Need Suggestions For Old Dog Problems

[GeoGeo]

We are having problems with our old dog. He has signs of dementia and is partially blind. I can't even leave the house to go shopping now without coming home to a mess. He does his business and then walks through it and spreads it. What a mess. We have tried keeping him in his crate, loose in the house, on the lanai, and outside on the enclosed patio. Same issue. We take him out to potty before leaving. But he gets so nervous he has to poo again. I can't think of any solutions on my own. I thought perhaps some of you might have a suggestion. Keeping him in his kennel keeps the mess confined, but keeps him in it. Keeping him comfortable and giving him something to chew on has not helped. Any ideas?

[784caroline]

You dont say the type of breed or how old your dog is, but have you had him checked out by a vet ? As sad as it may sound, there comes a time for the adult to make the necessary decision about the dogs quality of life. Listen to your Vet, enjoy these days with your dog while you can.

[GeoGeo]

He is a 16 year old dachshund. He is happy, runs and plays, loves to eat, etc. He doesn't have problems making messes when we are home. It is just when we leave. He will not go through the doggie door now that he has limited eye sight. He still gets around fine, but he can't see or smell where he has gone potty. So he walks through it. As long as he wasn't in pain or sickly, I was not planning on putting him to sleep. He has good bowel and bladder control. Just a problem when we leave him home now.

[angiefox10]

Have you tried doggie diapers? You can find them in the pet store.. That might help

[DonH57]

Does he make a mess when he is crated? Normally a dog won't potty where they sleep unlesd there is a problem or very young. Check with your vet.

[Love2cruise]

You don't say how old your dog is, or the breed. But when our older dog had those same symptoms I asked my vet if it was "time". She told me "when it hurts you to see your dog, it hurts them to be that way. It was the best piece of advice I had ever gotten. Finally when it disturbed us so much, we knew it was "time" and did what was best for him.

It's a hard decision to make and I wish you the best.

[GeoGeo]

Yes, he does mess in his crate when we are gone. His bowel control is good when we are home, though. Before he had a vision problem he hardly ever messed in the crate....only in an emergency. Now it is every time.

[mrdarcy]

I would try the diapers first. You can also try one of those "thunder shirts". They work great for anxious dogs and his anxiety seems to appear when you leave. Keep in mind in equivalent people years he is, after all, about 112 years old.

[gomoho]

The thunder shirt might be just the thing to comfort him while you are gone. Would certainly be worth a try. Good luck.

[graciegirl]

I feel so bad for you.

Barefoot? You are so compassionate. What do you say?

[Bonnevie]

there are medications they can give for dogs showing signs of dementia. I had a jack russell that at the end would go outside do nothing and come back in and immediately go potty. I'd try the diapers first. If it only happens when you are gone, then putting a diaper on him seems like it would solve the problem. He sounds far from being at the "putting to sleep" time.

[echo11]

It sounds like his quality of life is wonderful. You obvious love this guy. Aside from trying doggie diapers, I would speak with your vet. There are natural supplements you can give to help with the anxiety. Anxitane, the same ingredient in green tea, helps controll anxiety. It is a pill, based on weight, given 2xs a day. Also, Bach flower essence, especially Rescue Remedy, can be helpful. It is used for people and animals. I hope you find something that helps.

[GeoGeo]

Thanks for the suggestions. Keep them coming. The vet's office had mentioned the Bach Flower Remedy, but said you have to be careful what you give old dogs. Has anyone used the Bach Flower Remedy on their dogs or themselves?

[echo11]

Yes- I have used Bach flower essence, including Rescue Remedy. it is very gentle, can't be over dosed. it is a spray or liquid with dropper. I either spray a piece of biscuit or put a few drops on the biscuit.
(Do not use the candy drops! The candy drops have the same ingredient as sugarfree gum which dogs can not have!)
It does seem to help during anxious times. If you google "Rescue remedy for dogs" you should find info. I do not think it would be a problem with an older dog. My dog is almost 10 yrs old and we have used it for many years. The good thing about Rescue Remedy is that you can just use it when needed. You can find it at health food stores and some drugstore now carry it. Good pet stores will carry it. Of course, it can be found online.

