What happens when your dog loses the ability to control his bowel movements? What do you do when you realise that your well-trained life companion who has been potty trained for years all of a sudden starts urinating and defecating all over the house? Well instead of punishing your dog and making matters worse, you may want to look into the fact that he may have a condition known as incontinence.
Incontinence is the inability to control urination and/or defecation. The same term is also used to describe the reduced control that is sometimes apparent in geriatric animals. The condition can be very upsetting to owners, as it warrants constant vigil to avoid clean ups. Many owners believe that the affected animal is either uncomfortable or in poor health. Some owners are repulsed and unable to cope with this type of problem.
Incontinent dogs should be carefully examined by a vet to determine whether the problem is due to old age (lack of sphincter control) or a condition that can be treated. Urinary incontinence could be caused by conditions of the bladder and urethra. A relatively common cause in older spayed female dogs is reduced oestrogen levels. This type of condition may respond well to hormone treatments.
Faecal incontinence has been associated with damaged anal sphincter muscles, which perhaps can be surgically repaired, or injuries to the lumbar or pelvic area, with results from a nerve damage. Nerve disorders usually are difficult to treat. Where loose stools associated with improper feeding are a part of the problem, dietary adjustments may be helpful.
Measures can be taken with some minor adjustments may make things easier for you and your dog in this situation.
For example, an 11 year old, spayed, female dog is healthy in all other respects, but had become incontinent for about 1 1/2 months. There are several things that a vet might do for the dog. With a diet change and medical treatment, the incontinence could be reduced to the point where specially designed pants would work acceptably. Other affected dogs have responded well to paper training or installation of a pet door.
We have a wonderful dog named rocky.she is so tough and so
strong since we got her from the pound at 8 weeks.she will be 16 in march of 2010.she had a brother that lived till he was 4 and her big sister lived till she was almost 16. we have no children,our dogs are everything. we did not get another after dixie died because we wanted rocky to live without the upset and lack of attention she might have gotten from a puppy.now I
am glad we did,she is happy and stress free but now is having
accidents in the house.she sleeps so sound that i don’t know if
she even knows she is going.we have dog doors but i think that is too far for her to go? we love her always and admire her will.she is something special- but we knew that when we got her.maybe we are just putting off the end for her,but she still eats and is happy and everyting she should do 5 years ago.what do you do? we are willing to do whatever it takes to keep her happy till the end.
Just wanted people with old dogs to know that MSM is brilliant.
My chocolate labrador is 14 and still bounces up and down like a puppy.
About a year ago my dad was buying some vitamins online and noticed MSM for dogs – called ‘almost human’. He bought some for Dan to try as he was becoming very stiff and lack lustre.I had been giving him glucosamine tablets, but they didn’t seem to make any difference.
The transformation was incredible – he was able to run and bounce again! Even a swelling on his gums was completely removed. In last years snow, I got snowed in and I had left his MSM at work. He was without it for just 4 days and he returned to a stiff, unhappy old dog with a swelling on his gums again. Two days back on the MSM and he was repaired again. He is on no other medication or tablets.
I can’t emphasise enough what a difference it has made to his life. I would like everyone who has an old dog to know about it. Everyone I meet on my walks gets told about it. I am an MSM evangelist! I got it from higher nature – it is called ‘almost human’. You can also get big jars of it for horses, but in my experience you need to use alot more of the horse version, whereas a tiny amount of the ‘almost human’ is needed.
I hope that a few dogs benefit from this.