Elderly dog…wee and poo

[Gineveryday]

In the house pretty much every day 😔

any suggestions as how to best stop my house literally smelling of dog shit ?

stone floor thankfully.

and any advice I haven’t already considered ?

How elderly is your dog?
They really don't like to do this, is he ill?

Have you been to the vet?
It may be that time.

Dogs find this incredibly distressing - if you don’t like this, he likes it even less. Do his back legs work? Have you been to the vet?

it’s important to know that vets aren’t really allowed to tell you when the right time to let your dog go is. How is his quality of life really?

15 year old working cocker

vet offered very little advice before Christmas “ you will know when it’s time” “ when she isn’t enjoying doggy life”

but she’s slowed down yes, thankfully but she still runs around the garden chasing and sniffing so it really doesn’t feel like the time.

there’s dementia in there I’m sure, she stares at the ceiling.

it’s just so horribly frustrating. The kitchen smells of Dettol and pee and it’s just starting to get to me. Which is a shame as surely she can’t go on that much longer and I don’t want to feel resentful of her in her twilight.

She doesn’t seem distressed in the slightest - what would be the signs ?

shes pooed in her basket last night and squashed it against her body . So that will mean washing her when I get 5 mins.

interesting about her legs. She has a luxating patella but she’s still able and willing to walk and run about.

it feels like now would be the right time for me and not her iyswim.

It's so sad but 15 years old and pooing and weeing in the house sounds like it's time. Our dog was doing this and he didn't even realise he was doing it, it was heartbreaking. He'd just stare at the wall and ceiling too.
I'm sorry OP

Dogs don’t soil their beds at any stage of their life (even as puppies) if they have any choice. They are clean by instinct like that. Also, their sense of smell is so strong, that the smell is worse for them than you.

It is very hard to make a choice for an old dog but what is really awful for you (as well as your dog) is waiting too long by mistake and having traumatic hasty trip to the vet and thinking how you shouldnt have waited til she had to be carried in, in a blanket. I did that once with my first dog and never ever again.

I prefer favourite food and toys and a lovely last day - best and favourite walk etc (the beach for mine) and a vet to come to the home (morning - it’s hideous waiting all day). Dementia and incontinence for me, means it’s time. You of course know your dog better and what’s good for her but as the saying goes, better a week too early than a day too late. It’s so so upsetting to do it too late.

I agree with @Trixibella

I would also add I've never known a vet advocate for putting a dog to sleep - not unless there are severe behavioural issues at play (and that was once, when the dog involved started attacking people for no reason and all medical issues had been ruled out).

If your dog has dementia, OP, then she wouldn't get distressed by soiling herself or laying in her own faeces - just like human's with dementia don't.

Personally, for me, when my dogs get near the stage where their cannot keep control of their bladder or they are defecating in their home, then I know it's time. Dogs are clean by nature - as Trixi said, even young pups don't sleep in their own excrement. I'm really sorry OP - 15 years is a brilliant age and it's horrible to say goodbye.

Not a dog but we had a cat with dementia, she was 18. Would wee and poo anywhere at any time, completely unaware. Discussed with vet whose view was along the lines of she needs to live as part of the family. We managed her during the summer by her basically living outside but come the Autumn we had her put down as she just sat in the rain and didn't look after herself. It's a really difficult time.

My DP is going through this now with his dog.

Dog is urine continent, but most of the time doesn't seem to know he is pooing.

It isn't my dog, and so not my decision to make.

I am at the "it is time to get him put down" stage, DP isn't yet.

Very hard.

I went through this with my old boy a few years ago. Very, very difficult to decide but better a week too early than a week too late. Sitting in their own poo is distressing for them I think.

In hindsight we should have made a decision a little earlier than we did. It's so difficult when they still have a little zest and a wag.

Oh gosh… this is an eye opener for me.

i was looking for opinions on best detergents to mask any smells but now I’m facing a really hard decision.

I honestly had no idea vets wouldn’t suggest pts. I’m definitely of the opinion a week to early rather than a day too late but I’d feel like a heartless bitch walking her to the vets with her sniffing and wagging her tail and enjoying her walk. From that side of things she’s really not ready.

however the random incontinence puts a different slant on it. I’m going to have to think really hard about my options here. 😔

Honestly, if you can get the vet to come to you, you will have rounded off a lovely life for her. If you can ask yourself what you’re waiting for?

Her to be in more pain? Dogs mask pain very well and at her age she is likely to have aches or arthritis. She is already probably in pain otherwise even if she didn’t go outside she wouldn’t poo in her basket. She can’t get up or she can’t feel it.

Do you want her to be unable to walk and sniff first before you make the decision? I do empathise hugely because it is so extremely sad to make a decision like this for a companion of 15 years but they’re so lucky to have someone who is brave enough to do this for them.

A lot of people don’t realise the vet can’t tell you to put your dog down, which is why the end for loads of dogs is often a hideous emergency or they can’t walk or stopped eating a week ago. It doesn’t need to be like that. It can be steak for dinner and a cheese chaser and a best scent game ever.

Most of my dogs have hated the vet so I’ve booked them to do it at home and that’s made me feel much better about the horrible process.

I will stop wanging on now but if you do make her end comfortable, please give yourself a pat on the back for doing something hard that is really the right thing for her.

What have you/your vet tried? Regarding urine incontinence there are 2 excellent drugs that help many dogs. Has she been checked for a UTI? Is she still drinking a normal amount? Poop is a bit harder - is it solid and formed, or quite soft? Have you tried altering her diet at all, using probiotics etc? If it's soft, have you had her stool tested to check for infection?

If she's mainly in the kitchen can you cover the floor with (washable) puppy pads? Get her a bed with a waterproof cover?

I sympathise because I have a 14-year-old going through this too, but it sounds like she still enjoys life so I would want to make sure I had tried everything possible before making the final decision.

Personally a dog that has always been clean indoors being regularly incontinent and sitting in it says to me that the dog has a problem . My dog had some very serious health issues in the last 2 yrs of his life but even when he was unable to stand himself he still held on to be carried to the garden . Sorry but to me it’s probably time to say goodbye and give your lovely dog a dignified end . 💐

I am a vet. It’s completely untrue that vets aren’t allowed to tell an owner they should put an animal down. We are meant to support the welfare of the animal, which very rarely does involve just that, if the animal is in severe distress and the owner is in denial. Much more often, however, it would be appropriate to have a conversation with the owner, who is the expert on their own pet, to explore whether it’s the right time. This is called shared decision making and is what we should strive to aim for wherever possible. OP, it would certainly be sensible to have a chat with your vet and see whether their input helps you decide if this is the right thing yet. All the best, it’s always a horrible situation.

My wcs got like this at 16. We gave her tablets for the wee but we would come down every morning to find poo everywhere. We decided it was time when the walks weren't enjoyed we would end it. I think we possibly left it a little late but it was so hard to call it when she still loved walks.