Old dog & bowel issues.

[wills_91]

Over the last 6 months or so our old dog has started pooping more and more inside to the point now where it's almost unbearable & causing a lot of arguments. In the last 24 hours I have cleaned up 5 piles of poo from various locations around the house. She no longer goes when out walking and has almost constant access to the garden during the day yet will actively choose to come inside and do her business. The areas are always thoroughly cleaned and she doesn't have a preferred spot, sometimes she seems to be unaware that she is doing this. My worry is that no matter how much cleaning I do is it enough and I have 4 children 1 only a baby learning to crawl and I don't know how much longer I can put up with this. I have baby gates everywhere but she's a canny old goat and can unlatch them, she is also the master at opening doors and I realistically don't want to confine her to one room alone all the time as that would not be fair.

She is 15, we've been in the vets a few times about this has a full MOT and vet has just put it down to age and suggested nappies last week.

Never had this before when our dogs have got old and it really sucks. It's getting me down and I'm annoyed with her often about it then feel guilty as she's been a loyal dog to us for a long time.

 

[Clodagh]

Put her to sleep.
Incontinence is a line in the sand for us. I know some people don’t mind it, but you have to genuinely not mind.
Would you be cross with your Gran if she had an accident? It is really wrong to be cross with the dog.

 

[wills_91]

Put her to sleep.
Incontinence is a line in the sand for us. I know some people don’t mind it, but you have to genuinely not mind.
Would you be cross with your Gran if she had an accident? It is really wrong to be cross with the dog.

I am leaning towards this but other family members are very upset at this suggestion as she still has a zest for life.

I have not worded that well I am not cross outwardly with her & she is treated no differently. She's not shouted at or reprimanded but it does make me feel angry.

 

[Red-1]

It would be PTS for me too, if the vet thinks this is something that can't be remedied, such as an upset stomach.

A happy, healthy dog would not do this.

 

[Clodagh]

I am leaning towards this but other family members are very upset at this suggestion as she still has a zest for life.

I have not worded that well I am not cross outwardly with her & she is treated no differently. She's not shouted at or reprimanded but it does make me feel angry.

She will know you are angry.
Your family maybe need to face that sad things happen. Or if they genuinely want to keep her alive they can do the cleaning.
Please do t put her in nappies.

 

[wills_91]

She will know you are angry.
Your family maybe need to face that sad things happen. Or if they genuinely want to keep her alive they can do the cleaning.
Please do t put her in nappies.

I absolutely won't be putting her in nappies. It's not something I'd ever consider.

 

[Clodagh]

You can’t have a baby crawling through it (as you know!) I cannot see an alternative. Having a dog PTS is always sad. If it were me I’d lie to the children and say she had an illness. It is a sort of illness anyway, either mental or muscle weakness.

 

[Sandstone1]

Could you consider a change of food? It may be her diet that suited her before is not right now she a old lady. I doubt she is doing it on purpose.

 

[HopOnTrot]

What the weather like with you? My older dog (12) will toilet in the house if the weather is bad, he has only done it in the depths of winter to date and has had a clean bill of health from the vet each time. He has access to the garden but will just come straight in and make a mess in the house.

I wonder if it’s related to arthritic changes as the cold makes me worse, warm weather and a joint supplement and one or both have turned him back into his old self.

I’m sorry you’re struggling with this

 

[silv]

She will know you are angry.
Your family maybe need to face that sad things happen. Or if they genuinely want to keep her alive they can do the cleaning.
Please do t put her in nappies.

This, so sorry but it is her time to go, how ridiculous of a vet to suggest she is put in nappies, that is just wrong.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I'm also surprised at the vet. It may be dementia setting in. 15 is a great age and you have to think of both hers and your child's health.

 

[twiggy2]

Most dogs don't enjoy messing in the house even of they can't control it, just pts

 

[Ratface]

I think that the kindest thing for your old dog (and the best thing for your children's health and welfare) is to have her pts.

