Why is my senior dog with bad legs having poop accidents inside?

This can be due to a neurological problem or aging changes. He also may be painful and not wanting to stand and hold the pooping position when outside. I recommend a veterinary exam to see if he’s painful or if there is a neurological problem. They may try him on pain medication. Acupuncture can also improve fecal incontinence sometimes. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Potter.

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.

Thank you for contacting PetCoach with your question about Doc. It sounds like he may be suffering from fecal incontinence. This can be due to a lack of muscle tone or from a medical problem such as diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), colitis, liver or kidney disease, or Cushing’s disease. He does need to see a vet to get this caused diagnosed so he can be treated. If paying for a vet is an issue, you can see if your vet accepts payment plans, if there is a low cost clinic in your area, or you can apply for Care Credit online. There is also an organization called Red Rover that give grants for treatment of sick animals, and you can see if you qualify for one of their grants. Best Friends also has a list of resources that offer financial assistance on their website. I'd also see if you can borrow money from family and friends. http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/trouble_affording_pet.html?credit=web_id91754962 https://www.redrover.org https://www.carecredit.com http://bestfriends.org/resources/financial-aid-pets http://lessonsfromaparalyzeddog.com/when-pet-owners-cant-afford-veterinary-bills/ http://www.dogheirs.com/resources-affordable-veterinary-care/ I hope this helps!

This can be a sign of nerve damage, dementia or pain. If he is too painful to get up. And posture and go, he will just go on himself. If there is arthritis in the spine that is affecting the nerves he may not be able control it. Your vet can do an exam to see what the cause and what treatment options you have going forward

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about Bambi. Fecal and urinary incontinence can be caused by many things including problems with the nervous system or nerves innervating these organs due to spinal cord problems, vetebrae problems, enlargement of organs near the back of the abdomen, tumors, anal region problems, urinary incontinence secondary to her being spayed, etc. So I would highly advise a trip to your veterinarian and let them take a thorough history. They will perform a physical exam and most likely a rectal exam and then advise a set of diagnostics to try to solve these problems. Blood work, fecal tests, x-rays and ultrasound are all initial possible tests to be performed. Once diagnostics are performed the problems can then be addressed. Good luck and I hope Bambi does well.

Hello. It may not be obvious, unless you can tell that he might be dragging his back feet a little. But this can be very subtle. You might notice the nails on the back feet are quite short. Your veterinarian will due a neurological exam by testing placement reflexes with his feet. A positive response is not anything to be overly concerned about. These are very common aging changes. All I was saying is this may explain the accident in the house & by no means indicates this will get worse. It is just something to be aware of. And, there are other reasons for house soiling accidents, so if it happens again, just have Maverick fully examined to make sure nothing is missed. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I'm so sorry that you are dealing with this with Woody. I have a few options for you. First, make sure we are controlling any pain he may be having that is contributing to his trouble walking. Even if he is on medication for this, that might need to be modified. Here is more information about some of the medications that are available. https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&species=All&id=4951467 Second, older dogs often have trouble holding a squatting position. Using a harness like a Help Em Up harness ( http://helpemup.com/ ) can be very useful. Finally, I have had a lot of luck with acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapies for this condition, so you might see if you can find someone near you that is able to help you with that. You may be able to find someone near you here. http://www.tcvm.com/Resources/FindaTCVMPractitioner.aspx Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using PetCoach.