My dog isn't pooping and licks her rear. Anal sacs? Can pumpkin help?

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

It is likely that your dog possibly has an anal sac impaction or abscess. The licking will actually make it worse. You shoulld take her to a veterinarian where the anal sacs can get inspected and expressed or flushed if necessary. You can help your dog in the future by feeding a teaspoon to table spoon full of canned pumpkin daily in her food which will faclitate eliminating feces.

I suggest you feed her some canned pumpkin mixed into her food (not pie filling) which should help with making the "new poop" push out the one that is stuck. If that does not help, ie, if she is not pooping at all, she may have a problem that needs to be checked by a veterinarian. This could be an anal sac impaction or infection or abscess, that may need to be opened , flushed and treated with antibiotics. This would be very painful, which could be the reason why she does not let you touch the area. Please take Cream to a veterinarian for an exam.,

You can put a couple tablespoons of canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) into Evie's food to add fiber to her diet and to make things "move along". If this does not help, it could certainly be due to full or impacted anal glands. In this case, your veterinarian will be able to express Evie's anal glands to relieve any discomfort and to assess if there is any infection causing the problem.

Psyllium is ok to give but as both pumpkin and psyllium are high in soluble fibre it may not add much additional benefit. Generally in persistent anal gland cases, a mixture of soluble and insoluble fibres (bran/whole grains) are recommended

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lily. There are two common causes for a dog struggling to defecate. The first is constipation which I suspect you are hoping to remedy by adding the pumpkin to her diet. This can be helpful, but she needs to eat it. With constipation, the dog can become so uncomfortable that she will refuse to eat. The second common is scenario is actually diarrhea. The dog can strain to pass very small amounts of liquid stool. It is easy to miss and most people will assume they are not defecating at all. The treatment options are different for the two causes. Since she is refusing food, she is not feeling well. She will need to see her veterinarian. In the meantime, continue to give her water so that she does not become dehydrated. I hope this information helps!

If you think Kinsley Nicole has an anal gland problem, you may want to add some canned pumpkin to her food over a few weeks. It will make the stool more voluminous and it will press on the anal sacs as it comes our, hopefully emptying them. Should Kinsley still have problems after a while, you should schedule an anal sac expression with your new vet. It would be a great way to introduce yourself and her to the practice.