Pooping in sleep

[Rhi315]

Hello. My dog is 4 years old, I've had him since he was 8 weeks. Starting within the past year he sometimes poops in his sleep, like, in my bed. I know, gross right? It's not diarrhea, completely normal stools. It just happens when he's dreaming and it's not an entire pile, maybe just one or two pieces. He eats a clean diet which used to be Nutros Natural Choice, but then my Vet. told me to switch to something without Glucosamine in it. I never did that because he stopped, but now he's doing it again. =/ I am a vet. tech. and have never heard of anything like this before. My boss, the Vet., didn't even have an answer for it. The only thing she could come up with is to take him on a nice long walk right before bed and try to get him to poop. I've done that, but it's not every night, it's maybe once a week. I just think it's weird. Any suggestions?

[Rhi315]

Wouldn't that make him do it any time he had to use the restroom and was sleeping though??

[Aleda M Cheng, D.V.M., C.V.A]

Could he have sustained a traumatic injury that resulted in damage to his rear end or tail that has caused some spinal nerve damage to the perianal area?  Have your vet X-Ray the spine and sacrum to see if there is disk disease.  If there is disc disease a course of anti-inflammatories or steroids may help with the problem.

Veterinary acupuncture may help, along with Chinese herbal formula's for fecal incontinence and disc disease.