Thank you so much for all of your help! Maggie has been my baby for many years and I'm not ready to lose her... she is an excellent, essential part of this family! We already have a vet appointment for her and hopefully after this she will be feeling back to her old self.
:-) Thanks again!
Could the discharge possibly be coming from her anus- full anal glands?
If you are not familiar with this, they are glands just inside the anus- at about 4 and 8 o'clock. Usually the stuff comes out with a BM- but as a dog gets older, and the muscles/skin around the anus is not as tight as when she was younger, sometimes it leaks out while she is squatting. It smells vile. It is an easy fix if this is the problem, but very important that it is taken care of, or she could get infected glands (that might already be the problem). Your vet should check to see if this is the problem- and can show you how to empty the glands yourself.
I am hoping this is the problem and not a urinary infection.
Whatever it is, you need to see a vet before it becomes something that her older body can't handle.
This discharge does need attention. As she is spayed, it's got to be coming from her bladder. It most likely is an infection, as it smells so bad. Hopefully antibiotics will clear it if it is an infection. But I would definitely take a sample of urine and discharge with you if possible, for analysis.
Sudden behavioural changes in a dog of any age can mean that there is a health issue going on, in the absence of any 'psychological' triggers or traumas. You know when we feel bad, it can make us grumpy, or impatient....same for a dog.
It is always so hard when the dogs that we enjoyed so much during their younger years start having issues in their "senior" time.
As you and have 2 kids mentioned, a trip to the veterinarian is warranted due to the discharge you are seeing in the urine. But, to help with your research, you might consider posting this question over in the General Health forum of the Ask A Vet Expert section. We have several veterinarians that can help you with ideas, advice, and real world experience. We also have pet behaviorists that can chime in and provide some thoughts on her changing behavior.
Good luck!!
It sounds like she may have an infection. I would contact the vet right away and let him figure out what is going on.