My dog is constipated, straining, and pushing her rear. Anal glands?

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!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She may be constipated. You can start by trying to use something to try to relieve her if she has constipation. You could start giving her 2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin with her meals which may help with cases of mild constipation. If that does not improve this, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment though it is likely that this will resolve. Good luck and have a great day!

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!

Poor Alexia! This constipation could be due to impacted anal sacs, not enough exercise, GI tumors, a foreign body, intestinal worms, not enough fiber in the diet, or a neurological disorder among other causes. I would try taking her for a short walk to see if that helps her poop, and mixing in a tablespoon of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) in with her food to see if that helps her poop. Because this has been going on for a few days, should these methods not work, I would take her into the vet tomorrow. She may need a laxative or an enema to help her pass feces, and the vet can diagnose what is causing the constipation in order to treat her appropriately.

Sometimes adding some canned pumpkin to your dogs diet may help with anal gland issues. The added fiber can help to bulk up the stool and allow for the anal glands to be released when the dog defecates. If Jeter seems uncomfortable (licking around his rectum or scooting) then it would be a good idea to have a veterinarian check his anal glands and express them. The veterinarian can also ensure that Jeter does not have an impacted or infected anal gland.

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She may be experiencing pain or discomfort while defecating and this can occur for a variety of reasons. Swelling around the anal region could be an indication of an impacted or infected anal gland. The constipation you describe could be due to lack of fiber in the diet, eating something out of the ordinary, or perhaps an infectious cause such as an intestinal worm infection. If Mila has not seen her veterinarian for this yet, I would recommend this happen soon. Her veterinarian may recommend an exam, anal gland expression, and fecal test to help determine a cause so she can be treated appropriately. I hope this helps!

Pumpkin is a good thing to try but it only helps mild cases of constipation. It sounds like it is time to take Panda to the vet as she will need meds to help her go to the toilet. The vet can also examine her to see if thete is an underlying issue contributing to the constipation.