[meboyle]

My Emmy is 12, and we just got here full time. She does have problems with anxiety, but the best remedy I have used was a clean undershirt with my smell on it. It's cotton, the length is good, and I lay it on her and stroke her gently. She goes out like a light. When she is walking around I use a safety pin to connect the sleeves (short sleeve). Hope this is helpful.

[KatieDidNot]

Geo

I was hoping Barefoot would come on last night, because she really does have excellent advise, better than I could do, but she didn't so I am going to respond and I hope I can do it in the most caring and gentle way.

I have had animals all my life. I would bring them home to nurse them to health and keep them if they were domestic or set them free if they were wild. I even rescued a baby deer once.

A 16 year old doxie is getting up there. You have obviously taken very very good care of that baby. I assume you have made an actual visit to the vet, for there are things that can be done about the dementia and even blindness as other posters have stated, but it could be expensive, and you have to of course consider the age.

As dogs age, and even mine is starting to show it, they start becoming more bonded to their humans. Especially, when they start having health problems. Your baby can't speak, so they are acting out to get your attention, saying, "hey something is wrong here!" They become filled with anxiety and you are their security blanket. They are scared.

Let's address the crate. It would be cruel to continue to crate your baby. I personally would not use baby diapers, but that is just my opinion...That is one of our worst fears as a human is it not? He is as disgusted as you would be sitting in his own mess and he doesn't have the option to clean himself up. If you are going to be gone, what I would suggest is a large refrigerator box, that has a nice length to it. Cut in some windows and cut off the top so they do not feel confined. Place a nice soft bed at one end, and line the entire bottom with puppy pads, which can be bought by the hundred at PetSmart. That way, if they have to go, they can leave the bed and do it on the other end of the box and makes cleanup easy for you and keeps them clean at the same time. Gives them some dignity.

Your baby is a Senior, they deserve tender loving care and unconditional love, especially at this juncture in their life. Start spoiling him some more, give him a few more treats and goodies, hug him like you never hugged him in your life, and have a very frank and honest discussion with your vet, and if you have already had one, reengage and go from there.

Extra Big Hug from me to you and your baby.

Katie

[blueash]

If this is some kind of severe separation anxiety, they do have doggie Prozac. I googled and interestingly vet Prozac is usually more $$$ than human generic. An option I wonder if a vet can write for stuff to pick up on the $10 for 90 days plan and you should even get multiple doses out of each capsule with a little dog. I see target has 4 dollar dog generics which I would think are formulations made especially for pets. Dose is 1/2 to 1 mg/pound/day
Here is the FDA approved study. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/AnimalVeterinary/Products/ApprovedAnimalDrugProducts/FOIADrugSummaries/ucm062326.pdf
Inappropriate defecation is listed as a studied behavior. All dogs also were in a behavior modification group. Dogs in the placebo group improved but the medicated group was consistently more improved. Over the 8 weeks study period the improvement continued to increase.

[Patty55]

Have you thought about getting a second dog for companionship?

[KatieDidNot]

Have you thought about getting a second dog for companionship?

That is a very good idea!
:agree:

Katie

[lovsthosebigdogs]

I am sorry to hear that you are having so many problems with your senior. We had a dog that was around 60 lbs that lived to be 17 that suffered from CGD, Caninne Cognitive Disorder, for many years and used to get very confused. We also had to find ways to accomodate his issues. We used to try to give him things to do while we were gone. Since he didn't see well we used his nose, which still worked. We put a tiny dad of peanut butter in a natural bone and left it where he could locate it. We had a toy that dropped tiny pieces of his regular dog food so we didn't have to introduce new food into his diet with treats- it was an oval, space saucer looking thing that you screwed together wtih dog food or treats inside and when he moved it a piece would fall out. We never made an issue of coming or going. Everything around our departure was VERY relaxed. We never said hello or goodbye to him. It eased him while I went to work and we kept him going til he was 17 and the end was more obvious to us. That's a long life for a dog his size.
Good luck to you. I hope it works with his anxiety. If it's medical, maybe your vet can help. And I have also used Rescue Remedy but i didn't do much for my dog. It is worth a shot; it's not expensive.

[Leisha2]

They have just discovered that cold pressed organic coconut oil is helping people with dementia and alzheimers to improve their cognitive function. I give my 13 yr. 20 lb. dog a little (about 1/2 teaspoon each time) on his food 2 times a day. It has helped his coat tremendously and although he doesn't have cognitive problems he uses it and LOVES the taste.