Pooing in the house or eating cat poo

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Hi all.

Our 9 year old border terrier cross was diagnosed with lymphangiectasia 2 years ago. Basically he had bad diarrhoea over a period of time, got x rays and blood tests and was diagnosed. It's a problem with the intestinal lining and it's a lifelong condition. He needs a special Hills diet of expensive hydrolyzed protein food and medication.

We have a very jungly garden and 2 cats. If we let him out in the garden to wander and do his business he eats cat poo. We know this as we have smelled it on his face. He then gets squirty poos and does them in a garden or in a walk.

So we started to let him out to do his business on the lead. This meant he didn't eat cat poo and his poo was solid. Problem is, he then started pooing indoors several times a week whilst we were at work.

Any suggestions?

Hire someone to come and take him out during the day for a walk?

Older dogs often can't hold their bowels for as long as they could when they were younger.

Fence off a bit of the garden eg patio or lawn?
Take him for more frequent short walks instead of the garden?
Get a dog walker to take him out while you're at work?
If he likes other dogs, take him to doggy daycare while you're at work?

Could you reintroduce a litter box for the cats vs the garden bed? Some fencing the cats can get through but not the dog? Have you mentioned it to the vet?
I have a Tibetan Spaniel who use to eat poop, you can add a medication to their food so they don’t (it would need to go in the cat food).