There’s lots of folks w dogs on here so I have a question. Our dog was never really well housebroken, mostly because my parents left me to do it when I was 11 and I had no idea what I was doing. It got to where we’d try to catch her sniffing around and then just take her out but of course we couldn’t always catch her…and now that she is older (11 years) suddenly it seems she needs to be taken out every 30 mins like she’s a puppy again. She will just poop and pee all over the house. Is it even normal for a dog to go potty that much?? We only feed her twice a day though her water bowl is always full.
Anyways does anyone have any tips as to what to do here? Even with my mom religiously taking her out every 30 mins-1 hour she still goes inside sometimes.
It’s not just pee it’s poop too but good point maybe there’s something wrong. I know older dogs may have a harder time holding it but it just seems like she goes constantly now.
I would recommend taking her to the vet for a checkup. It’s possible your dog has a bladder infection which could lead to frequently urges to urinate. Also, as dogs get older, they can develop incontinence issues and there are meds to help with that.
Really she’s gotten progressively more pitiful in the past year. She’s nearly deaf and blind now. She sleeps all day, very lethargic. She also moves very slowly like it hurts to walk. Sometimes she goes into absolute funks where she won’t move at all and my mom has to carry her to go potty or to eat. She’s been into the vet a lot this year but they never find anything, she’s always the picture of health apparently. They even recommended dog Prozac. I’m worried her time is drawing near. She’s just not the same dog anymore.
Update, she is doing worse. She seems not to recognize us anymore. Me, my mom and my dad have always been her favorite people and to everyone else she’s friendly but more reserved, doesn’t like other people to hold her, etc. Lately she has been treating us like strangers, if we pick her up she growls, she makes no move to greet me when I come to her, she no longer follows my mom around all the time. She seems to be pretty much completely blind and will wander around confused. She’s not totally deaf yet and can still hear loud high pitched noises but that’s it. We just tried to feed her dinner and she couldn’t even stand on the wood floor, she was losing her balance and sliding around, my mom had to carry her to the bowl and stand her up & even then her legs started sliding apart.
She hasn’t been the same since we moved. I honestly don’t know what happened. Maybe the stress of it gave her a stroke or something. But she’s been deteriorating over the past several months. We will probably have to say goodbye to her soon, at this rate I do not think she will last another year even. She’s been my best friend since I was 11, I always considered her to be my first sister. Very sad right now. She is going to have a vet visit soon and we are all prepared for the worst. God why do I have to lose 2 pets in the same year.
It sounds like your dog is getting elderly. I would recommend keeping her off slippery floors if possible (wood, linoleum, tile) because older dogs can be fearful on slippery floors and can have trouble walking or even sitting on slippery floors.
Also, older dogs can start to have cognitive deficits, kind of like doggie Alzheimer’s. This can cause them to be fearful and to not recognize familiar people or familiar surroundings.
It’s also not uncommon for elderly dogs to have less control over their bladders and bowels. There is medication that can help for bladder control but I’m not sure there’s medication that helps with bowel control.
Finally, elderly dogs can be fussy with food and sometimes will no longer eat dog food that they used to enjoy. My mom had a golden retriever that lived to be 17 years old. The last year of her dog’s life, all she would eat were McDonald’s plain cheese burgers or cheddar cheese bagels from the local grocery store (broken into small pieces) and occasionally she would eat dog biscuits. She also drank a lot of water which is pretty common with elderly animals.
Good luck with your elderly dog. Just love your dog and keep her comfortable, whatever time she has left. There is something both sad and yet heartwarming to care for an elderly pet. Pets give us so much unconditional love, it is a privilege to give them unconditional love back.
Thank you that actually made me feel a lot better. Maybe this is just how she is now as an old lady. Avg lifespan expectancy for corgis is 11-13 years and she is 11 now, will be 12 in a few months. We mainly hope that she is not in any great pain. If she’s not and doesn’t need to be put down we’ll continue to be there for her and love on her until she goes. I guess it’s just been a shock to us as she always had such a fiery & strong personality. But I know it is also common for dogs to mellow as they age. Thanks for reassurances!!
I’m worried her time is drawing near. She’s just not the same dog anymore.