Older German Shepherd Doesn't Seem to Know When He's Pooping

When an older dog passes stool without noticing, the cause is often weakness in the nerves that control the bowel. In German Shepherds, a common cause is a narrowing of the spine in the lower back where the nerves exit (lumbosacral stenosis). Degenerative myelopathy, a slowly progressive spinal cord disease, can also cause incontinence, usually in its later stages, after back-leg weakness. Other possibilities include colitis, anal gland disease and canine cognitive dysfunction (doggy dementia).

Ask your vet to examine his back legs, tail and reflexes, and check a stool sample. Feeding at set times and walking him soon after meals can make accidents more predictable.

See senior dog fecal incontinence.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.