Problem with my senior dog - need advice !

qvc chick · ‎03-10-2010

My dog is 15, and she seems to be doing okay - she is a little out of it at times, and also her vision is not the best. But she eats well, and does well for a dog that is 15.

My problem is with her going to bathroom. Every night I put her on her dog bed, and the next morning there is pee and poop and the floor. I have gone thru several dog beds, and it is getting very expensive.

I know the solution would be to put her in a crate, but I work full time, and would feel terrible about putting her in a crate for 8-9 hours a day.

But I am getting tired of the mess. When I come home, there is always poop on the floor. And worse, she pees on the carpet, which is pretty much ruined by now.

Any suggestions?? I love her to death, but my house is getting destroyed.

Sammycat1 · ‎03-09-2010

Particularly because she's a senior, you need to get her to the vet ASAP to rule out medical causes before trying another thing or working on a behavioral issue -- not the other way around. Senior pups can go through all kinds of things physically that affect those systems and it's best to make sure she checks out medically first before pursuing behavioral issues. You say your dog is a little out of it at times; she could be having cognitive problems that are treatable.

We went through this with our senior dog. Turned out to be arthritis in his spine, which was treatable. Plus, it's not realistic to have a senior dog inside and have it "hold it" all day -- most people, especially those of us with some mileage, can't hold it all day. Could someone let her out during the day?

Here's a really good summary of things that could be going on physically to give you an idea of what could be happening and why you need to go to the vet first:

LINK

ccassaday · ‎10-21-2010

We went through this with a dog we had for seventeen years. Towards the end we used baby gates and pinned her up in the kitchen where it could be cleaned up easy. Eventually it got to the point where she couldn't get up and she would pee on herself in her bed. For us it was time to let her go as she was so old and had a big fatty tumor on her side. I agree get her checked out medically first. But it just may be do to old age and she is at the end of her life.

qualitygal · ‎10-04-2010

It's the age thing. I bet she has no idea sometimes where she's supposed to go, but when she has to she has to. She can't help it. Eyes are probably going too. 15 is pretty old for most dogs. The rest is up to you I guess.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

After the vet making sure nothing is wrong but age, I'd suggest when you can't be home, she needs to confined to an area with washable floors, and perhaps some pee pads put down as well. If you have a room with vinyl, ceramic or concrete floor, she wouldn't have to be crated. If you have to crate her, get the largest you can, and try to get home mid day or pay someone to take her out in the middle of the day to help her. We had a small dog, that we had to put in a well lined play pen at the end of her 18 year life because she couldn't make it through the night, and we do have to watch closely to know when it is time to let them go.

qvc chick · ‎03-10-2010

Well, I have had her to the vet, and the vet said this is just related to old age.

As I mentioned, other than the fact that she IS 15 years old, she is doing okay.

If I put her in the kitchen (which I can gate off) before I leave for work - she will start barking and wake my son up, who does not need to get up at 6am.

So I am not sure how to handle this problem.

I live in a townhouse, and I don't have a seperate room (other than the kitchen) that can be gated off.

Sammycat1 · ‎03-09-2010

Do you have someone who can let her out while you're gone? 8-9 hours is way too long w/o a break, esp. for a senior dog. Because of old age, they just don't have the muscular control to hold it for that long.

HappyDaze · ‎06-13-2012

On 2/17/2015 qvc chick said:
Well, I have had her to the vet, and the vet said this is just related to old age.

As I mentioned, other than the fact that she IS 15 years old, she is doing okay.

If I put her in the kitchen (which I can gate off) before I leave for work - she will start barking and wake my son up, who does not need to get up at 6am.

So I am not sure how to handle this problem.

I live in a townhouse, and I don't have a seperate room (other than the kitchen) that can be gated off.

Can your son not let your dog out for potty when he does get up? I didn't know someone was at home while you were gone, at least for a little while.

lucylover64 · ‎01-04-2013

I can relate to this problem--our last elderly dog struggled with these same issues. It was so hard for all of us. The vet also ruled out any medical issues, other than old age. Our poor dog was often unable to hold his bowels and it indeed became a mess in the house. We tried to put down newspapers in a certain area and restrict areas in the house where he could be while we were at work/gone. It helped for a bit but he was simply elderly and just could not control when/where he would go. We ended up simply cleaning him/the house as best as we could and were able to do so by understanding that it was not his fault nor was the mess really the end of the world. He was functioning fairly well otherwise but then suddenly collapsed in our backyard one day and there was nothing that could be done for him, other than our decision that it was time to let him go. It was horrible but he needed some peace and the quality of his life was no longer.

There is no easy solution or way to manage your feelings--best wishes to you and your dog.