My dog is constipated and struggling to poop. What can I give?

Oh poor Rex! Unfortunately, it sounds like the bone may be stuck. The best thing you can do for him is to take him into your vet right away. Your vet can use x-rays to determine if the bone is stuck, and he may need surgery to have it removed. The bone could also be causing constipation, and he may need an enema to help him poop. Your vet is the best person to determine this, and administer the enema if needed. Because he is having troubling pooping, he does need to see a vet immediately, so please take him in now.

It looks like there may be some rectal swelling/possible prolapsing if your puppy is straining hard to go to the bathroom and can't. If he is unable to pass stool at all and the swelling is still there or growing in size, it would be best to seek veterinary care in person ASAP. If he is able to pass some stool and is a little constipated, some pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) or plain yogurt can help, but if he is straining to the point of causing rectal swelling/protrusion or is retching like there is something stuck preventing him from going potty, veterinary care is needed.

Administering enemas are best left to your veterinarian. You can add Miralax to his food. Miralax is a very gentle, easy to give treatment for constipation, available over the counter at any pharmacy. The dose of Miralax is 1 tsp per 50 lbs mixed in with food once a day. You can also add a tablespoon of vegetable or olive oil to his food once daily, or add a couple of teaspoons of canned pumpkin (not pie filling) to his food daily. If he is severely constipated right now, I recommend you get him in to see your vet to be debulked.

I would definitely not add salt as this can cause him to have salt poisoning and subsequent neurological problems. I would suggest adding 1-2 tsp of canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) to his food daily which will add fiber and hopefully allow him to go #2 a bit easier. If he is still having issues then I would have his prostate examined to check if it is enlarged and possible the underlying problem as to why he can't go easily. An enlarged prostate will push up on the colon, making the hole narrower so that poop can't easily pass through. The cure for this is to have him on a laxative through your vet and ultimately getting him neutered can resolve this issue for good. I hope everything works out for your pet Kitty. Take care.

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!

Rex needs more fiber in his diet to bulk up the stool and make it softer. I would give a tablespoon of plain canned pumpkin with each meal. It will add both fiber and fluid. I recommend adding additional water in the food also as dogs that are dehydrated will also have hard stool. Make sure he’s not eating dirt and feed a good quality dog food two to three times daily. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Rex.

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.