Morning all… hoping there’s someone here who knows a bit about dog behaviour…?

I have my puppy Roxie (9.5yo), chihuahua x maltese. She has been toilet trained and doing really well with that for so many years now. We live in a place (just her and I) that has no personal garden – out front door is on the common driveway and our backdoor opens to a public footpath – so I can’t put her outside to go for a run on her own. When she needs to go for a wee/poo, she goes and sits on the top step of the stairs that lead down to the back door. She has been really good at ‘holding on’, like one time when I was stuck away from home for about 24 hours, I got home and she hadn’t done wee/poo in the house and had been holding on that whole time.

At this point, I should say that she has not been desexed, and at the moment I’m going around the house cleaning drops of blood. Normally that just goes for about 2 weeks, so another week and things will be back to normal in that sense. Additionally I should add, about 2 weeks ago, when Jacobie came over for the weekend, he brought his pet rabbit with him – Roxie was okay, but at one point she peed on the carpet just near where the rabbit was, I’m assuming she was trying to make the point that the house is her territory and she doesn’t like other animals in there.

The problem I’m having now is that she is doing wee/poo inside the house. She did last weekend when Jacobie was over and his friends from across the road came inside the house. Nothing at all during the week, but she did it again on Saturday night after Jacobie went to bed, then again last night after Jacobie had gone back to his mum’s and it was just Roxie and I at home. Then again this morning where she did 3 wees in separate places, and 2 poos – a big smelly mess to clean up that left me late for work (5am starts) and now a house that smells of dog urine & poo, vinegar, and no-vac spray.

I’m hoping Roxie will have things go back to normal once she is no longer dripping and past that stage in a few days from now. And considering Jacobie won’t be coming over this weekend (so no neighbours’ kids running through the house). Would anyone know if a dog being in her twice-yearly-cycle is a cause of her abandoning her years of good toilet training behaviour, and if it’s likely to finally stop once she is past this in a few days from now?

If Roxie was human, she’d be a senior citizen.

Seniors tend to lose bladder control, but in dogs, there’s a variety of reasons. There are two main culprits: neurological changes and tumours. In female entire dogs (ie, not desexed), uterine cancers are very common. They can be slow growing and impact on the bladder.

Neurological disorders involve the dog’s nerves; she may not realise she needs to go until it’s too late. Certain breeds are more likely to develop these sorts of disorders. Chat to your vet.

Aside from physical changes, there’s been a lot going on recently. Perhaps her sudden incontinence is an attention-seeking behaviour. You can wait-and-see, but I’d chat to the vet anyway.

Ok thanks, I’ll check it out.

She did have mammary adenocarcinoma but that was sorted out and was declared clear just over a year ago.

Oh right, I remember that. It could have reappeared 😞

To the vet.

Rabbits are known to wee/poo anywhere anytime they please.
Perhaps your pup wonders why she’s busting a bladder trying
to hold it in, when she could just follow the beloved bunny’s cue.

Ogmog said:

Rabbits are known to wee/poo anywhere anytime they please.
Perhaps your pup wonders why she’s busting a bladder trying
to hold it in, when she could just follow the beloved bunny’s cue.

I hope it’s something as simple as that. Reusable dog nappies are pretty cheap, and I could just re-train her to go outside again.

If you are away from home all day and she can no longer hold herself, try a puppy mat instead. Although dog nappies are better for when she’s on heat.

buffy said:

To the vet.

+1
Seriously, get to the vet.

JTQ said:

Ogmog said:

Rabbits are known to wee/poo anywhere anytime they please.
Perhaps your pup wonders why she’s busting a bladder trying
to hold it in, when she could just follow the beloved bunny’s cue.

I hope it’s something as simple as that. Reusable dog nappies are pretty cheap, and I could just re-train her to go outside again.

just sayin’
Viewing it from a dog’s PoV (likened to a 6 yo child mentality)
if she sees bunny boy weeing at will without consequence
it stands to reason that she’d come to see it as acceptable.

If that’s the problem,
encouragement, praise and reward might turn things around.

Ogmog said:

JTQ said:

Ogmog said:

Rabbits are known to wee/poo anywhere anytime they please.
Perhaps your pup wonders why she’s busting a bladder trying
to hold it in, when she could just follow the beloved bunny’s cue.

