My mom's dog is about 10 years old. She's a black cocker spaniel and still runs around like a puppy. Problem is, she has been pooping in the house. They got her a big crate to sleep in at night because she was pooping on the floor every night and she pooped in the crate! My dad works nights so he lets her outside at midnight and my mom gets up at 5am and lets her out. She gets let out various times during the day but still does it. Is it because there are cats in the house (like jealousy)? Is it because something could be wrong? Just need some advice for my mom... I don't know all that much about dogs.
I've told her to take her to the vet, I believe she's going to on the first of june. I thought maybe it was problems in relation to her age. I'll have to talk to her about the exercise too.
Ya know, I thought that too. They tend to go where they always have. She goes in the back of the yard, inside it seems like she goes in the living room or the den. We started closing the den door at night then it was the living room. They are getting the floors redone because the smell won't completely come out. Then they started the crate a week ago and last night she pooped in the crate. I would want to keep her outside in the cooler parts of the day and maybe the night, only problem is she's a barker. When she gets irritated because you don't let her in she barks like crazy.
Last night they just gated her downstairs with them (split level house). she still pooped but it seems like a trip to the vet is the only way to help the problem. They aren't mean to the dog because she poops in the house, they just tried to use various ways to see if it would solve the problem.
I think this calls for a trip to the vet. He might run like a puppy, but the dog is at the age, where he could be having incontinence issues. Dogs do not like to poop in their den (cage), this is not common. I think this is an issue of the dog not being able to control his bowels. The vet will be able to put him on a treatment.
A couple of possibilities are:
1. You said "large" crate. The crate should actually be only big enough for the dog to turn around in. If it is too big, the dog still has there sleeping space and a pooping place without feeling that they are pooping where they sleep.
2. The dog needs to feel like the crate is their "den", their little haven from the world - not just a cage you put them in at night. Feed the dog in the crate,with the door open - just put her food dish inside. Give her treats in the crate. Make her think the crate is a happy place so she'll think of it as "home".
3. Change the dog's feeding time. Maybe digestion is ending in the middle of the night.
4. Exercise the dog more. It may be that pooping is happening at night because that's when the dog is relaxed. Just like humans, exercise aides digestion.
5. What is the consistency of the poop? If it is loose, the dog could have a touch of diarrhea and controls it during the day but in a relaxed state, cannot hold it. If it is very hard, it could be that the dog is constipated and needs to be relaxed to poop. Add appropriate fiber to the diet. Pumpkin and sweet potato can help a dog that has less then optimal poop. There are also prescription foods available
6. Take the dog to the vet to rule out medical issues. The vet can also help with appropriate diet.
Good luck!
Oh gosh, I forgot one! Have the dogs anal glands checked by the vet. Spaniels are particularly prone to this. If the anal glands are full, poops can be painful so it's another possibility for why the dog is only pooping once in a relaxed state.
If it is a new behaviour you should have her checked by the vet to make sure nothing is wrong.
The crate is probably too big if she is pooping in it. Should be big enough for her to turn around in and lie down but not big enough she can poop on one end and sleep on the other.
Try a product called Nature' Miracle for the smell. It is an enzymatic cleaner and I have had good results with it.
Good luck!
Maybe, she needs more excerise and playtime. May want to bring it up to the vet if it is something new.
Take care
J.
Dont dogs tend to go where they have gone? My dads 2 dogs were left in the house too long everyday and he would come home to piles of poop in the same places in the living room and bedroom every night. After about a year my sister, who is wonderful with dogs, went to his house and gated the dogs out of the rooms and let them have the back yard, and laundry room with plenty of food and water, shade and fenced yard. It happend to be while dad was in the hospital for a month and by the time he was home, the dogs had learned to go outside in the gravel and we had the carpets all cleaned and nice. Its been about a year now and they still go outside to potty and havent had a carpet accident yet. So get the dog checked out for any physical problems, age has a lot to do with it, and maybe figure out how to retrain them to go where you want them to go.
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I have 2 cats and 2 dogs. You don't say whether the pooping in the house is a new thing. Obviously if she was never properly house-trained, that would explain it. I'm assuming that she was house-trained and just recently started doing this. To set my mind at ease I would take her to the vet for a thorough physical to ensure there is nothing physically wrong with her. For example, my old cat started weeing all over the place and it turned out she had a kidney infection! If the vet says the dog is healthy, maybe your mom should try putting newspapers down and following the "house-training" technique of rewarding when she "goes" in the right place. Good luck!
I agree with Dawn. An animal will only defecate in the sleeping/den space if there is a real serious problem--possibly medical. I would call the vet and if the soonest she can be seen is not till more than a week, ask them to call you if they get a cancellation. Having to wait for a vet appointment...for something like this seems odd. They should try to get her in right away. I would have your mom to ask if they need a stool sample or anything.
Talk to you vet. It may be something a little medicine can fix.
