My 17-year-old Pomeranian is constipated and hunched. What's wrong?

Dehydration can be a cause of constipation in dogs. Give Honey canned food and add water to it. Lack of exercise can be a problem, so I'd take her for a walk. Too little fiber in the diet is another cause, and you can add a tablespoon of canned pumpkin puree (no pumpkin pie filling) to her food. Other causes include a foreign body, blocked or abscessed anal sacs, or GI tumors. Having her checked out by a vet for a health check is a good idea. Best of luck.

Poor Abbee! It sounds like she could be constipated. Dogs can become constipated from ingesting a foreign body, intestinal parasites, anal sac impaction, neurological problems, too little fiber in the diet, too much fiber in the diet, lack of exercise, or gastrointestinal tumors. Dehydration can also be a cause of constipation. As feces pass through the colon, water is normally reabsorbed via the colon. When a dog is dehydrated, the colon absorbs more water, leading to dry feces and causing constipation. Neurological problems can include injury to the spinal cord or the nerves leading from the spinal cord to the intestines. Exercise helps stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, and not having enough exercise daily can prevent a dog from passing feces normally. I would try adding a tablespoon of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) mixed in with her food to see if that helps her poop. Canned dog food will add moisture to a dog’s diet, and it may help with constipation. Taking her for a walk may stimulate her to pass feces as well. If it does not help after 24-48 hours, or she stops eating, drinking, becomes lethargic, or starts vomiting, then I would have her seen by a vet right away. Do not give her a human enema to try to help her poop. This can cause electrolyte imbalances in your dog, which can be fatal. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Constipation can be a very serious condition, it can be caused by a physical blockage (foreign body like a bone) or a functional peristalsis deficiency of the intestines. In order to treat simple constipation, you should increase the fibers in the food (e.g. canned pumpkin) and can add a little mineral oil to the diet. I strongly advise taking Max to the vet in order to check if there is a serious condition causing the constipation first.

It's not normal that Tinkerbell hasn't pooped in two days, and she could be constipated. Constipation can be caused by anal sac impaction, intestinal parasites, a foreign body, too little fiber in the diet, lack of exercise, or even tumors in the GI tract. I recommend giving her a tablespoon of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) mixed in with her food to see if that helps. If she is still constipated in 24-48 hours, she will need to see a vet as she will likely need a laxative or an enema. Your vet can diagnose the cause of the constipation as well.

I am sorry to hear about Lucky! If he is otherwise acting normally (no vomiting, normal appetite, energy normal, no pain) you can try adding a teaspoon of canned pumpkin to his food twice a day, or giving him some cat hairball remedy (such as laxatone). If this doesn't resolve the isssue within 24 hours or he develops any of the symptoms I mentioned before, he will need to see his veterinarian. You can read more about constipation at https://www.petcoach.co/article/constipation-in-dogs-101-what-you-need-to-know/

I am sorry to hear about your pup! I would look at her rear end and check to be sure she doesn't have a matted area of hair/stool covering her anus and preventing her from pooping, as this can sometimes happen in long haired dogs. In mild cases of constipation, adding a teaspoon of canned pumpkin to their food to provide fiber can sometimes relieve constipation. If, however, she is lethargic, not eating, does not stop straining/cannot relax, or is vomiting then she needs veterinary care today. If she does have a fecal mat covering her anal area she will likely need to see the vet to have the area shaved and cleaned. You can read more about constipation at https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951509

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! You can add about 1 tablespoon of canned pumpkin to his meals which may help with constipation. If that does not help, I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They can at that point check on that and recommend therapy accordingly. This would be especially important since he is having trouble seating which may be seen with discomfort for example. Best of luck!