Why is my older dog suddenly peeing inside and how can I stop it?

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/

I am sorry that you are having to go through this! If I read the question correctly.... They were both not having accidents for an entire year and then it started again... That certainly seems strange. The first thing that I like to do is rule out a medical problem, especially in Scooter. Kidney problems, bladder infections, diabetes, Cushings Dz are just a few of the conditions that can cause excess urination. If he has a medical problem and is urinating in the house, your puppy might be just thinking it is ok to urinate in the house. I would try to see if you can figure out if it is small puddles very often or larger puddles. The veterinarian can collect a urine sample and run a urinalysis to help diagnose a problem. They may see something like a low specific gravity (concentration of urine) and need to run blood work. You can also take your puppy in to have a urinalysis done as well. If it is not a medical problem, then you will have to try to re-train them. The puppy will most likely be easier. I would recommend going back to crate training. The places where the accidents have happened have to be cleaned very well. You may need to keep Scooter in a small room with an easy to clean floor when your are gone. Good Luck! Thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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 Mickey! A sudden change in urinary habits most commonly indicates a medical issue rather than a behavioral change. Possible causes of his urinary accidents could be due to bladder issues (urinary tract infection, crystals), prostate enlargement (if he was neutered later in life), endocrine/metabolic conditions (Cushing's disease, diabetes) or organ dysfunction (kidney disease or liver disease). I realize that this is a very broad list of possible issues, so try to determine if Mickey has been drinking more, urinating a larger volume, urinating a normal volume but more frequently, experiencing changes in his appetite or in his overall energy level. All of these different behaviors can help to narrow down possible underlying issues behind his accidents. At this point, I do recommend taking Mickey to his vet for an exam and lab testing (CBC, chemistry, urinalysis to start) to treat the issue at hand. I hope that all goes well!

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.

I’m sorry to hear about Bruno! I am concerned that he might have developed a urinary tract infection. There is one medication (prednisone/prednisolone) they can caused increased urination and drinking but those should stop as soon as the medication was stopped. The UTI may be even more likely if he’s recently hurt his back or neck because they tend not to posture/squat all the way or for long enough when it hurts. So they hold their urine longer than they might otherwise do or don’t empty their bladder fully. These can predispose to UTI. Take Bruno (and a urine sample if you can catch one) in to the vet to do a urine test and get on antibiotics if that’s what it turns out to be. The urine test will also screen for other causes of accidents like diabetes and kidney disease. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Bruno!

There could be a medical reason as to why Chevy is suddenly urinating in the home. This could be caused by a UTI or bladder stones. I would give your vet a call today to set up an appointment for her to be seen by her vet. The vet can do a physical exam, blood tests, and a urinalysis to diagnose if she does have a medical cause behind her urinating in the home, and can prescribe a treatment for it. Best of luck, I hope this helps!