 

[AmyMay]

If you have no support for pts you’ll have to confine her to one room in the house (utility?) or permanently crate her.

 

[MurphysMinder]

If you have no support for pts you’ll have to confine her to one room in the house (utility?) or permanently crate her.

Which is really not fair on the dog, who may feel they are being punished. It's a horrible thing to have to face but I would pts. It is one thing coping with incontinence with only adults in the house but a totally different matter with young children.

 

[AmyMay]

Which is really not fair on the dog, who may feel they are being punished. It's a horrible thing to have to face but I would pts. It is one thing coping with incontinence with only adults in the house but a totally different matter with young children.

I completely agree.

 

[Rowreach]

I'd strongly overrule the naysayers and have her pts tomorrow.

It's horrible for a dog when they become incontinent and start to mess indoors when they have always been clean. And it's always a sign of something else failing. Yes it can be dementia and yes the weather can make them a bit fussy about going outside, but it's a strong indicator that it's time to let go - and better to choose that time than have it forced on you one day.

It's worth training family members about the reality of pet ownership from an early age - my kids grew up knowing that QoL is more important than anything else and that the ultimate decision is mine alone, no arguments.

 

[scats]

This can be a sign of dementia. If JD ever started doing this, we would PTS. She has never liked messing in the house and I think it would distress her.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I'm another who would pts a previously clean, elderly dog who now routinely uses the house, rather than outside, if the vet can make no better suggestion than a nappy. I might try a different food first but if that didn't work, pts. It's not a punishment for the dog, it's a kindness. Realistically at age 15 she won't be around much longer whatever you do, so I would put her out of her misery now.

 

[skinnydipper]

It must be difficult for you if your family don't agree that it's time to pts.

5 bowel movements a day seems a lot.

I might try a different food first

A low residue diet might help.

 

[ycbm]

My line for cats is that they don't mess their own house and I would have the same line for a dog. There's no dignity for an animal that doesn't keep their own environment clean. I'm with everyone else who says you owe it to yourself and your baby and her to have her PTS with dignity.
.

 

[poiuytrewq]

We had this, although not to the same extent with our first lab.
He didn’t even know he was doing it, which was a good thing because he’d been clean in the house 13 years and I think would have been mortified. It would just fall out as he walked or even slept. I’d pick it up without him even noticing.

The vet recommended a better quality food but I can’t remember exactly what he’d said. I think it’s the higher actual meat content the less the poo. So that just made the picking up easier.

The problem was actually a rear end weakness though which worsened.
He was pts, because his back legs gave up on him.
So I’d try food maybe, it did help but I’d agree with everyone else It may well be time to pts.

I also understand how tough pts is without family being on your side, the guilt and doubt is doubled. It’s not an easy place to be.

 

[BlueDiamond]

I have to say I am a bit saddened reading how readily people are prepared to “draw a line in the sand” without exploring other reason why your healthy elderly dog is suddenly having problems with bowel incontinence. My old Lab started this age fourteen occasionally I changed diet and was insistent that he went out and waited until he relieved himself. He continued to have occasional accidents if I wasn’t vigilant in making sure he had toileted. I was very watchful of his diet and careful not to over feed as a Lab I had to monitor very carefully but I continued to monitor until at the age of sixteen my Vet said all his system were starting to fail and I should pts. I booked him in to be pts at home the next morning he trotted out to the garden perfectly happily and came in and ate his last special breakfast of a toasted cheese and ham sandwich which was dispatched with relish. To this day I question did I do it to soon? He was sixteen and a Chocolate Labrador which I have now discovered have a lower life expectancy than he black and golden Labradors. My other chocolate’s were two months shy of sixteen and fifteen.
Bottom line is not what every one else thinks, it doesn’t matter what their line in the sand is, it’s what your line in the sand is. Putting a dog to sleep on many occasions is a privilege that we wish sometimes we could give our parents or other love ones but we can’t and we are forced to witness unbearable suffering. But if we are making the decision it’s not quite as easy as we would like it to be, I’ve had a four year old horse pts on the advise of five Vets as she had fractured her pelvis, I have since know two people who didn’t and their horses made a full recovery.
Another friend had a perfectly physically healthy fifteen year old dog put to sleep because at night she was unsettled and kept asking to go out, Vet was supportive however she is now seriously questioning her choice and unbearably guilty that she made the decision. Even in circumstances where you are positive that you are doing the right thing part of the grieving process is guilt.
At the end of the day you and only you have to live with this decision and only you can make it, you and only you and your family know what is right for your dog. Everyone else is just expressing their opinion.

