Caring For Your Senior Dog

Why is My Senior Dog Having Accidents?

Every pet parent has been there: after years of being accident free and house trained, your dog begins having accidents in the house. You might brush off the first one, or even the second, but when the accidents continue to happen you start to become concerned. As our dogs get older the likelihood of small accidents increases and are not necessarily something to be concerned about once you have alerted your veterinarian to the issue. If your dog is all of a sudden peeing in the house without warning there is reason for concern.

In any dog there are several reasons why this could occur the most likely suspect would be a UTI – easy enough to treat and will clear up quickly. In senior dogs the reasons could be singular or multiple different things compounded on each other and any time there are multiple potty accidents in a row that you cannot account for it is time for a vet visit. A dog that is going potty in the house and it is not normal behavior will be upset by this causing additional stress on top of whatever is going on.

1. Urinary Tract Infection
Sometimes the urinary tract of the dog can become infected. This can be due to a variety of reasons such as bacteria growth or licking. A urinary tract infection will make it painful for your dog to go to the bathroom, so they may hold it to avoid the pain and therefore have accidents. Your doctor can easily check for such an infection and treat it with a combination of pro-biotics to build their immune system and antibiotics to kill the infection quickly.

2. Bladder Stones
Bladder stones can also make urination painful. Bladder stones are more common in senior dogs but can occur at anytime. If you notice your dog is hesitant to relieve himself, or blood in the urine, bladder stones could be the culprit. Anytime you notice Blood in your dogs urine it is cause for concern and a trip to the vet. Diagnosis of Bladder Stone will likely result in a change of diet at least for the near future as well as a regiment of medication.

3. Diabetes
Dogs are prone to diabetes just as humans are. If your dog is overweight, a senior, or has other health issues, you may wish to have him checked out. A simple blood test will tell your vet more and he can help with medication and treatment. This is also something can can be diagnosed early if your dog is given a regular Senior Blood-work up. You might be hesitant to spend the extra money but by doing a regular Blood panel on your dog your vet can keep things under control and your dog as healthy as possible.

4. Kidney Disease
While this is a more serious issue, it can lead to wetting in the home as well. If your dog is lethargic, not eating well, and having accidents, talk to your doctor to see if kidney disease may be the issue. This is also something that can be spotted early with a senior dog blood work up.

5. Anxiety
Many dogs have a difficult time holding their bladder if they are anxious. Changes in routine and environment can cause such anxiety, so attempt to stick to a calm and predictable routine to help put your pup at ease. While this can and does occur in dogs of all ages, senior dogs are set in their ways and become more upset with changes especially when the entire family is upset by them. Making sure your dog is well adjusted during its younger years will help make changes later in a dog’s life less stressful..

If your Senior Dog is having accidents indoors, talk to your vet about these possible causes and solutions.