older dog peeing in the house

[April2]

My dog peed in our house twice today. I was surprised because he'll usually bark at me and go to the door to go outside. I'm wondering if this is a sign of old age? They did think he might have Cushings awhile back but he's been acting so great since then I had wondered if they had misdiagnosed him. Could it be from the Cushings or old age? He's a maltese mix and he's 12.
I just don't get why he didn't "tell" me that he needed to go. I did clean the area well and sprayed the Nature's Miracle on the spots. But I just don't get it. He always lets me know when he needs to go outside. He whined at me real early this morning (4:45am) to go out and I let him out. He got a drink of water and then went back to bed with me. I figured he'd be good until 7am when I would get up but when I got up at 7am there was a wet spot right next to our bedroom door. It had only been 2 hours since he'd been out last. This evening he peed again in the dining room but never went to the door and barked. I'm just surprised by this. He's always been potty trained real well. I used to even work a few years ago and could leave him in the house all day and he woudn't have an accident. Why all of a sudden today? Any thoughts?

[lonewolf07]

Hi

Have there been any changes in his routine lately?  Could he be reacting to the attention given to other pets?  Was there a lot of noise in your area from firecrackers?  Is it possibly  a behavior problem?  Does your dog have any conditions that make it difficult to go outside - not liking to go in the rain, snow, cold weather, etc.  Is he aware that he is urinating or does it just happen?  If your dog is aware of what he is doing and  not lying in it, totally unaware of it, he might be trying to make a "statement".  It's also possible he might have an infection.

Our Akita is 12 yrs old and completely housebroken.  She can "hold it" for hours if she has to.  However, she has developed a fear of the fire alarm and will actually "doodoo" on the floor from fright.  Today she urinated on the floor when her "sister" went to the vet for her vaccination and she has never done that before.

If you are concerned about your dog, I would suggest taking him to the vet or at least talking to the vet if he/she is familiar with your dog.

lonewolf

[Misfits4Me]

Sounds like a UTI. Very common in our Senior pets. She needs to see a vet and get some antibiotics. Take a urine sample with you...It will save on the cost of the clinic having to draw the urine themselves.. Left untreated, it will only get worse....Good luck with your baby.........

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

my baby had cushings to and in his last months of life he pee in my house twice, when going out side twice he peed on the cement could not make it to the grass. take to vet have checked could be a uti wishing ya lots of lock.

[April2]

Thanks everyone. He's due for his comprehensive exam soon so I'll take him in and ask the vet. For awhile there I was wondering if they had properly diagnosed him with Cushings since he's been doing so well these last couple of years. Is there different degrees of it?

One other thing I've noticed this week is he hasn't been eating his dog food too well. I thought he maybe didn't like the diet dog food I have for him because he's tried getting into the cat food a few times and when I feed the cats wet food he wants to lick the plates when they're done. He always waits for them to finish and then looks to me whether he can lick the plates! I've let him because there's not much left at that point. I wonder if I shouldn't let him? It's not much he's getting but I don't know why he's not eating his own food too well. I thought too that it could be because it's been kind of hot this week.
Is this possibly another sign of Cushings or nothing much to worry about? He's a little overwheight anyway so I wasn't that concerned that he wasn't eating his food too well because I figured when he's hungry, he'll eat. Now I'm wondering.

[Misfits4Me]

About licking the cat plates...I wouldn't think it would hurt. My suggestion is to get him some wet food of his own. If he's having pee-pee problems, he needs the extra moisture (In the wet) to flush out his kidneys. If possible, a grain free wet food would be best. He'll love the change and start eating again...Good luck, those Seniors can be tricky.  :)

[jifnif]

My dog was 17 when he started doing this.  he did the exact same things w/ food and peeing.  unfortunately it was signs of old age.  we eventually had to put him down due to broken hip after he fell.  good idea to take him to the vet.  once they get to that point though, it all starts to go down hill.  I am sorry.  i know how hard it can to be accept the aging of your loving dog.  

[April2]

Thanks again, everyone. Yeah, I don't want to think of putting him down. My cat is a year younger than him so I watch out for her too.
It's interesting. I didn't think about getting him his own wet food. Do you think that might help or just make him fatter?
I actually just recently started giving the cats wet food because the one cat got real constipated and I was told by the vet to try the wet food. Maybe I should get my dog some too. He might like that!

[peekawho]

You could try mixing some wet food into the dry.  Or that Iams gravy they make for dog food.  

