My Shih Tzu is constipated, stool stuck, and she's losing energy. What to do?

Poor Bella! If she can't poop it out, and is in pain and trembling, you need to take her into a vet immediately. She sounds sick, and I don't want her left in pain. Please take her into a vet now. I hope you stay safe and healthy too!

Samson is so cute!! Canned pumpkin can help. You can add a very small amount to each meal. Feed canned food with the dry to add water. Try getting a doggy water fountain to encourage wafer drinking. Add ice cubes for him to play with. If you feel he is painful, and can't pass stool at all, I would get him in to be checked out. You can speak to your veterinarian after the examination to see if an enema or laxatives are needed to help. Good luck.

Give Lilo some canned food and add water to it. You can also add a teaspoon of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) to her food. I'd take her for a long walk, as exercise can stimulate the need to poop. If this doesn't help, then she will have to see a vet to get a laxative or enema. Please do not give her either of these at home, it's not safe. I hope this helps!

Poor Chakita! She may have blocked anal glands and that's causing the strange walking and trouble defecating. I would recommend a vet visit for sure, but you can look under her tail and see if any area there in the region of the anal glands looks raw, red, swollen or painful. These glands can get blocked and then abscess and this is a very painful condition, and usually by the time it gets to this point the dog really needs to be on pain medication and antibiotics, and you won't be able to do much for her at home. You can always try to soak her rear end in a warm water-epsom salt bath several times daily to help alleviate anal gland swelling if this is the issue, but it'd be best for her to see a veterinarian to make sure there isn't something more serious going on like a rectal tumor or blockage.

Your dog probably feels like she needs to poop but there is nothing left in her colon if your veterinarian did a complete enema. At this point I would try offering her a small now easily digestible food like some plain boiled chicken and rice, and see if she eats. She may need additional pain meds for a few days to get through the discomfort being impacted. I would also recommend you put her on a prescription diet that is specifically made for dogs with G.I. issues because it will help her stay regular. You may also want to ask your vet about a medication called lactulose. This medication can be given daily and can help keeps two songs and make them easier to pass. Make sure Coco has plenty of water as well. If she becomes dehydrated it will make it more difficult for her to poop. If she is still straining to poop, starts vomiting, stops wanting to eat, or has diarrhea, then I would recommend taking her back to your vet for a recheck. Otherwise just trying to keep her comfortable, exercising regularly, and drinking plenty of water and hopefully her stools will return to normal. Please let us know if you have any additional questions or concerns. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like Little Bear may be constipated. If he is eating and keeping most of it down, he should have at least 1 bowel movement per day. I recommend that he go to the vet to asses his constipation and receive appropriate treatment. Ongoing nausea is also common while healing from pancreatitis, so this is something else you may want to discuss with your vet. Often mild antinausea medications or antacids are all that is needed to give comfort for mild nausea.

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