Why is my 12-year-old dog having accidents and not using pee pads?

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am sorry to hear Sammy has been declining. From your description, I sounds like Sammy may have several medical issues going on. It is hard to get a good idea of what all the issues may be without examining Sammy first and I would encourage that an exam be done on Sammy with his veterinarian soon to fully discuss and evaluate Sammy's conditions. Perhaps he has osteoarthritis, other degenerative joint or neurological dysfunction of his hind limbs making walking difficult and painful for him. It also sounds like he may have some vision loss or visual deficits making navigating around challenging. Lastly, the walking around in circles and defecating in the house may be related to canine cognitive dysfunction (canine dementia). He may also be experiencing some incontinence as well. Aside from the incontinence he may have from older age, there are medications and other holistic treatments that can help with the possible dementia as well as joint pain that may help make him feel a bit better and improve his quality of life. I think a good evaluation and discuss with Sammy's veterinarian would be a very good idea at this point. I hope this helps and I wish you and Sammy the best.

I can't think of anything wrong with what he is doing. Is it possible that it is harder for him to squat on the pee pad inside? Maybe it shifts around or is in a tight location? As dogs age, they can develop arthritis that makes it uncomfortable to posture to urinate and defecate and sometimes you see these changes. It may be a good idea to have him checked over by a vet.

Hello. I would strongly suggest a check up. Marley may have a urinary or prostatic infection, or there may be some weakness in his back or bladder causing his house soiling. While some weakness is normal as a dog ages, often there are things we can do to help mitigate these symptoms. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would strongly recommend having your veterinarian examine Spot and check a urine sample on her. We very commonly see urinary tract infections in older female dogs, so if that is what is going on, her symptoms will only get worse until she is treated. I am attaching a handout below with more information on urinary tract infections. http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=2457 Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that Spot feels better soon. Thanks for using PetCoach.

The first thing to do is have her checked by the veterinarian. It's possible there is an infection or other abnormality that is causing the behavior. Sometimes there is a neurological problem and the pet is not aware of what is happening. Dementia can also cause these symptoms. Some conditions have treatment with medications. Since Khloe can't talk and tell you what is happening, it's best to play it safe. I hope this helps.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This could be behavior or related to a urinary tract infection. Although not very common in male dogs, urinary tract infections can still occur in males. Primary urinary incontinence can occur in males, although more common in spayed females. I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Stanley and test his urine to see if there is any evidence of a bacterial infection. If the urine is normal, then I would recommend having his blood tested to see if there are any abnormalities. If blood results are within the normal ranges, I would then recommend doing a trial of a urinary incontinence medication. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Many times when an older dog starts to have urinary or fecal accidents there is usually a health issue going on. Sometimes this behavior is pain related. Sometimes it's related to a dementia like condition called cognitive dysfunction. It's definitely a good idea to take Ricky to see the veterinarian so they can determine what might be the cause. There are pain medications and supplements that can be prescribed if necessary. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach and I hope this issue resolves quickly!