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?

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.

If you banish a 16 year old house dog
outside....well, frankly that sounds pretty
awful to me. Take a confused dog and take
away what is most familiar to them. Nice.

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.

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?

sighthounds & siberians wrote:


Is he on anything for his arthritis?

Anitinflammatories and pain killers.

Oddly enough, this current problem started not long after he started
the meds, but I've had him back to the vet to have him checked for
physical causes and she never mentioned a possible relation between
the problem and his meds.

Richard Evans wrote:
sighthounds & siberians wrote:

Is he on anything for his arthritis?

Anitinflammatories and pain killers.

Oddly enough, this current problem started not long after he started
the meds, but I've had him back to the vet to have him checked for
physical causes and she never mentioned a possible relation between
the problem and his meds.


Senility, confusion - don't necessarily imply incontinence.

The symptom started shortly after the meds... I'd suggest you look up the
side effects of the meds. Just because the vet didn't mention any
relationship doesn't mean that there isn't one; it could be a less common
side effect, or she might not remember what they are. If one of the meds
is a corticosteroid (like prednisone or prednisolone), it can cause excess
drinking and urinary urgency or incontinence and/or behavioral changes.
Some pain killers can also cause behavioral changes.

Severe pain in his hips, so severe that you can't touch them? It doesn't
sound like the meds are doing much good. That may also be why he resists
going outside. He might be in more pain outside, either because of a step
or two, or uneven ground, or cold weather.

I know it's a huge inconvenience, but I don't think it's likely that your
dog just suddenly decided that he's not going out because it's not
convenient - it's not stubbornness or belligerence. Continue to look for a
cause in the meds, pain, or some other illness not yet diagnosed.

FurPaw

--
We can be absolutely certain only about things we do not understand.
-Eric Hoffer

To reply, unleash the dog.

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.


You didn't read my post.

I said it sounds like he was confused.

I *also* said that some folks do use garments
for dogs who *do* develop incontinence. For
urine, there are also Belly Bands. I'm saying
this because even if it is senility, it may
eventually deteriorate.


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.

Its not that hard. You don't use *actual*
"depends", its just a way of describing it.

Good luck anyway.

FurPaw wrote:
Richard Evans wrote:
sighthounds & siberians wrote:

Is he on anything for his arthritis?

Anitinflammatories and pain killers.
Oddly enough, this current problem started not long after he started
the meds, but I've had him back to the vet to have him checked for
physical causes and she never mentioned a possible relation between
the problem and his meds.


Senility, confusion - don't necessarily imply incontinence.

The symptom started shortly after the meds... I'd suggest you look up
the side effects of the meds. Just because the vet didn't mention any
relationship doesn't mean that there isn't one; it could be a less
common side effect, or she might not remember what they are. If one of
the meds is a corticosteroid (like prednisone or prednisolone), it can
cause excess drinking and urinary urgency or incontinence and/or
behavioral changes. Some pain killers can also cause behavioral changes.

Severe pain in his hips, so severe that you can't touch them? It
doesn't sound like the meds are doing much good. That may also be why
he resists going outside. He might be in more pain outside, either
because of a step or two, or uneven ground, or cold weather.

I know it's a huge inconvenience, but I don't think it's likely that
your dog just suddenly decided that he's not going out because it's not
convenient - it's not stubbornness or belligerence. Continue to look
for a cause in the meds, pain, or some other illness not yet diagnosed.


I couldn't agree more.

On Dec 3, 3:35*pm, Richard Evans wrote:
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?

Put him on a regular toiletitng schedule, taking him out every hour or
every two hours. You will have to use trial and error to find the
appropriate time interval that will prevent accidents in the house.

You will probably have to limit access to the house, also. Keep him
in an area that is easier to keep clean, as accidents will continue to
happen, but less frequently with his regular toiletting schedule.

Since he is neutered, it is less likely that his prostate is causing
him to retain urine, but this still could be an issue for him. Make
sure this issue is addressed with his veterinarian.

Keeping the dog outside at this point in his life is all but a death
sentence. I'm not even sure I would risk him in a well heated garage.

hth.....
Linda H.

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?

Elderly dogs/people develop bladder problems.

You need take your dog outside very frequently like when he was a pup.

I personally think that it would be more humane to put your dog down
rather than banish him outside.