Dog has started peeing inside....

Flaker

Hi, I need some help!

My dog, a shih tsu, who is quite old (I'm not sure of his age as I got him from the pound, but he is probably between 12 -15) has started peeing inside (he even pooed once). It's probably about twice a day at this stage.

This has only started about 4 weeks ago, I'd never had any problems with him before. He as a dog door which he has never had any problem using. He uses it when I'm there (or more to the point, I make him use it - I put him out every hour or so) but doesn't bother when I'm not.

Now, he does take steroids for a skin condition, which I know do make him drink more, but he's been on these for years and I don't think these have anything to do with the problem.

He hasn't got arthritis or anything, his feet are fine and he's in fine fettle for a dog his age. I've had him at the vet and she can find no physical reason for him to do this. He is not incontinent and he does go out sometimes when the mood takes him.

Do you think it's just laziness? And what can I do to stop him? It's driving me crazy at the minute and I am paranoid my house smells of dog pee. Please help because I love my dog but don't know how much longer I can put up with this...

DBB

I think your vet might want to take a better look at what's going on here. Have there been blood tests done? If not, then she cannot say there's nothing wrong with your dog.
There are loads of reasons why dogs suddenly start house-soiling when they were always clean.
First, a health problem is the number one suspicion. If your vet is prepared to say your elderly dog is fine without doing bloods, change vet. Diabetes, kidney or liver failure, a UTI, any condition which results in excessive thirst or hunger (there are quite a few), all need to be ruled out.
Has your dog been on steroids all the time for that skin condition? To be honest, any vet who continuously prescribes steroids for a skin complaint without looking deeper into the problem is just being lazy. Perhaps your vet has already tried allergy testing, skin scrapes, exclusion diets etc to get to the source of the skin problem, and if so, I take back the lazy comment, but unless all these things have been tried, again, I'd be looking at changing vet.
Secondly, the steroids may very well be causing a breakdown in housetraining. Has your vet been running at least yearly, but better twice yearly, blood tests on your dog to monitor liver and kidney function before re-prescribing steroids again? If not, change vet.
Thirdly, as an old dog your dog may be in the early stages of canine cognitive dementia, one if the signs of which is a breakdown in housetraining. Other signs of CCD include waking in the night for no apparent reason, increased anxiety, increased fear, reduced activity and play, change in appetite, and various others. Early stage CCD is very manageable with dietary intervention and appropriate medication.
Fourthly, reduced mobility due to aches and pains can make old dogs less inclined or able to get outside to toilet. Dog flaps can be hard old work for an old dog. A proper mobility test, possibly including x-rays, is needed.
Fifthly, sensory loss, eg blindness, deafness, can stop old dogs from being as confident in their movements, so again, these need to be ruled out. Dogs of that age almost always have some degree of sensory loss.
Finally, it's not unreasonable for an old dog to be suffering to some degree from all of the above.
So, before any conclusions can be drawn, there is a lot of work for your vet to do. Perhaps she has already done all that's needed but your post doesn't indicate so. Old dogs have specific requirements, so you may have to make changes to his environment to make life easier in his autumn years.