Dog suddenly peeing in the house

A colleague here at work has been telling me that her 8 year old dog has suddenly started peeing in the house, and last night when she got home, Maggie had pooped as well.

I've been encouraging her to take Maggie to the vet, and she says she has an appointment for next Wednesday and says she'll bring it up then, but does anyone has any idea what might cause this all of a sudden?

She's a small dog, but I don't know what breed. If that's important, I can find out.

I'm feeling very sad for poor little Maggie, who is now being confined to the kitchen.

That poor baby!!
First thought is to take Maggie to the vet, she needs attention now. She may have a tract infection or worse.
That said, it could be either sickness, or a reaction to a new surrounding/pet/person/event.
Dogs pick up on so much. Has her owner had any major changes lately?

I also agree that she needs a vet check. At that age and so suddenly it could be something serious. A friend of mine had that happen to her dog and it had several kidney stones.

My little Thor did that not too long ago, but he was 10 months old. I posted on TCS about it too. I found out it was all my fault I had stopped praising him for pottying outside because I thought he was old enough, and I wasn't taking him out at the same times every day.

Could be UTI. I've heard of dogs becoming disoriented due to forgetfulness or going in the house after seizures.....or else she may just plain not be getting out when she needs to.

Originally Posted by goldilocks

That poor baby!!
First thought is to take Maggie to the vet, she needs attention now. She may have a tract infection or worse.
That said, it could be either sickness, or a reaction to a new surrounding/pet/person/event.
Dogs pick up on so much. Has her owner had any major changes lately?

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Maggie's owner had some remodeling done - walls painted, new carpet, new furniture. Whould that cause a problem?

Maggie does have medical issues she's under a vet's care for, and she goes to the vet regularly for shots. She's had blood tests recently and was just at the vet for teeth cleaning and a follow up on that yesterday.

One more thing, she's just started going to a new vet because this one is closer / not as expensive.

I hope I made Maggie's owner feel bad for keeping her confined that she'll get some of her freedom back, anyway. Heaven knows I'm trying..

Originally Posted by Misty8723

Maggie's owner had some remodeling done - walls painted, new carpet, new furniture. Whould that cause a problem?

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I was going to say age-related incontinence but yes, completely changing a dog's environment like that can cause stress. Some dogs that are not that mentally tough will react by messing more often and in the wrong place. Dogs never like change so if there is anything left over (at least Maggie's bed and toys) it might help to retrieve as much of that as possible to give her back some of the familiar environment.

And yes, 1st things 1st, namely go to the vet.

Originally Posted by Misty8723

I'm feeling very sad for poor little Maggie, who is now being confined to the kitchen.

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Please, don't feel too bad for the dog; she is being kept in an easy to clean area which is best if they are having bladder and bowel issues!!! Not just for easy cleaning, but for owner sanity as well! I can forgive messes, but that still doesn't make sense to keep the dog running free if there are issues. It saves carpets, and rugs too!!!

Plus, dogs really are safer in a room that is more 'pet friendly'...an entire home has alot of temptations to it, even for an adult dog...anything can change previously 'good behavior' and it could mean the animal's life should they chew or eat the wrong thing! Mine are always kenneled when I go out, or they are gated in my kitchen which has NO access to cords or cleaning supplies; and all food is kept in high cupboards.

Yes, my recommendation is going to be a very thorough vet check; especially to rule out thyroid, UTI, and other issues that can cause incontinence.

Also, have her evaluate the lifestyle; have there been any sudden changes (a move? added pet? etc), new schedule or routine? 8 isn't extremely old for a small breed dog, so I am thinking there has to be something physical (infection) or something psychological going on that has changed her behavior.

ETA...yes, a remodeling of the home could certainly stress a pet enough to cause a change in behavior. If nothing physical turns up, consistancy in routine (feeding, watering, and going outdoors) will help the dog back to the previously 'good behavior'. The reason I mention 'controlling' food and water intake is so that the dog has to go out at 'set' patterns. Once the desired behavior (not having accidents)is occuring, then you can slowly go back to what ever previous schedule you had.

VET need s to know about this... depending on what she is being treated for it could be a side effect of treatment or a progession... or as in my case my nearly 13 yr old forgot to tell me she needed out

Originally Posted by faith's_mom

Please, don't feel too bad for the dog; she is being kept in an easy to clean area which is best if they are having bladder and bowel issues!!!

Not just for easy cleaning, but for owner sanity as well! I can forgive messes, but that still doesn't make sense to keep the dog running free if there are issues. It saves carpets, and rugs too!!!

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I feel bad for Maggie because she no longer has access to her favorite window where she can watch the birds, etc. I also feel suddenly confining her has to be adding to the stress if it's stress that's causing the issue. It would stress me out if someone put a gate in the entrance to my cubicle and I couldn't get out and move around

Thank you all for the advice. I'm passing it along and strongly recommending she think about seeing the vet sooner than her next scheduled visit (Wednesday).