I hope it’s something as simple as that. Reusable dog nappies are pretty cheap, and I could just re-train her to go outside again.

just sayin’
Viewing it from a dog’s PoV (likened to a 6 yo child mentality)
if she sees bunny boy weeing at will without consequence
it stands to reason that she’d come to see it as acceptable.

If that’s the problem,
encouragement, praise and reward might turn things around.

Another thought…

She may also be RE-MARKING Her Territory by Peeing & Pooing
over EVERY Spot the Rabbit “MARKED” with it’s potty adventures

Dunno about the rabbit’s normal dry droppings… but any urine spots
might be detected with an Ultraviolet Light from a Party Store etc.
An Inexpensive Hand Held BlackLight

Pet Detective from Google

Yes, I hope it’s that simple, Hopefully it’s not a Medical Problem,

Good Luck

He’s just posted on fb that Roxie has a UTI and double ear infection.

Cheers all. Just got back home after day 2 at the vet (went back to get the results of a urinalysis and double-ear swab.

She has a UTI, a yeast infection in one ear and bacterial & yeast infection in the other ear.

Tablets, ear drops and oral antibiotics treating her now, and will take her back for a checkup in a week.

Now just having trouble trying to get her to have her tablet. Can’t put it in cheese because she seems to know it’s in there and won’t eat it. Forcing it into her mouth, she spits it out.

Divine Angel said:

He’s just posted on fb that Roxie has a UTI and double ear infection.

Yeh I did :) Thanks DA

JTQ said:

Divine Angel said:

He’s just posted on fb that Roxie has a UTI and double ear infection.

Yeh I did :) Thanks DA

Heh, just in case you didn’t make it here with the news lol. I’m glad she’s ok, or will be with antibiotics.

JTQ said:

Cheers all. Just got back home after day 2 at the vet (went back to get the results of a urinalysis and double-ear swab.

She has a UTI, a yeast infection in one ear and bacterial & yeast infection in the other ear.

Tablets, ear drops and oral antibiotics treating her now, and will take her back for a checkup in a week.

Now just having trouble trying to get her to have her tablet. Can’t put it in cheese because she seems to know it’s in there and won’t eat it. Forcing it into her mouth, she spits it out.

Wow! Unlucky timing with it being attributable to other causes. Glad you went to the vet.

With the tablet, you need to put it right at the back of her throat; past the point of no return.

Speedy said:

JTQ said:

Cheers all. Just got back home after day 2 at the vet (went back to get the results of a urinalysis and double-ear swab.

She has a UTI, a yeast infection in one ear and bacterial & yeast infection in the other ear.

Tablets, ear drops and oral antibiotics treating her now, and will take her back for a checkup in a week.

Now just having trouble trying to get her to have her tablet. Can’t put it in cheese because she seems to know it’s in there and won’t eat it. Forcing it into her mouth, she spits it out.

Wow! Unlucky timing with it being attributable to other causes. Glad you went to the vet.

With the tablet, you need to put it right at the back of her throat; past the point of no return.

Crush it and stick it in ice cream.

Speedy said:

With the tablet, you need to put it right at the back of her throat; past the point of no return.

Yeh I’ll try that again. She’s giving me that sad look now after I tried that. I hate to think she’s thinking I’m angry at her

Arts said:

Crush it and stick it in ice cream.

Ugh … the most obvious things elude me at times! The vet suggested peanut butter too, which she likes.

We use a butter blob around the tablets for the dogs. But you can’t just give it to them. You need to give them one, two, three bits of butter and slip the “contaminated” bit in amongst them along the way. Has worked for all our dogs over 30 years. Especially the ones that looove the butter and gobble. Get them gobbling first and the tablety bit will just go down.

JTQ said:

Speedy said:

With the tablet, you need to put it right at the back of her throat; past the point of no return.

Yeh I’ll try that again. She’s giving me that sad look now after I tried that. I hate to think she’s thinking I’m angry at her

:( My dog never has too much of a problem with it, but I always ensure I give her a treat afterward. Always.

Now when knows I have meds to give her, she obediently sits at my feet, waiting. The treats make it worthwhile for her.