Dog Incontinence; a senior dog problem

March 31, 2025

As your dog gets older, they may start having trouble holding their bladder and bowels due to a health or mental issue. Or maybe their bodies are just getting worn out and don't work as well as they used to.

 

Is your dog incontinent?

Having a dog can be messy, especially if your dog is incontinent of urine or feces. Sometimes, it's just a lack of training, but many times it is something they can't help. To get a handle on it, you’ll want to find out why. Understanding this issue can help you find ways to help your dog and keep your household in order.

According to this post by PetMD, you need to determine whether your dog is actually incontinent or just inappropriately peeing/pooping. If it’s the second reason, your dog is capable of controlling their elimination. They may need training, a change in schedule, or some other strategy to resolve the issue. If they are truly incontinent, they can’t control when they go because of some physical reason.

Incontinence is more than just having an accident in the house. Your dog may want to go outside, but maybe they don't feel the urges quickly enough, or at all. There are some strategies that can help.

 

What causes dog incontinence?

This post from WebMD was beneficial. It has a list of lots of the common causes and some treatments that might help. The list included bladder infections, nerve or spinal problems, diabetes, or side effects from medicines, for starters.

There are lots of reasons for dog incontinence. Some of the causes can be fixed once you know the reason. The rest of them can be managed. Senior dogs seem to be affected more often than younger dogs because of the problems that come with aging. Dogs of all ages can be incontinent under certain circumstances, however.

Planning ahead can help you gain control of the situation. Your dog will appreciate it.

 

What do you do?

The first thing to keep in mind is that you love your dog. It’s easy to get frustrated and possibly take that out on your dog in one way or another. But that’s that last thing to do because it just won’t help.

When you notice a problem, it would be wise to make an appointment with your vet. They’ll help you sort out what is causing the problem and provide some treatment options if they’re available.

Once you’ve addressed any fixable issues, it’s time to take some control of the mess that dog incontinence can cause in your household. If your dog is incontinent, they can’t help it. Punishment isn’t going to help and will only make things worse. You’ll still have a problem, and they’ll feel sad and scared since they won’t understand why they’re in trouble.

What you can do, however, is find ways to help take back control of the situation. You might consider schedule changes, frequent potty breaks, or other approaches that can allow your dog a little dignity while still maintaining your sanity. 

- Waterproof pads and diapers can help protect the carpet and furniture. 

- Frequent potty breaks can help you get ahead of any urgency. 

- Controlling when your dog eats and drinks, then planning according for potty breaks can manage timing.

It’s not easy to deal with dog incontinence, but it’s worth it.

Dog incontinence happens. It’s not exactly fun, and it can be super messy. If the shoe were on the other foot, my dogs wouldn’t abandon me. They’d be right there to help because they love me. I owe the same to my dogs. Read more about senior dog issues and check out this post about tips for helping your senior dog.

Do you have a dog with incontinence issues? Tell me about it and how you worked with it in the comments below.