Why is my senior dog suddenly having accidents and not alerting?

I recommend to have Hannah examined by the veterinarian for a urinary tract infection. This could be the cause of the symptoms. Also monitor her for any signs of dementia. Here is a link with things to look for: https://www.petcoach.co/article/cognitive-dysfunction-senility-in-dogs/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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.

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!

With sudden accidents, it is always best to schedule a vet checkup first to rule out any underlying issues such as infection, GI upset, neurological or muscular issues, etc. if she checks out healthy, it may be that something has startled or upset her, especially if this was the same time last year that she had accidents last, causing her to have accidents inside instead of going out. You may need to temporarily revert to a "puppy" style of potty training again, just to get her back into the routine of going outside until she is more comfortable with whatever caused the accidents to start. Using enzymatic cleaners on any accidents can help discourage her from going there again, and making sure to offer some exciting treats and praise when she does go outside may help speed up the process.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Sadie. Older dogs can develop a senile like disorder known as canine cognitive dysfunction. It is somewhat similar to Alzheimer's disease in people. The dogs will forget their house training. They tend to mix up their days and nights, pace, pant and some will get stuck in corners or under furniture. It is worth having her evaluated by her veterinarian to determine if this is the case or if something else is causing her inappropriate elimination. I hope this information helps!

I am sorry to hear about your concerns for Khloe. I would recommend having her evaluated by her vet for possible causes of this issue. While sometimes it can be a behavioral loss of potty training, we can have other problems that cause urinary accidents such as urinary tract infections https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/utis-in-dogs/ and incontinence due to lack of hormones in spayed dogs https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/utis-in-dogs/