Dogs change of toilet time.

[Jjohnd]

Our ten year old Lab has changed her toilet time to various times during the dark hours - usually 2am ish. She used to go before or after breakfast. The only thing that we are doing different is adding more veg to her second meal of the day - 4.30 in the afternoon. She then gets an evening walk at about 7pm and has a poo on that walk, though she is not producing the amount that she used to. Her morning walks are normal with regards to poo amounts.
Any ideas please?
Festive greetings to you all.

 

[JudyN]

Festive greetings to you all.

And to you

You could try reducing the amount of veg again, and giving it to her in the morning instead. Has she slowed down on walks? Exercise helps move stuff through the digestive tract, so reduced exercise could affect timings. You could try giving her some sweetcorn with her evening meal and see when it reappears - when you know which poo relates to which meal, you might be able to adjust mealtimes so it reappears at a more acceptable time.

Also, this could be related to her being generally more unsettled at night. This is common as dogs age and could be an early sign of canine cognitive dysfunction (dog dementia). If her eyesight is beginning to go she may seem fine during the day but benefit from having a light on at night.

 

[Jjohnd]

Thanks for your reply Judy. i hope things are better with you.
We have taken your advice and changed Brookes diet as you recommended.
I expect that we will have to wait a couple of days or more to see the change.