Elderly bitch forgetting house training

[CazD]

My rescue bitch is around 14. I've had her 4 years and in all that time she has never wet in the house. She goes to my parents three days a week while I am at work. For the last two weeks she has starting wetting in their house. She doesn't seem to ask to go out at all, just wets where she is standing. I took her to the vet, who diagnosed a very mild bladder infection and put her on antibiotics for a week. She's now finished the antibiotics but is still wetting in my parents house, although she has only done it once at home in the whole of the two weeks. She does drink quite a lot, although the vets tested her last year at my insistence but couldn't find any problems. Anyone experienced anything similar? Could it be dementia?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

At this point, I would ask the vet to retest for kidney function/diabetes and also consider a further course of a-bs.

 

[CazD]

Diabetes was something else I was considering. But why is she Ok at home but not at my parents? She's been going there 3 days a week for the whole time I've had her. We will be going back to the vets anyway but I just wondered if anyone had any other ideas.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Diabetes was something else I was considering. But why is she Ok at home but not at my parents? She's been going there 3 days a week for the whole time I've had her. We will be going back to the vets anyway but I just wondered if anyone had any other ideas.

No idea! It could be something to do with the time of day, or something as simple as whatever your parents use to clean up, actually attracting her to use the area again.

 

[paddi22]

the drinking and weeing sounds like something our old dog did, turned out to be diabetes too

 

[JennBags]

We've had this recently with our 11yo Westie, she's been getting up in the night and weeing on the landing. I think she did it once because she needed to, and after that it became habit, but also possibly dementia. I've been spraying the area which helps, and I've got up and taken her outside when she has got up, and that has helped too.
Maybe your parents need to treat her as a a puppy and take her out every hour and make her wee?

 

[rara007]

Back to the Vets, with sample if possible

 

[Thistle]

Your parents need to clean the areas where she has wet with bio washing liquid, diluted. The enzymes break down the marker smells. It could just be that they're a bit less vigilant than you. I know when we have pups they hardly ever mess when I'm looking after them, but when OH is home he misses subtle signs and by the time he notices they're starting to squat.

 

[JillA]

But why is she Ok at home but not at my parents? She's been going there 3 days a week for the whole time I've had her.

Could be traces of the scent of her urine once she has done it at home - have you cleaned the area with either biological washing powder or a biological deodoriser?

 

[Beth206]

My old boy went through a phase of this recently apart from he was sh*****g everywhere. It was happening every night and sometimes during the day whilst I was at work.
I became very disciplined with him and put him out at certain times each day and will wait outside with him until he does his business (sometimes this can literally take 15 mins) we have a little bit of land so I will often take him on that on a night, I find that walking makes him go. To be honest now he will barely ever have an accident but he doesn't let you know when he wants to go either so I just have to watch him like a hawk. I agree with JenBags; treat her like a puppy and take her out frequently and see if that makes a difference.

 

[JillA]

My 13 yr old CKCS was pooing during the night, every night, even though they both go out last thing. Now both dogs have a small amount of milk/water mix with NAF canine digestion powder added and it only happens very rarely these days.

 

[meleeka]

Agree to make sure all traces are removed from where she went. My old dog peed on the mat and she seems to have that marked out as a toilet after that. The mat had gone and so has the weeing.

 

[Moobli]

Has she been spayed? Urinary incontinence in older spayed bitches is not uncommon. You could try her on Propalin to see if that helps. My old GSD bitch became incontinent in her old age and Propalin made a real difference.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Back to the Vets, with sample if possible

yes, this. One of my dogs had a very hard to shift UTI when he was elderly.

 

[Clodagh]

I agree with MOC and WGSD, take a sample get it tested and if clear try propalin.
She is not 'forgetting her house training', are you sure your parents are not punishing her and making it worse? She would not be clean for 4 years and then randomly think, 'hey, let's just pee'. There will be a physical or medical reason.

 

[CazD]

Just a quick update. Both urine samples came back clear but the blood test has shown that she has stage 3 kidney disease. The vet has put her on the Royal Canin renal diet which she has been on for the last week. I'm not convinced she doesn't have dementia too, as she seems to tick a few of the symptoms for that. The vet doesn't want to try propalin and it looks like I'm just going to have to put up with the puddles in the house. Have just watched her squat and leave another puddle on the just cleaned rug!

 

[meleeka]

Just a quick update. Both urine samples came back clear but the blood test has shown that she has stage 3 kidney disease. The vet has put her on the Royal Canin renal diet which she has been on for the last week. I'm not convinced she doesn't have dementia too, as she seems to tick a few of the symptoms for that. The vet doesn't want to try propalin and it looks like I'm just going to have to put up with the puddles in the house. Have just watched her squat and leave another puddle on the just cleaned rug!

I’m in a similar position. My dog was on propalin but she had undiagnosed high blood pressure. The propalin made that worse and she had a small bleed in her brain. Further investigstion showed tumours on her spleen and liver. She leaks in that she doesn’t know she’s going and it’s mostly in her sleep so I’m washing bedding daily. She is happy and enjoying life at the moment. They did say there’s another medication but I’m wary of any more.

 

[AmyMay]

You could pop her in some doggy nappies.