Adult Dog peeing indoors

Ashbx

Hi folks,

I have a 7 year old Border Collie who I have had for the last 3 years. She is quite a nervous dog but she came to me housebroken and I have never had any accidents with her....until three weeks ago when she regularly started peeing in the house (and on her bed). I haven't brought her to the vet yet because I think its a change in the house rather than a medical issue causing it.

For the last year, I have lived alone with my two dogs but would always have friends over. Four weeks ago, I started getting students for months at a time staying in the house. Three weeks ago, she started peeing in the house. At the time it started, I was away for two nights and my mother had my dogs (something that has happened umpteen times so they are well used to it). But it has continued since I came back.

As mentioned above, she has always been a nervous dog, quite weary of other people. However, other than the peeing, she doesn't seem affected in any other way. She greets the students just as excitedly as she greets me. She approaches them for pets or for someone to throw the ball for her. So she doesn't seem intimated or nervous of the students themselves. She also pees in her bed which is really making me worried because I know this is something dogs don't generally do!

Oh I should also mention that the first week it happened, one of the days she had diarrhoea so I thought the peeing in the house may be just because she wasn't well. Diarrhoea went after a day, but peeing is still happening!

Does anyone have any advice? Should I re-train her to go to the toilet outside or do I just bear with her until she gets used to the people in the house? Or should I bring her to the vet anyway?

Any advice welcome....thank you!

Ms Doubtfire1

I would run her to the vet for initial blood tests.I used to have a collie, and, as he aged, his kidneys became less and less able to process salt, (a plenty in average dog food) and subsequently he drank more and more, resulting in..yes..lots of wee-wee's in the house. So, please exclude any medical issues while looking at behavioral as well.

tk123

If it was one of mine I'd take them to the vets along with a sample for them to test.

What did you wash the bedding with - it needs to be bio washing powder to break down the enzymes?

aonb

anytime there is change in a dogs behaviour, especially one like you describe here I would too think of going straight to your vet to have her kidneys/liver checked.

As TK suggested, cleaning up pee needs to be with a specific cleaner - non ammonia - or she will keep peeing in the same place.

Ashbx

Thanks for the suggestions. I think I will book her into the vet this weekend to rule out any medical issues!

I ended up dumping the dog bed because I have two dogs and my other dog wasn't even lying in it afterwards! Plus Home Store and More are doing half price beds so good excuse to get a new one! Thankfully she hasn't peed on the new bed!

I used a special dog urine cleaner for the floor...cant remember the name. I think its Simple Solution or something similar! Thankfully we haven't had an accident in a couple of days but I am being extra meticulous to make sure she goes outside every couple of hours.

Thanks for the advice guys. Will ring the vet today and hopefully its nothing serious!

Bunnyslippers

Sounds like she could have a uti so worth getting a sample and take it along to vets, better to rule out all medical issues before trying to retrain her to get her back into a routine.

Ashbx

Bunnyslippers wrote: »

Sounds like she could have a uti so worth getting a sample and take it along to vets, better to rule out all medical issues before trying to retrain her to get her back into a routine.

Thanks!

Does anyone have any suggestions as to the best way to get a urine sample from her?

Ms Doubtfire1

sorry op...I had to laugh at that question lol

this might help...good luck.:D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYNpodpBASI

P.S Do wear GLOVES!!!

aonb

Ashbx wrote: »

Thanks!

Does anyone have any suggestions as to the best way to get a urine sample from her?

with a bitch its probably not as easy, as with a dog - Ive always had dogs Dogs are great, they pee constantly!!
Put her on a leash, on the morning of the vets visit, find a clean bowl/old butter box/tupperware/whatever. The minute she squats for her first pee, get that box under her bum! (quietly and without startling her!!!) A friend used a LADLE to get a sample

Ashbx

Hi all,

Just to update you, I brought Phoebe to the vet last week and he thinks its an issue with her Sphincter muscle on her bladder. Apparently its a regular thing in older female dogs who are spayed.....never heard of this before! The sphincter muscle is usually tight and only loosens when the dog goes to pee. However due to the lack of hormones in her body, this muscle is loosening more when she is relaxed and therefore she is effectively wetting herself (hence urinating in her bed).

So she has been put on a hormone supplement and will hopefully see an improvement in a week or so. But looks like she will be on this hormone for life.

Thanks all for the advice!

Ashbx

Hi all,

Just to update you, I brought Phoebe to the vet last week and he thinks its an issue with her Sphincter muscle on her bladder. Apparently its a regular thing in older female dogs who are spayed.....never heard of this before! The sphincter muscle is usually tight and only loosens when the dog goes to pee. However due to the lack of hormones in her body, this muscle is loosening more when she is relaxed and therefore she is effectively wetting herself (hence urinating in her bed).

So she has been put on a hormone supplement and will hopefully see an improvement in a week or so. But looks like she will be on this hormone for life.

Thanks all for the advice!

Ashbx

Also, getting the sample wasn't nearly half as bad as I thought. Phoebe is quite a skittish dog and thought she would jump the moment I bent down. But I did a practice run the day before and got a sample first attempt! Thanks for the video Ms. Doubtfire, it definitely helped!

razorblunt

For the sample, should the vet not have given you a vial and a syringe?

They did for me, which I proceeded to drop on her walk so had to keep the pee in the syringe until I got to the vet like an eejit.

Ashbx

razorblunt wrote: »

For the sample, should the vet not have given you a vial and a syringe?

They did for me, which I proceeded to drop on her walk so had to keep the pee in the syringe until I got to the vet like an eejit.

Ha ha better that than nothing. No they just told me to put it into a clean dish. So I sterilised a Tupperware tub with Milton and put it in that. As long as it was taken that morning (my appointment was at 9.30), they said it should be fine.

razorblunt

Actually we're back at square one with ours - got out of the habit of peeing when left alone and about 10 days ago started peeing on her beds or blankets when left alone.

Vet checks have all come back clear and she has no issues when we're with her.
Watching her on Skype showed no anxiety but I didn't catch her pee-ing either.

This morning took the biscuit. Went a for a short walk and pee at 8:15, dog walker turned up at 8:20 and she had wee'd on the floor.

aonb

If her bloods/vet came back clear, and the ONLY time she wee's is when she is alone, regardless of not showing signs of anxiety, I think she must anxious surely?? Shes not peeing on the floor to be naughty. An anxious dog will pee immediately (ish) after being left alone (i.e 5 mins after u left and the walker arrived)

Dogs pee (1) to mark their territory (2) when anxious (3) for medical reasons. Did the vet take her bloods? The fact that she pee'd on the floor (rather than in the bed) you'd wonder about incontinence issues - did you see the recent thread that a poster on here had, discovered after testing that her bitch had spincter muscle problem

p.s. how old is your dog?

razorblunt

Yeah bloods and all were done, she has a clean bill of health.
Today was on the floor, early last week it was on her bed/rugs.

Choc Chip

Or could she be peeing with nervousness/ excitement at someone coming to the door?

if it's that then it could be that she's just peeing wherever she happens to be when they arrive?

Latatian

Ashbx- my girl has been on hormone supplements for the same problem for a while now and they have worked like magic, made a huge difference in her life (and how often I have to wash the beds!) Doesn't seem to have any real side-effects for her either, thus far anyway. Hope they work out for you too!