 

[misst]

My old JRT did this due to dementia and my lovely big girlie became incontinent at times in her last months. Neither was PTS just because they were incontinent but both became slowly more unreliable and both had other issues (JRT just got very frail and you could see she was confused which was horrible. Big girlie had problems with her back end which likely was why she was pooing unexpectedly at times. She went off her legs suddenly and was PTS immediately but we were in discussion about PTS at that time. I would guess at 15 she is nearing the end of her life too. I would really consider PTS as she will be unhappy, as you say, confined to a room and you have other considerations. She is likely a bit confused if she is behaving like this so might not really be that happy anyway. x Sorry you are having to make decisions. x

 

[skinnydipper]

I have to say I am a bit saddened reading how readily people are prepared to “draw a line in the sand” without exploring other reason why your healthy elderly dog is suddenly having problems with bowel incontinence. My old Lab started this age fourteen occasionally I changed diet and was insistent that he went out and waited until he relieved himself. He continued to have occasional accidents if I wasn’t vigilant in making sure he had toileted. I was very watchful of his diet and careful not to over feed as a Lab I had to monitor very carefully but I continued to monitor until at the age of sixteen my Vet said all his system were starting to fail and I should pts. I booked him in to be pts at home the next morning he trotted out to the garden perfectly happily and came in and ate his last special breakfast of a toasted cheese and ham sandwich which was dispatched with relish. To this day I question did I do it to soon? He was sixteen and a Chocolate Labrador which I have now discovered have a lower life expectancy than he black and golden Labradors. My other chocolate’s were two months shy of sixteen and fifteen.
Bottom line is not what every one else thinks, it doesn’t matter what their line in the sand is, it’s what your line in the sand is. Putting a dog to sleep on many occasions is a privilege that we wish sometimes we could give our parents or other love ones but we can’t and we are forced to witness unbearable suffering. But if we are making the decision it’s not quite as easy as we would like it to be, I’ve had a four year old horse pts on the advise of five Vets as she had fractured her pelvis, I have since know two people who didn’t and their horses made a full recovery.
Another friend had a perfectly physically healthy fifteen year old dog put to sleep because at night she was unsettled and kept asking to go out, Vet was supportive however she is now seriously questioning her choice and unbearably guilty that she made the decision. Even in circumstances where you are positive that you are doing the right thing part of the grieving process is guilt.
At the end of the day you and only you have to live with this decision and only you can make it, you and only you and your family know what is right for your dog. Everyone else is just expressing their opinion.

You have to not only consider the dog's quality of life but also the owner's. She is trying to cope with a dog shitting all over the house and a young family and is finding it stressful.

Read her post and you will find the dog has been seen several times by a vet for this issue, most recently last week.

Offer suggestions by all means but don't make her feel worse than she already does.

 

[ycbm]

I have to say I am a bit saddened reading how readily people are prepared to “draw a line in the sand” without exploring other reason why your healthy elderly dog is suddenly having problems with bowel incontinence.

It has been explored. The vet told her to put nappies on the dog so she could walk around with her own faeces smearing her backside until the nappy was emptied.

Everyone else is just expressing their opinion.

And everyone but you is expressing the same opinion, that in a house with a crawling baby, the dog has had a good life and should be PTS while she still has some level of dignity.




I do get the point about later guilt that you are trying to make, I just want to support the OP in making what most people think will be the right decision.
.