Elderly dog issues - contains 💩- sorry

[PrueintheLoo]

Our much loved dog was 17 in January. He has congenital heart disease and arthritis alongside some age related issues eg deafness, failing eyesight and some confusion.

For the past year he has been using a puppy pad near the back door during the night for a pee. This has progressed to him pooing there during the night too.

He always goes to the puppy pad never soils indiscriminately however he does track poo through the kitchen to his bed on his paws.
(Open plan so can’t close off the kitchen).

Im seeking advice on how to help him with this and any cleaning up tips.
I have lifted all rugs and use a steam cleaner but any other ideas would be welcome.

He is a happy boy who sleeps most of the day but still enjoys a gentle walk and he participates in family life still albeit from his bed.

He is much loved and has contributed enormously to our family over the years.

Thank you for reading.

Not what you’ve asked but I would suggest it’s perhaps time to let go. He is 17, nearly blind, deaf and incontinent and probably set for a heart attack at any given minute which may or may not kill him straight away. Please be kind to him.

Without sounding heartless, is the problem the poo on the floor or on his paws ?

Personally I would bathe his little paws with cotton wool and warm water, then dry them.

Is he stepping in it accidentally ? due to sight / confusion, or is it a bit loose and he can't help standing in it. If it's a bit loose maybe there is something you could add to his diet just to firm it up a bit - ask a Vet.

I suppose you could try changing his meal time/s ? so maybe he goes before rather than during the night ?

Treasure the days you have with him, I don't expect you have many :(

We are working very closely with his vet and are well aware of end of life planning for him. We will not keep him with us for a second longer that necessary.
I hoped that my post conveyed that he still has quality of life and he is not incontinent he just can’t go through the night now.

@OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon thank you,

Yes we do bathe his paws he does track it on his paws to his bed and as you suggest it’s due to him being a bit confused and wobbly on his feet esp when he first wakens.

If you can’t close off and restrict him to the kitchen, couldn’t you move his bed in there so that he has only a few steps to the puppy pad? Get a few soft and easily washable covers to put over his bed and just change it each morning and throw it in the wash. A quick wash of his paws when you get up each day and he’d be good to go.

That or I would sleep downstairs with him so that I could hear him get up in the night. But I realise that’s not for everyone.

And please ignore PP. Nothing in your post suggests that it is his time yet, he sounds like a happy boy who still enjoys his life. He’s not even incontinent, he just can’t make it through the night like he used to. I’d have been put out of my misery years ago if that were a reason to PTS!

@MuttsNutts your post is very reassuring and helpful.
I do think moving his bed nearer the back door would be a good way forward.
Changing / Washing his bedding is a daily task but as there’s only the two of us now and both retired we have the time to do this and it’s not a problem.

thank you for your post

@PrueintheLoo My friend has a pack of dogs and has for decades.
Her current oldest is 15 ( old for breed) and her oldies sleep with them in their bedroom so friend can hear when oldie needs the garden.

She says she can autopilot to the garden and go back to sleep immediately afterwards.

Can you not do this?
Assuming he’s a smaller breed/ type as they do seem to be longer lived .

I would try and gradually move the bed and puppy pad closer together, maybe working towards a 'path' of 2 or 3 so at least your floor may be spared.

You sound the sort of owner every dog should have OP

@PrueintheLoo You can pick up fleece blankets cheaply and they dry in no time so maybe get your hands on a few of those.

I had thought of him coming to sleep in your room as PP suggested but if he’s arthritic the stairs may be an issue and also that would presumably be quite a distance for him to hold on if he woke up desperate. Hence my suggestion of moving him closer to the back door.

I hope you find a solution that works for you all. Bless his heart 🥰

Moving bed and puppy pad closer together is the logical solution so tonight we will move his bed and some furniture around before bedtime. I think I’d lost the ability to think it through 🤔

He is a lovely boy who is a joy to live with and he has always given us his best and we strive to do likewise.

Thank you for your constructive and kind posts.

I agree with this, OP. I know you say he has a good quality of life, but a short walk or 'participating from his bed' is not a life IMO for a dog.

He's nearly blind, deaf, heart disease and arthritis and can't hold his bladder. That's not much of a life for any dog. I don't want to sound heartless, OP...but I think you are being less than honest yourself if you think that's a good life for a dog.

An owners job is to advocate for their dog and understand when enough is enough - it's the most important job we have. Sometimes the best thing to do is recognise that the time has come. Others have said PP I quoted wasn't right...but in this case I have to agree with them.

On the actual question you've asked, short of moving furniture around there's not. much you can do. And I think you're prolonging the inevitable at this point. I'm really sorry.

@Devilshands I would always advocate putting the dog first but OP knows him best and nothing in her posts suggests they have reached that point. You may not think what she describes is a good life but I disagree. His medical issues won’t have happened overnight, they will likely have developed over months and years and he will have adjusted to a slower pace of life as we all do. It won’t be the same quality of life as he had when he was young and fit but as long as he is comfortable and still enjoys his life to some degree (and I think it sounds like he does), that’s still a life worth living, unless of course you know the dog in question personally and have some inside info that we aren’t party to.

OP came here asking for practical advice, let’s not derail the thread with potentially upsetting deliberations when there is no need for them. I’m sure she is already all too aware that he isn’t going to be with them forever but I think we need to trust her to make any tough decisions when they need to be taken and not before.

I wouldn't move his bed at night time, do it during the day to give him time to get used to where it is - esp with his eyesight.

You know him best, you clearly love him and you ( and your Vet ) will know when it is time.

I don't feel it is time for him yet.

btw what is he ?

Agree @OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon if stuff is to be moved around, the dog will need to know in advance - Oldies often have cataracts and use their whiskers to sense their way around. Friend’s oldie bumped into a cabinet that has been moved slightly.

I honestly don't think I could keep a dog going who just participated from his bed. It's not fair and not what a dog's life should be.

It's the hardest thing but is this really a life for him?

If a dog is still enjoying their life- and the owner will know that- needing the loo in night is normal, just as with older humans.
Friend’s Great Aunt Whippet enjoys her gentle walks, gets a loo break at night in garden every night for a wee, and loves slow sniffy walks.
When her humans go away with younger dogs, she stays with a lovely local dog sitter and her kind dog, as she’s happier in familiar territory.
When dogs are older, every day is taken on merit.