# My seven year old still has "accidents".....



## Selli-Belle (Jan 28, 2009)

She may have a UTI or possibly she may suffer from spay incontinence. You may want to make a vet trip to discuss it with them.


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## TMac (Apr 12, 2011)

Thanks for the quick reply,

I can't rule those things out, but she has *never* had an accident in her crate. She is very capable of holding it when she needs to. I just don't want to have to crate her so much. She is reliable, 99.99% of the time she goes where she should.


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## mylissyk (Feb 25, 2007)

A lot of dogs that have UTI can hold it over night or while crated. You should have your vet check her. 

Other than that, prevent her from going to the area she's peeing in, in the house. Baby gate the hallway, etc. And I would have it professionally cleaned by a company that does urine removal treatment. If it's carpeted you may have to remove or replace that section.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

I agree that it sounds like she has a UTI and needs to be checked out by your vet.


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## Dexell1827 (Feb 23, 2011)

I'm having the same issue with my seven-year-old male. He's having accidents when contained in a small hallway while I'm away at work. I did take him to the vet, since a UTI was my first suspicion (and he has had one previously), but all his tests and bloodwork came back completely normal.


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## TMac (Apr 12, 2011)

She shows no symptoms at all. She usually pees only once, maybe twice on long walks. It is not cloudy, and it doesn't smell unusual. And it doesn't seem to explain why she would defecate as well.

This isn't a one time thing. If it we're a UTI then I wouldn't be able to "cure" it with a strict routine the way I have before. I just don't want to have to crate her so much. I use it to establish a good routine with her and just prevent the opportunity for accidents. After a few weeks I start giving her some more freedom and she does fine. She will be perfect for a year or so, and then it starts all over. 

We didn't get her until she was 11 months, and I think she spent a lot of time outside, without much indoor freedom. Did she miss out on learning the "taboo" of going inside? She just doesn't seem to respect my floors like her own bed.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

TMac said:


> After a few weeks I start giving her some more freedom and she does fine. She will be perfect for a year or so, and then it starts all over.


I think you need to do whatever it takes to get success for a minimum of six weeks before you start giving her more freedom. When you do, dole it out in very tiny increments to increase the chances of her being successful.

If there's any chance it's become a habit, well, old habits die hard!


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