Sometimes Your Dogs May Have Difficulty Pooping - Here Are Reasons Why It Happens

Regular bowel movements are an indication of good health in most dogs. If your dog is having trouble using the bathroom, here’s what you need to know.

Symptoms

If your dog is having trouble using the bathroom, you may notice symptoms such as:

• No bowel movements for more than two days
• Dry or hard stools
• Small stools
• Liquidy stools
• Bloody stools
• Crying, whimpering, or signs of distress while passing bowels
• Abdominal swelling
• Straining to use the bathroom

Reasons

What are the reasons your dog may be struggling to go to the toilet?

The first and most common reason is constipation, which can be caused by:

• Excess stress
• Too little exercise
• Too little fiber or too much fiber
• Side effects of medication
• Dehydration

The second reason, which is less common, is blockage. This can involve:

• Swollen anal glands
• Matted hair around the anal area
• Excessive grooming, leading to too much hair in stools
• Swollen prostate
• Foreign object ingestion
• Tumors

If your dog is not experiencing either of those reasons, then more severe issues could be at play, such as:

• Spinal damage
• Pelvic injury
• Orthopedic issues

If you think your dog is experiencing physical trauma or an intestinal blockage, see a vet immediately.

Treatments

For mild constipation, you can provide remedies such as:

• Increasing water provision
• Altering your dog’s intake of fiber
• Increasing exercise or changing its quality

For more serious causes of bowel movement difficulty, a vet may perform treatments such as:

• Medication
• Enemas
• Stool softeners
• Removal of blockages
• Injury repair
• Surgery

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