My puppy is constipated, retching, and straining. Is it serious?

It looks like he might have a little rectal prolapse. If your vet isn’t available, you can try to treat this at home as follows: This will sound weird, but bear with me. ;) Get some table sugar, dissolve it in a little water (say maybe 3 tablespoons of sugar and just enough water to dissolve it. Soak the corner of a washcloth, paper towel, or a piece of gauze with the sugar water and then apply it directly to his bottom. Let it be in contact for 10-15 minutes. (Be PATIENT here.). The osmotic pull of the sugar will reduce the swelling in the prolapsed tissue and it may got back in on its own. If it does not, using a gloved hand, use some KY jelly and VERY GENTLY try to push it back in. Be aware that it may pop back out. If it’s a recurrent problem, he may need to see a vet to have a temporary “purse string” suture placed. Make sure he’s been dewormed. Add a little fiber to his diet, about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of canned pumpkin daily may help “regulate” him, and a dog probiotic would also be a good idea. I hope that’s helpful! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Poor pup! If nothing at all is coming out except some mucus, it would really be best to have him seen by a vet tonight if possible - severe constipation like this is very uncomfortable, and he may need an enema along with prescription medication to treat it effectively. If this isn't an option for you, you could try giving him a spoonful of plain canned pumpkin if you have some available - this helps to increase fiber and moisture in the stool, which can make it softer. I would also encourage the puppy to drink fluids, either water or low-sodium beef or chicken broth, which can also help to soften the stool a bit. He should still be seen by a veterinarian as soon as you are able to take him, especially if he is still not able to poop by morning.

Hello. It is very uncommon for puppies to have constipation, so I would be worried that maybe a piece of stick or mulch or bone (most common culprits) may be stuck in the colon or rectum. You can always look and if something is stuck try to gently manoeuvre it out, however be very careful not to cause a cut, as a cut in the bum is hard to heal due to the bacteria in the poop. If you are seeing something stuck it may be best to have it removed by a vet. If it is constipation, I would be switching the food that you are feeding to a better quality food. Canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling, just plain canned pumpkin) is very good as well at increasing the fibre and helping with constipation. Also, if you are feeding any bones then stop this, and it could be that Boo has a colon full of re-formed bone bits and this will require a veterinarian to remove bit by bit, likely under anaesthesia. (yet another reason to never feed bones to dogs). I would overall recommend that Boo be seen by a vet as there could be many different things causing his issues. Good luck with Boo.

This small red bulge is likely his rectum, and he is clearly pushing very hard if that is appearing. He will be in discomfort if he's straining that hard to poop, and I would have Koda seen by a vet today. It's not normal to have his rectum bulge out when he's trying to pass feces, and he may need medications to stop this.

Poor Princess! It sounds like she may be constipated - but if she's so severely constipated that she's crying and vomiting, this is a serious problem that needs immediate veterinary care, not something that can be treated at home. I would recommend taking her to the vet right away for an exam. He/she can palpate her abdomen and take x-rays if needed to help determine why she can't poop, and get her started on appropriate treatment. For severe constipation, this may mean giving her a manual enema under sedation to remove the impacted feces.

You could try giving him some canned pumpkin or medical grade liquid parafin as laxatives but if the straining does not resolve after a further 12hours he should be seen by a vet to rule out a complete obstruction - xrays may be required and in some cases enemas or even surgery is required, especially if fragments of bone become lodged

Not sure if the red eyes may be related to the constipation and vomiting, but these signs could be compatible with an inflammation infection of the gastrointestinal system and surrounding organs (like pancreas and liver). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.