Why is my older dog having accidents and shedding more than usual?

Poor LittleBit! When a dog who was previously house trained suddenly starts having accidents in the home, it is usually a sign of a medical illness such as a UTI or bladder bladder stones. She could also be drinking more due to a medical illness like diabetes or kidney disease, also leading her to have to urinate more. I would take LittleBit into the vet in the morning for a physical exam, routine blood tests, and a urinalysis to diagnose what is causing her to have accidents in the home. Once a cause is diagnosed, the vet can prescribe a treatment.

This could be either due to a true urinary disease such as an infection or kidney problem, or it could be urinary incontinence which is common at this age. i recommend taking her to the vet for a urine analysis in order to get that checked and treated. i would not think that the excessive shedding is related to the urinary condition though.

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.

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!

This is common time of year for dogs to "blow their coat" as a new type of hair comes it. This can also happen when switching from a puppy to adult coat. Unless you're seeing bald patches or he's itching, I wouldn't worry about the shedding. As far as the urinating, that does have me more concerned and I'd recommend a vet visit to rule out a medical problem and then restarting house training if no medical problem is found.

He could have a urinary tract infection so he should be examined by a vet. Your vet can run a urinalysis to look for infection and other potential causes. He could also have urinary stones, prostate problem, tumor, etc. If he has an infection then he will need an antibiotic to treat.

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.