It is easy to assign “my pet’s showing his age” to soiling by a senior pet. But there are reasons beyond a break-down in the animal’s training. Adam Rudinsky, DVM, MS, DACVIM, reviews the top five reasons for fecal house soiling in senior pets:
- Behavioral disorders
- Colorectal and anorectal diseases
- Osteoarthritis
- Structural disease
- Neurological disease
Source: Veterinary Team Brief, September 2016.
Fecal house soiling in the geriatric pet population can be a clinical challenge. The number of patients seen in practice with this problem is difficult to estimate, but because house soiling can significantly impact the human–animal bond and sometimes lead to euthanasia of the pet, a fast, accurate diagnosis is vital.