My 10-year-old Great Dane poops in his sleep. Is it age or hips?

Question

my 10 year old Great Dane is pooping in his cage while asleep almost every night for some time now. He has hip issues so I thought it was related. Poor fellow doesnt even know he does it until too late then he howls until we walk and take care of him. Pet's info: Dog | Great Dane | Male | neutered | 10 years and 3 months old | 160 lbs

Linda G, MS, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. I am so sorry for your worries with Niles. There may be some age-related changes in his spine that are causing him to defecate inappropriately. Things like a narrowing of the spinal column called spinal stenosis is a fairly common age related change we can see especially in the very large breed dogs. Sometimes ant-inflammatory medications ca help, but he needs to be examined by your veterinarian for an accurate assessment. I can say he has not lost any house training ability. He most likely does not realize at all he is doing this. Hopefully, your veterinarian can help with this. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My 10-year-old Great Dane poops in his sleep. Is it age or hips?

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