Accidents in the house

[Elderlydogsrus]

I’ve posted about my elderly dog a few times, she has/had bad colitis/pancreatitis. We had a really bad run for a long time anyway this seems to have settled, thank goodness.
Now we have a new issue, she seems to be having daily accidents in the house, I would say one a day for the past 3 weeks. Usually these are poos and she seems to just not be able to hold them, I’ve noticed when she’s out on walks she doesn’t need to strain or bend much at all…sorry I know this is very TMI.
Anyone had any experience of this? Otherwise she’s well, happy, enjoys her walks, loves her food etc
Is it just part of her aging or is there something that could be done to help?
She will be 15 in June by way.

Please take her the vets - she's probably in pain.

Thanks, she been seen by the vets extensively with all her tummy problems. They don’t seem to think she’s in any other pain, I’ve had her legs assessed as well as I was concerned about arthritis etc

Elderly dogs can often lose the urge to poo. Could be due to many reasons including spinal nerve damage to dementia.

Spinal nerve damage does not usually cause the dogs pain but you may see weakness in the back end of the dog.

It is worth chatting to your vet. In my experience we gave our oldie a pretty strict routine which helped us manage and control when they pooed. So food and walk at same time of day to tie in with the need to poo. We did find the appropriate amount of exercise really helped as well.

Our dog was not distressed by it at all.

They won't always show they're in pain - they can be very stoic.

At 15 I'd be incredibly shocked if she didn't have arthritis, tbh.

It may just be that she has lost the muscle capacity to push anything out and it just works it’s way through. Or she may have arthritis or back pain and getting in the right position is painful.
I have had the same thing with one of my older dogs it was easier in the summer because he was pottering in the garden in the winter I took him out about half an hour after I fed him we got into a good routine with just a very occasional accident.
with him it was old age obviously i haven’t seen your dog and I'm not a vet so I can’t say it’s the same but I don’t think it’s unusual when they get to that age.

Thanks all.

I’ll speak to the vets again, my gut feeling is it’s age related and muscle loss - not sure if there is anything they can do for this is? Or if it is just a case of trying to manage it yourself.

we have been trying to get her to go out more etc but she’s not showing any signs of needing the loo if that makes sense and at her age she’s been clean in the house for many years.

I will be heart broken if this is the thing that fails her to be honest.

One of my oldies is a bit like this. She still enjoys her walks but we can no longer just let her out into the garden to toilet (and yes she has had extensive vet checks)
I have to wander down the garden with her now. Eventually she follows then at some point thinks…. “Oh, I need to go” and she does.
If I don’t walk down the garden with her, she comes in and goes inside. I don’t mind. She’s old and I love her. I can walk the garden a few times or pick up the odd poo. She is family and I utterly dread the day she goes.

It won’t be what fails her it’s manageable.she won’t show signs of wanting to go because I doubt she knows she needs to.
What you need to do is to walk her and that movement will produce the desired effect. Find a routine.
my boy was the easiest puppy to housetrain I think there was only ever one puddle he would have been mortified to have made a mess in the house but he didn’t know and I loved him.

yeah she’s walked and has a lovely big garden which she loves to roam around in. Ill try going in the garden with her, make sure she’s actually going when I think she is…I do watch her but sometimes she does behind things etc

I am happy to manage it, after another vet check just to make sure it’s nothing else, but we have said when it gets to the point where she’s waking up laid in it etc we will have to say goodbye.

My previous Lab had this. But he enjoyed life and I would not have considered PTS for something that at worst was a minor inconvenience for me. After a lifetime of love it was part of his care. He had had his spleen removed at eleven and a half and that may have had an effect further down the line. He was almost sixteen when we lost him from something unrelated.

Thanks that’s really reassuring, sorry for your loss though