[lonewolf07]

There is dog food made by Hill's, I think.  It's wet food called A/D.  It's easy to digest and is often used for dogs who have recently had surgery.  One drawback is that most dogs love it and don't want to go back to their usual dog food.  There are also dog foods for weight control, most of them come from the vet.

lonewolf

[April2]

Thanks. I'll look into the food idea.
Today he peed right in front of me. He looked right at me, squated and peed on the living room rug. I just don't get it. He's NEVER done that EVER.
There have been no changes in the household, no changes to diet, nothing I can think of why he'd be doing this, unless it is just old age.
I can't get him in until Friday. I don't know how much they'll be able to tell me or help or what but I will give it a try.
Thanks everyone.

[April2]

He's been refusing breakfast in the morning all week too and drinking more water we noticed.He is still eating his dinner.I am a litle worried. Does this sound like old age or the Cushings?
Again, I don't see the vet until tomorrow. I was just wondering what everyone else thought.

[peekawho]

With this bladder infection, Jakes only symptom was drinking excessively and peeing extremely often, sometimes lifting his leg indoors.  I was shocked when his urine culture came back with a bad infection.  

Usually when he gets a bladder infection, its obvious b/c he has blood and dribbles smelly urine.  This was totally different--just gallons of clear urine.

The vet said dogs will drink more when they have a UTI, and thus will urinate more.  

He probably needs a UA and a culture.  I hope that's all it is.  

Jake has to be evaluated for a stone, if this happens again.  Apparently, if a male dog has UTI's, there is commonly a stone present.  

[April2]

Thanks Peekawho, let's hope that's all it is.

[April2]

Can they not hold it or something when they have a UTI? Today he peed again in the living room but it came out like in a long line like he was dribbling. No blood or anything like that, thank goodness.

[peekawho]

Let me know what it is!  

You might want to put a doggie diaper on him.  Petco sells them, you just slide a diaper or a heavy duty sanitary pad in it and wrap it around your dog.  

[April2]

Ok, this is what I've got so far. He's still at the vets getting some tests run. Remember when I said they thought he had Cushings a couple of years ago? Well, they never officially diagnosed him because he was asymptomatic (did I say that right? Anyway, he had no symptoms at the time). His liver enzymes were elevated which was why they though it could be Cushings but it could have been other things too. Well, now his enzymes are like 3,000? They were a little over 1,000 a couple of years ago so they have dramatically gone up. They think it could be Cushings then and asked me if I wanted the test for it. So, I'm having them test for that plus the UTI. The first test on the UTI came back negative but they said his urine was diluted, probably because he's been drinking so much. So they're running another more accurate test, I guess. His blood sugar came back fine so it's not Diabetes. It's starting to look more and more like Cushings. I don't know what we'll do if it is. Money is real tight right now and I heard the treatments are very expensive. I pray it's not but I guess I'll take one day at a time.
I guess we'll finally find out what they've suspected the last couple of years, whether he truly does have Cushings. Sorry about the confusion but we didn't get an official diagnosis before, just that they highly suspected it since his liver enzymes were high. So, for now they will give him an antibiotic and I should get the test results back next week. This has just been an awful year with the pets. I've spent a small fortune on vet bills, first with the cats and now the dog. This has been one of our worst years financially too, of course! Ugh. Just gotta take one day at a time. That and winning the lottery would be nice! :) Can always dream!
I'll let you all know when I get the test results back. Thanks, everyone.

[sunny129]

When my dog started peeing in the house I KNEW something was wrong - after many tests, xrays, and ultrasound with needle biopsy she was diagnosed with Bladder Cancer.  The vet said 6 months was the average life expectancy - She proved him wrong!!  Lived almost 3 years.   Hope your babies test prove only a UTI - but if not do not give up!  

