My Senior Dog Is Becoming Incontinent: 4 Reasons and Tips

House-training a puppy can be pretty exhausting. You are all the more relieved when he finally understands what you want from him.

Then suddenly, in old age, your four-legged friend forgets what you so carefully taught him years ago. Just old-age stubbornness? Incontinence? Or why is your senior suddenly peeing on the rug?

I’ll explain why some dogs start having accidents as they age, how having accidents differs from incontinence, and what you can do.

My old dog is having accidents

Accidents in old age do not affect all dogs. They are linked to a health issue like dementia or another condition involving the bladder, joints, or back. Older dogs also have a harder time holding it for long.

See a veterinarian to be safe and rule out serious illness. Stay calm and use dog diapers.

Do all senior dogs eventually have accidents?

A lot changes for your dog as he gets older. He may become hard of hearing, get sick more often, and have joint problems. Having accidents can also be one of the typical signs of aging. That does not mean every senior is doomed to pee in the house at some point.

Difference between having accidents and incontinence

People often use having accidents and incontinence as if they were the same. In fact, the words describe different problems.

A dog with incontinence can no longer hold his urine and or stool. He is physically unable to do so. This can be the result of an injury or disease. There are also congenital abnormalities that prevent your dog from eliminating under control from birth.

Incontinence is definitely a medical problem that requires treatment.

If he is “only” having accidents, he is still able to eliminate under control. We call it “having accidents” because it happens in places where we do not want his messes.

A puppy that has just moved in with you is not yet house-trained and therefore has accidents. A dog with colon cancer may become incontinent as a result of the disease.

4 reasons for accidents in old age

So having accidents is not a fate that inevitably awaits every dog. It has many causes you can take a closer look at below. These include

• dementia,
• a bladder that is weaker due to age,
• a bladder infection, and
• other diseases.

❓ Reason #1: Dementia

In dogs, dementia is actually called “canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome,” CCD for short. At first, your dog is only a bit forgetful or confused. As the disease progresses, he shows increasingly severe deficits. Affected dogs also decline physically.

Among other things, dementia in dogs can lead to accidents. Your dog may no longer recognize whether he is indoors or outdoors. Or he is no longer able to interpret the feeling of a full bladder. At some point he just pees without being able to pay attention to where he is.

According to a report in the journal Scientific Reports, sufficient exercise can help protect dogs from dementia. Tiffany Barley also found that having a dog in the home can slow the progression of dementia in the owner.

❓ Reason #2: Weak bladder

As your dog ages, he loses muscle throughout his body. That includes his sphincter muscles.

This means they lose strength. Normally they can still do their job well. But your dog may need to go outside much more often. Since that takes some getting used to, accidents in the home are more frequent during this phase.

On top of that, your four-legged friend depends on you to let him out. If you do not pick up on his whining because you went for a walk just half an hour ago, he may eventually leak.

❓ Reason #3: Bladder infection

Bladder infections can happen at any age. Statistically, females are affected more often because their urethra is shorter. Germs can therefore reach the bladder more quickly.

You can recognize a bladder infection by

• frequent urge to urinate,
• passing only small amounts of urine or just drops,
• licking the belly or genital area,
• blood in the urine,
• pain,
• refusing food,
• fever, and
• digestive issues.

Because your dog has pain when urinating, he may try to delay it. At some point he cannot hold it anymore and goes wherever he happens to be.

At the same time, a bladder infection often causes an almost constant urge to urinate. Your dog feels like he has to pee all the time and gives in to that urge more often. You will notice this especially when he squats or lifts his leg but only drops come out.

❓ Reason #4: Other diseases

There are many diseases that can lead to accidents. Age-related issues like joint problems and back pain are among them.

Pain can keep your dog from getting into the posture he needs to do his business. He might not go on the walk, then later goes once you are back home.

Back problems can also lead to incontinence. Nerves in the lumbar spine are needed to control the sphincters. If those nerves are under increased pressure, your dog may not feel his urge anymore. He will eventually pee when the urge becomes too strong.

You would recognize this by signs of paralysis in the hind legs. In addition, he pees in his bed, while lying down, or it simply leaks out of him in between.

Cancer

I know cancer is a specter all dog owners fear. So I just want to touch on it here. It is very unlikely that your senior dog happens to have a form of cancer that causes incontinence.

It is still possible, though. For example, unfavorably located colon cancer could interfere with the anal sphincter. Surgery also carries the risk of injuring it in a way that leaves the dog permanently fecally incontinent.

Fortunately, that is very rare.

Should you see a vet because of accidents?

If your dog starts having accidents in old age, you really should talk to your veterinarian. A serious disease could be hiding behind the symptom.

If your dog has no signs of paralysis and is otherwise doing well, it is not an emergency. A regular appointment, even in a few days, is fine.

If you notice symptoms like frequent urge to urinate or blood in the urine, try to get in quickly. A bladder infection is extremely painful. Do not let them put you off with an appointment in three days.

3 tips to help your senior dog

Besides seeing the vet, there are other ways to make life easier for your dog who is having accidents and for you. I have three tips for you. You can find more general tips for life with an old dog in this video.

💡 Tip #1: Understanding

Remind yourself again and again that your dog is not trying to annoy you with the puddles. He is not peeing in your house on purpose and ruining one rug after another.

Meet him calmly and clean up the accidents without comment. I know that is exhausting, but yelling at your four-legged friend will not change a thing.

💡 Tip #2: Frequent trips outside

If the accidents are due to a weak bladder, you should schedule more potty breaks with your dog. Make sure he never has to hold it longer than six hours. In advanced age he may need to go out every three hours. He should also be able to wake you at night.

💡 Tip #3: Dog diapers

If accidents still happen often, you can use dog diapers. You can find them at pet stores. Alternatively, cut a hole for the tail in a regular baby diaper and use that for your four-legged friend.

The diaper protects you from puddles in the house and brings a bit of calm to your special situation. You can also use incontinence pads. They work especially well in the dog bed to protect it from a leaking diaper.

My senior dog is having accidents: The takeaway

Many dogs have an occasional mishap in the house as they age. It is not stubbornness, and your senior is not trying to train you. He probably has a medical problem or simply cannot hold it as long anymore.

So do not just shrug off this change. See your veterinarian. If they can put your mind at ease, the quickest way to help both your dog and yourself is with some diapers. You will not have to clean up after your dog as much, and your four-legged friend will notice your renewed calm.

No need to panic, you two will handle this new situation.

Frequently asked questions