Older Dog Started Urinating on Floor

Question
Hi:

I have an 11 year old female lab mix.  Within the last 2 months she's started urinating on the floor inside the house.  This isn't simply leakage, she squat's voids completely.  She's never done this before, and it occurs even if she's been outside recently.

I've taken her to the vet, and have had here urine examined as well as a blood test.  The vet indicated that there appeared to be nothing physically wrong, and prescribed anti-depressants.  These have not worked.

I'm going to take her back, but I'd like a second opinion before I do that.

Can you offer any advice?


Answer
I assume the vet checked to make sure she did not have a urinary tract infection or stones, correct? Is the dog going in the same place in the house, or does she squat and pee just wherever she happens to be at the moment? It could simply be the beginnings of incontinence due to her age. How often is this happening? Has anything (ANYTHING) changed in your routine? How long have you had her?

The first thing I would do, once all health problems have been ruled out, would be to go back to square one and treat her as if she were an un-housebroken puppy. If the problem persists, then it could be, as I said earlier, age related. Eleven year old dogs do not just suddenly become un-housebroken.

What do you do when you catch her peeing in the house? How does she react? How often are you letting her out to potty? How do you know for a fact that she has, actually, gone potty, before you let her back in?