My older dog had a house accident. Is it incontinence or anal glands?

Question

My husky cross has been scooting his bum the last months. I had the vet clear his anal glands and she said he was all good. Last night he had an accident in the house which never happens. What could cause this and should I bring him in? Monitor him? Could it be a fluke and he was just ill? He has always been so good about not going in the house and you could tell he was distressed. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 11 years and 7 months old | 53 lbs

Linda G, MS, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. It is impossible to be absolutely certain, but it is possible that cleaning the anal glands left Maverick a little irritated, so the BM in the house may have just been accidental. He is also an older boy, so you many be seeing the first signs of fecal incontinence, often caused by spinal degeneration. If it happens again, I would recommend radiographing his back to see if there is any evidence of changes in the spinal column ( vertebra ). Sometimes steroids or anti-inflammatory medications can reduce inflammation for quite a while, but if this is what is going on, it could be progressive. A good neuro exam would be warranted, too. Hopefully, this was just a one time accident, but if it continues, it does indicated a check-up is due. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

My older dog had a house accident. Is it incontinence or anal glands?

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