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Why is my senior dog peeing inside, limping, and won't come in?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | American Eskimo Dog | Male | neutered | 11 years old

Hello .. I have a 11 year old American Eskimo and just within the last 4 days he has begun to pee in the house again. Also once we get him outside he will not come back in unless we put him on a leash and make him come inside. He also shows signs of his back left leg hurting but when we check it out, touch it and put pressure on it, he doesn't show any signs of it hurting at all. We are at a loss can you suggest anything?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 6th, 2016

Poor Buccs! It sounds like he has a couple of things going on. Urinating within the house can be a sign of a medical problem, such as bladder stones or a UTI. He is also an older dog, and his back leg could be hurting him due to arthritis, which is common in old dogs. As for not wanting to come back in, he could be suffering some confusion at his age, or there could have been something that frightened him, and he doesn't want to come back in due to that. All of this requires a trip to the vet. The vet can do routine blood tests, a urinalysis, and possibly x-rays to see if he does have a UTI or bladder stones, and can treat accordingly. If he does have arthritis, the vet can prescribe him some pain medication, and I would recommend giving him glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate supplements. They provide the necessary nutrients for cartilage repair and function. Use of them helps relieve some of the symptoms of arthritis. The vet can also discuss strategies to help bring him back inside without a leash. I would take him into a vet today for a visit.

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