On Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:51:20 -0500, Richard Evans
wrote:

Tara Green wrote:

Richard Evans wrote:
I have a 16-year-old neutered Chow mix who has suddenly abandoned his
housebreaking. He's not incontinent because he travels to specific
spots to let fly. The other night, we were having dinner, right next
to the door into the yard. He walked past the door and past us into
the corner and pissed in the corner. No attempt whatsoever to ask to
go out. Now he's crapping as well as pissing.

He has bad arthritis and the stairs into the yard are a problem, so I
thought he was just avoiding having to deal with the stairs, but we've
been putting him out the front door, where there are no stairs, and we
are still finding messes.

He's always been an indoor dog and I hate to banish him outside,
especially with cold weather coming on, but I can't keep cleaning up
after him either.

Suggestions?

Confusion is what I'd guess. Senility can be
an issue in dogs. There are ways of handling
it, and ways of preventing accidents in the
house. Some folks even fashion "depends" on
dogs who do develop incontinence.

He's not incontinent. He has complete control. If he were incontinent,
he would simply empty bowels and bladder randomly. I had an elderly
dog that was incontinent. He would have bowel movements in his sleep,
seemingly not even aware it was happening. This one has one favorite
spot that he goes to intentionally.

I had suspected urinary tract infection and was about to put him on
antibiotics, then the bowel movements started, so it's probably not
that.

As for depends, his arthritis is worst in his hips. He won't tolerate
being touched there, much less having diapers put on and taken off.

Is he on anything for his arthritis?