / overnight" room with 3'x5' rubber-backed utility mats (@ industrial doormats). If he couldn't wait for us, it was easy to sop up extra liquid and take any soiled mats outside to hose down. (His nice thick bed was also washable.) We also switched him to a lower-residue food so he wouldn't feel the urge to poop quite as often. We made sure to take him out right before and right after each meal, right before and right after leaving, and pretty much any time he was up on his feet during the day. Walking him around the yard a time or two (he was pretty wobbly, couldn't walk far) helped empty him out.

 

I would encourage a vet check to make sure your pup doesn't have a urinary tract infection, intestinal parasites, treatable kidney disease. Those things can really contribute to discomfort, which contributes to the urge to pee / poop.