Over the past month or so my 13 year old senior girl has started involuntarily pooping while she is asleep, I do not even think she is aware of it when it happens. At first it was once in a while, but now it is every night. I know this is very common with seniors and probably due to her weakening rear and no longer having control, but I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions of supplements or something that may help keep things in? She is presently on rimadyl and tromadol as needed, fish oil and dasuquin too. Thanks!

Stilbestrol (sp?) really helped our senior girl who was peeing in her sleep. Not sure if it would help with your situation but it might be worth checking out. good luck with your girl!

When my elderly lab became fecally incontinent, I remembered the old show-dog trick of sticking a cardboard match (you know where). This is really magical as the action begins within a minute. I did this every night before bed time so that we wouldn't have messy accidents at night time. I am home during the day so she was out for lots of potty breaks.

I mentioned this to my vet, as I'm sure that if more people knew about this little trick, the oldies could stick around with them a little longer.

I thought that trick was to get them TO poop....or is that what you suggesting to do before bed? TIA.

My poor old boy was doing the same thing. It was happening every night and sometimes even during the daytime.

One day, I ran out of salmon oil. Each of the dogs was getting 3 squirts of oil in their food in the morning. A week went by with no poops!!!!!! I think the oil had to be his problem. Now I will find a poop maybe once a week at most. Whew!!!!

Hmmmm, you may be on to something Joan, as it just occured to me I had doubled her fish oil dosage on advice from my vet right before this started happening. I will try cutting it out and see if there is a difference. The match trick may be worth trying too, as I am not sure if she is always going on her last out. She sleeps in my bedroom with me, and I will gladly clean up after her for the rest of her life if need be, but the odor is waking me up at night. And keeping her out of my room is not something I would do either. Thanks!

Tks for confirming!

Update: Did not give any fish oil yesterday, this morning was the first morning in one week of not waking up to poop! Coincidence? Will see what happens tomorrow!

I mentioned the fish oil thing on another list and people thought that either the fish oil was rancid or that people were giving too much...... FWIW

You made me look. I went outside and searched the recycling for the salmon oil container. It was still there. The "best if used by" date was 3/2013. So then I put water in the container & measured out 3 squirts. It came to about half of what is recommended on the label. So the rancid and the too much theory is out.

Old dogs are OLD. Things don't work as well, including digestion, and with lower muscle tone and looser sphincter, any extra oil can just lube them up too much. The match trick applied to the thermometer as well. With our last oldie, at age 15 yrs, I had to take her temperature outside or with paper in the freefall zone. Hugs to Bogie, Joan!

Question: does changing which meal (AM or PM) in which you give the oil change the outcome? If the dog needs the fish oil for kidney or joint function, play with the timing. Also consider adding digestive enzymes--at first just a pinch--to help the old guy out. Do NOT go to full dose the first couple weeks. Digestive enzymes with probiotics are helping our current old girl.