Innapropriate toileting after neutering?

Hi,

I have a question reguarding a friends female lurcher who was spayed around a month ago. Before being spayed, she had never had a toileting accident in the house. She lives with an older saluki (but it has been ruled out thats its not the old boy toileting by the size/state of the faeces) and the door is quite often left open when people come and go so the dogs have access to outside most of the day.

After being neutered naturally she had to have more on-lead excercise, and at this time the toileting wasn't an issue. However, the past three weeks or so, she has had several toileting incidents upstairs in the home when the owner has not been there.

The dogs recieve the same amount of excercise they always have had (two-three walks on lead and off lead which are normally for an hour each) and have never been left longer than five hours. (which they are used to) often or not i would pop in before this time, and take them out for a walk to break up the day anyway.

I'm all for neutering, but has anybody experienced any toileting problems indoors with their dogs in the early days? She always seems to go upstairs and both poos and wees in the same area on the landing.

I have tried thinking of every possible scenario in my head, as to why this has arised. As she is a very friendly dog, has never had seperation problems, recieves the same amount of excercise and food has not changed (dogs have a good quality dried food no colourings etc)

Does anybody have any idea? I have recommended to the lady perhaps taking her back to the vets for a checkup in case she has contracted an infection of some sort perhaps causing her to need to urinate more often, or not able to hold it as well?

Any other ideas?

Post spay incontinence is quite common but usually is restricted to urination, this is tackled by propalin or incurin etc.

Not familiar with faecal incontinence though, sorry

Thanks SB! Will begin my research right now!

Agree, never heard of this - would imagine it is more behavioural than to do with the actual op
Possibly just a bad habit she has got into? but as well as a trip to the vets just incase I would block her access to that area and go back to praising when she goes outside
If its always in the same spot and she has access to outside it dosent sound like incontanence - but it is possible it is some kind of insecurity due to the change in hormones? My girl used to poo mark as well as pee mark (never inside tho) when she was super stressed in a new area

Has she tried blocking off the area for a couple of weeks or so so that any habit that may be forming will not be allowed to develop?

It may (and this is just a guess) be that when she first came home she used the area as it was a safe place to go after the trauma of the op and is now using it more as it makes her feel good and is becoming a habit

Hi just want to say a big thanks to everybodies help and advice on here. Touch wood no more accidents this week. The stairs was blocked off whilst she was out, and the back door left open so dogs can go out if needed.

Hopefully this patch has now been sorted!

Excellent news.