Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => Pets without Feathers => Topic started by: Lardman on July 24, 2023, 11:38

Title: Just old age or behaviour problems.
Post by: Lardman on July 24, 2023, 11:38
For the last month or so Max has taken to peeing in the house which is something he has never done before.  He'd always been really good about barking at the back door when he wanted to be let out.  No change in routine, food or anything else and it's doesn't appear to be enough fluid to warrant being desperate. This morning I let him out at 1am which is 3 hours later than I used to but I heard him walking about at 4am and when I checked he'd left another puddle by the back door.

He's getting on a bit now, I've had him nearly 10 years so he must be 12+ . If it's just old age I might consider puppy pads or similar in the cloakroom by the backdoor for when he's caught short - the floor is at least tiled but if it's just a territory or behaviour thing I don't want to encourage it. - Thoughts.
Title: Re: Just old age or behaviour problems.
Post by: AlaninCarlisle on July 24, 2023, 11:53
My last dog started doing the same at about 11 years old. I just put it down to declining continence due to age. He was quite a large Border Collie
Title: Re: Just old age or behaviour problems.
Post by: jaydig on July 24, 2023, 12:46
Each of our three huskies suffered from this when they got older and they seemed to be upset about it because they'd always been very clean dogs.  When they were very elderly we had to hold them up when they wanted to poo because their back legs weren't strong enough for them to stoop.  Otherwise they were perfectly happy for quite a while until their health deteriorated to the degree that we had to make the awful decision that every pet owner dreads.
Title: Re: Just old age or behaviour problems.
Post by: wighty on July 24, 2023, 16:59
Frequent peeing during the night can often indicate diabetes.  Get this crossed off the list as well.
Title: Re: Just old age or behaviour problems.
Post by: Lardman on July 25, 2023, 09:40
I was leaning towards just old age but situations like yesterday make me wonder. Took him round the park at lunch for 30 mins and he had his leg up everything and was definitely empty when we got home. Left him eating lunch whilst I dealt with an email, when I returned 15 minutes later he'd managed to pee up the kick stool in the utility. It wasn't a lot and he must really have worked hard to get the dribbles out.

He's been on borrowed time since 2019 when I had all the tumours removed the first time, I honestly didn't think he'd survive the second operation so the last 4 years have been a bonus.
Title: Re: Just old age or behaviour problems.
Post by: Subversive_plot on August 16, 2023, 09:43
Based on past experience with our dogs, it could be a behavior problem, but could also be medical.

I'd recommend a visit with the veterinarian.

If you can, they do make washable dog diapers. Sometimes just having one of those on will stop a dog from urinating, it will sometimes distinguish behavioral urinating from medically caused.