[April2]

Just got word from the vet. It is definately Cushings. She left the message with my husband so I didn't get to talk to her yet about options. This is something we've suspected for a couple of years but he was never officially diagnosed. The vet said since he showed no symptoms before they wouldn't have treated him yet anyway. I had hoped it wasn't this. I thought maybe they made a mistake a couple of years ago since he'd been doing so well. I've been looking stuff up online about it. If he winds up needing surgery or chemo I'm not going to make him go through all of that. I read that life expectancy is 20-30 months. I don't want him to suffer, of course, but we're only going to be able to go so far financially. He's really gone down hill this last year. I thought it was just old age. He can't see so well and he struggles to get up when he's been laying for awhile and sometimes limps as if he has arthritis. It's very difficult for him to go up and down stairs. But this last week in particular he's been drinking excessively and losing control of his bladder. Poor baby, just yesterday after picking him up from the vet, he made it outside and then just let it go and was walking beside me with pee just pouring out of him. He peed all over himself and I had to give him a bath when I got home.
I'm going to talk to the vet and see what she says. Please pray I make the best decision for him. I don't want him to suffer. I want him to be as comfortable as he can in his old age but I also know that we are not going to be able to afford the medication if it's terribly expensive. And I won't put him through surgery and/or chemo at his age either. I know how hard that can be on the body. Whatever decision I make I don't want people judging me. I love this dog and want what's best for him. Whatever decision we make will be difficult, I'm sure. I would appreciate any and all support without any judging. If anyone has any information or helpful advice for me, too, I'd appreciate it. Thanks everyone. God bless.

[lonewolf07]

I don't want people judging you or whatever your decision is either.  It's difficult enough to make a decision about such a thing without worrying about what others will think.

At the risk of sounding really dumb, I honestly believe that our pets can communicate with us if we listen.  Between "listening" to your dog and praying, you'll make the right decision.  

Hugs and tail wags ....

lonewolf and dogs

[April2]

I just talked to the vet and she said that he'd have at most 18 months to live whether we try treatment or not and that the medication would probably make him violently ill since it's a chemo drug used for cancer patients. She said it's not a cure, it would just keep the tumor from growing. She said the surgery would not be advisable considering his age and health. So, I'm like "What the heck?! why would I want to give him a drug that would make him so sick if it's not even going to prolong his life anyway, or make the tumor go away?" That's just crazy. I think we're going to just choose no treatment and keep him as comfortable as we can at this point. I won't let him suffer whether he's on drugs or not. Man, I hate this. :(

[lonewolf07]

When one of our cats was ill a few years ago, we were in the same situation.  Like you, we decided to not have her treated but to make sure she was not in pain.  The cat lasted two years instead of two weeks like the vet said.  This also happened with one of our dogs.

I can imagine you do hate this situation.  Vets aren't always right with their predictions as I  have learned.  Feeling loved and wanted makes a big difference to a dog's (or cat's) will to live.  I have absolutely no doubt that your dog knows how much you care and that everything you do or don't do is a result of that caring.

If posting here helps, please keep posting.  A lot of folks have been through the same thing and can offer you support.

lonewolf

[dogone]

If a dog wont stop peeing in your home besides the stains and smell i can wash that ,but does this also pose a Health  risk to human and other animals in home  ??  I Thank anyone for any Info they have :)

[ginger899]

Hi dogone......this is a really old thread you posted on, and you may not get much response because of that. But nevermind. Here I am, instead!

Dogs' urine, as such, is not particularly toxic (not like rats' urine) Even if it contained any bacteria, say from a urinary tract infection, those bacteria would not survive long when exposed to the air.
But obviously, it IS a hygiene issue, and you could clean, and then spray with something to deodorize, which is not harmful to pets.
However, the big problem here is WHY your dog is peeing in the house. There could be a number of reasons...
1) he isn't getting enough outdoor time.
2) He has a urinary infection or some other health problem which needs to be properly assessed by a vet. Diabetes could be one of the problems, amongst other things.
3) He has a behaviour issue which needs sorting out (like 'marking' territory, etc.)
4)He hasn't been potty-trained (which I am pretty sure isn't the case here??)
5) He is drinking SO MUCH water, and not getting enough time outside to eliminate it.

[misssparky]

I know this thread isn't active, but my dog Sparky is going through similar issues. I just wanted to know how your pup is doing. Sparky has diarrhea and pees himself every morning for the past 3 days. He's old and they recently (3 months ago) told me he had elevated toxins in his liver. I am giving him .9% Sodium Chloride via IV once a week to prevent further damage. But now he's peeing himself. Tons and tons of clear pee all over him when I get up to take him outside. And his stools aren't easy. He'll have diarrhea and try to poop again and again and again when he's outside.

The other issue is his legs. He can't get up by himself anymore. He had a TPLO last year, but it should be healed by now. And it's just worse. He's on a few pills, mostly arthritis and bone cartilage stuff, but I'm thinking he might need to get on something else.

Do you think he has Cushings?