DaKota's not so well?

[Yvette]

She is ten now & I am noticing a few things that I am not sure about. I was wondering if anyone else has these problems going on with their seniors? First is her nose. It is very dried & cracked. Almost to the point of bleeding. BF says cancer. It's been like that for awhile now. I've been putting Triple Antibiotic Ointment on it. The other problem she has is pooping. Before our Ice Storm she has been going in the house. Just pooping & no pee. She did stay at my work for a week. My boss said she was very tidy & clean. No problems at all. She was doing pretty good for a few days here & then has started pooping again. Last night was very upsetting.
She pooped before I let her out. Just before. I kept her out for a while longer, then at 5:30 this morning I woke up to find she had messed again. Is this normal? Should I start crating her again?

[BowWowMeow]

Sorry to hear about DaKota. I think a trip to the vet is in order. The nose thing is an immune system signal that something's amiss. And the pooping is a further signal. I don't think crating her is going to help--I doubt that it's a behavioral issue. And actually it would be terrible if she pooped in the crate and had to sit in it. Can you gate her in the kitchen until you figure out what's going on?

The pooping could be because of a neurological issue (she may not even realize that she's pooping) or an intestinal issue or it could be a tumor but you can't know until you take her to the vet and get a total work-up.

Please keep us posted!

[BlackGSD]

I wouldn't crate her. If she has been good about not messing in thehouse for all these years, chances are she can't help it. And if that is the case and you crate her, you will have a poopy crate AND a poopy dog!
If she is pooping on carpet, it is possible to just lock her in a room that hasn't got carpet so it is easier to clean up?

[TRex]

Could pooping in the house be her way of trying to tell you something is wrong - "please take me to the doctor"? I had a cat once that would do that. She was very good about the litter box but the few times she was sick she would poo on the carpet in front of the TV. I knew something was wrong then and would take her to the vet.

[middleofnowhere]

Frankly, with my 13+ yo I am at the point where so long as the BM is well-formed and no one has snacked on it, I am happy. In the house, out of the house... that's fine. Just no diahreah and no snacks, please.

See your vet for sure. My guess would be that it is a spinal issue - she can't help it much. Deramaxx, accupuncture, chiropractic & Bigeloil all help. Confirm with your vet. It's a health issue not a behavior issue.

[LisaT]

Definitely a vet visit, with a full panel, thyroid, etc. Also evaluate the diet and the supplements, it might be time for a change.

[Yvette]

I am getting paid on the 3rd, so that might be where my check will be going. For now, I will keep her in the kitchen at night too. I will definitely keep you all updated. It's just weird that it is happening.
I do not want to believe my BF. Everytime things go wrong, he always says it is cancer. Most times it is not. She doesn't really take any suppliments with her food. I have changed it while she was at the kennel. She was on just plain old Pro Plan. She started chewing herself really bad, so I changed it to the newer Pro Plan
Shredded Lamb & rice. That is why I asked my boss how she did at the kennel. I thought it would go right through her.

Quote:Also evaluate the diet and the supplements, it might be time for a change.

She will only eat Pro Plan. I have tried all types of different foods on & off through the years & most of them have Flaxseed. She does not handle Flaxseed well at all.

[LisaT]

There must be some better foods out there that do not have flaxseed in them.

I would also get some more nutrients in her, either via supplements or real food.

[Yvette]

I have tried other foods w/o Flaxseed. She will not touch it.
We have tried many & she would either not touch it or got reactions from the foods. She usually does very well on Proplan. She likes it & never had problems on it before. I have been feeding this to her since I rescued her 9 1/2 yrs. ago. Trust me, I know she would starve than not to have her Pro Plan. I have talked to my Vet about her foods too. They said if she does well on Pro Plan then do not switch. Unless they tell me to, then I won't mess around with it too much.
What type of suppliments are out there? Please let me know so I can research prices? I am on a fixed income.

[middleofnowhere]

If your dog likes ProPlan and eats it and does well on it, don't change the food. If she were having loose stools, that would indicate a problem with the food. Just BMs where ever is probably health or age related.

I'm trying to resolve the nose issue here too. I think she has an external vulvular infection and her increased attention has given her nose that infection. Has she been licking herself more than usual?

For supplements I use glucosomine/chondriton with hyrolic(?) acid - instead of buying it from the vet, I get whatever brand is on sale at the grocery. I also use a chiropractor/accupuncturist for my dog's skeletal issues +. It really helps if her problem is neurological or skeletal related.

Crating her will not take care of the problem. She will just defecate in her crate. It's an involuntary thing. My vet's office sells a deoderizer spray with an enzyme in it that really does wonders to clear the air if you are having company or if it is particularly bad. (Even if it isn't but the spray is expensive.)