Why is my 9-year-old dog suddenly having bladder accidents indoors?

Sudden changes in behavior can sometimes signal a health issue, and accidents in an elderly dog can be caused by a number of things. Bladder infections can cause sudden accidents in the house, while changes to the muscles and nerves around the bladder may lead to incontinence-type accidents with dribbling or small puddles happening. Cognitive changes in elderly dogs (similar to human dementia) can also sometimes cause a pet to "forget" their training such as potty training, leading to accidents. It is a good idea to schedule a veterinary exam to see if any of these could be a possible cause and to find a treatment plan that helps.

Poor pup! When a dog who is housebroken starts having accidents in the home, it can be a sign of a medical illness such as a UTI or bladder stones. I would take your girl into the vet for a physical exam, blood tests, and a urinalysis. The vet can diagnose if she does have a UTI or bladder stones, and can treat her for it.

At her age there are several things it can be. Your vet can collect a urine sample to check for a urinary tract infection. They can always draw some blood to check her kidneys and blood sugar and for Cushings disease. All these can cause an increase in drinking and urination which will lead to accidents. If all of that is normal, than she may be getting incontinent and they have medication for that also!

If this is a recent behavior change for Luna, I would be suspicious of an underlying medical problem causing her to have accidents. Some common possible problems that can cause dogs to urinate in inappropriate places would include a urinary tract infection, bladder stones, chronic kidney disease, diabetes, Cushing's disease, or even a bladder tumor. I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam as soon as you are able to - he/she can do a urinalysis as well as blood work or x-rays if needed to help determine the problem and get her started on appropriate treatment.

She may be getting incontinent. This is usually caused by a weakness of the muscle and connective tissue holding in the urine and a lack of female hormone. You will need to take Jessie to your veterinarian for a urinalysis to rule out a urinary tract infection. If there is a UTI it will need to be treated with antibiotics and pain medicine. If she does not have a UTI and your vet diagnoses incontinence there are medications that can help with retaining the urine until she intentionally wants to urinate. Please schedule an appointment with your veterinarian soon.

I am sorry to hear about your dog! The first step is to have your vet examine him to be sure there isn't a medical reason for this new issue. There are a multitude of issues that can cause urinary accidents, including urinary tract infection, bladder stones, kidney disease, diabetes, and more. If the vet rules out a medical cause you can discuss if this is an anxiety issue or a loss of potty training. Anxiety is sometimes treated with oral medications. In mild cases a pheremone product like the Adaptil collar or diffuser (available online and at some pet stores or vet offices), thundershirts (also online and at stores), and oral supplements like Composure and Zylkene. You can read more about re-potty training at https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/is_my_male_shih_tzu_being_a_s_when_he_potties_in_the_house/

Hello and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Sometimes as a dog ages they develop something called cognitive dysfunction (like dementia) where they forget their training. This may be the cause of Tot's accidents. A supplement like Senilife may help withi this. Pain and arthritis can also lead to accident in an older dog as they have a harder time going outside and positioning to go to the bathroom. Sometimes urinary tract infection, internal medical issues or digestive problems may also cause accidents in the house. A visit to your Veterinarian may help to sort out what the cause of Tot's accidents are. Until you are able to take him to the vet you may want to take him outside more frequently to avoid accidents.