Question regarding elderly dog

[Flutteringbee]

I have a 15 year old border collie/springer spaniel mix. She has been having more and more accidents in the house, has started to walk into walls and has limited mobility in her rear legs from lack of muscle. She wakes us up several times a night to go outside but she sleeps most of the day.

We don't think she is bad enough to put her down but are at our whits end with the amount of times she wants out during the night.

Any suggestions?

[JulieDB]

Our little dog got like this. She had liver problems, was going blind and deaf and being part daschund, she had a bad back. The only thing I could think of to do is to put her bed closer to the door where she goes out and then maybe putting down underpads or piddle pads closer to the door or her bed. Or maybe putting a diaper on her? You can buy pet wipes so you wouldn't have to bathe her as often. I would take her to the vet to see if there is a reason for the accidents. In my cat's case it was kidney failure.

[Flutteringbee]

Thanks JulieDB...I didn't even know there were underpads for dogs. I will check it out today.

[Smee]

Has she had any bloodwork done to determine if it's just age related frequent peeing or if there might be something like renal failure? Vision check? I'd start there. Is she drinking more than usual? Dogs are kind of like people in that as they get older, they have to get up more often to pee. If there are no other health problems causing it like renal failure or diabetes, there's not much you can do besides let her out as often as she needs to go unless you think you might be able to set up a spot in the house for her and teach her to go there. If she's cognitively impaired, though, you may not have much luck with that.

I don't have my saved links handy, but google canine sundowning and canine cognitive dysfunction to see if any of it sounds familiar. Walking into walls is a red flag to me. So is sleeping all day and up all night. Sometimes as they get older (again, like people), their cognition fades and their internal clock gets out of whack along with getting disoriented (like walking into walls). They'll often get restless at night, not just wanting to potty, but sometimes pacing around and/or whining. If there seems to be some cognitive dysfunction, there are drugs that may help, like Anipryl. For the last year of one of my old dogs' life, the Anipryl helped reset his internal clock to be able to sleep better at night. He used to be up all night pacing and whining (as well as walking into walls and getting "stuck") which we initially interpreted as him asking to go outside frequently, but he was basically senile with an out of whack internal clock, sort of like doggie Alzheimer's. Anipryl helped a lot. Everyone slept better at night.

My 13 year old Poodle wears diapers because she is incontinent and pees in her sleep without realizing it. Depending on the size of your dog, you may be able to find diapers that fit a whole lot cheaper than the pads made specifically for dogs.

So anyway, I suggest a checkup with bloodwork and vision check, and google canine sundowning to see if you think it might apply, and be sure your vet is aware of any cognitive issues. Good luck. I love senior dogs even if they do require a lot of care. Give me a senior over a puppy any day.

[Rene S]

I second what Smee says about a cognitive problem. Not exactly the same, but my parents elderly cat starting going outside of her litter box, among other things like being confused and staring at the wall for a long time. The vet prescribed a medication (amitryptillin, sp) that helped quite a bit. Not perfect, but much better.

[Flutteringbee]

I have taken her to the vet and they have done bloodwork. They tell me she if they didn't know she was 15 they would never had guessed because 1) she doesn't look it and 2) her bloodwork came back fantastic. The only problem with her is she has a slight problem with her thyroid. They say she should be slightly overweight except we can't keep weight on her. She has lost 15lbs over the last 18 months. Go figure!

I have never heard about a canine cognitive dysfunction so I will call the vet to see what they say. Thank you all so much for all your help. I'll keep you posted.

[Rene S]

I have never heard about a canine cognitive dysfunction so I will call the vet to see what they say. Thank you all so much for all your help. I'll keep you posted.

I am glad you've had the bloodwork done. That's good news overall and rules out the big stuff.

I remember a specific medication advertised on tv a few years ago, targeting canine cognitive problems. Perhaps there are several choices available now.