My dog has messy poop stuck to his fur. Why is his bottom sore?

Poor Louis! This can happen in some long-haired dogs, when poop becomes matted in the hair and stuck over the rectum. In many cases, the skin underneath becomes irritated and infected, and very sore when touched. I would recommend taking Louis to a vet today if you can - he/she can sedate him to allow the poop and matted hair to be clipped away without hurting him, and can also prescribe antibiotics and anti-inflammatory medication for the skin underneath if needed.

I’m sorry to hear Pompom isn’t feeling well. If she is straining to poop but her stools are soft, it may be that she’s got some colitis (inflammation in her colon). Another concern would be a mass or tumor in her colon. I would recommend that you have your vet examine her. They may recommend a fecal exam, possibly some blood work or X-rays. An abdominal ultrasound (sonogram of the belly) may also help determine what’s going on. Even if you aren’t financially able to approve diagnostics, your vet will probably be able to prescribe some medication to help make her feel better. As far as something soothing for the skin on her bum, I would recommend a wound healing ointment made for dogs, you can likely find at PetCo or another pet store. Another option would be A and D ointment —the brown ointment, NOT the cream as it contains zinc oxide. . DO NOT USE A PRODUCT CONTAINING ZINC OXIDE (often in diaper rash creams). Again, my best recommendation would be to get her in to your vet as soon as you can. Good luck to you and Pompom! She is such a cutie! I hope she’s feeling better soon.

It sounds like your dog has a severe case of colitis, or an inflammation of the colon. Colitis can be caused by many different things. Some of the more common causes include intestinal parasites, dietary indiscretion, food intolerance, irritable bowel disease and viruses. Brownie is probably licking around his anus because of the pain and inflammation associated with diarrhea or he may have an issue with his anal glands. I would recommend taking him in to the vet to be examined. He may need fluids to correct any dehydration that can occur because of fluid loss, a fecal examination performed, have his anal glands checked and antibiotics and/or probiotics to help the diarrhea clear up.

You might have Lola checked out by a vet. She may have painful or impacted anal glands causing her to act this way after having a bowel movement. She should also get checked out for intestinal parasites. I can't say that the eyelid drooping is a sign of any disease. If you can get a picture of it, feel free to post it here or share it with your vet. Sometimes dogs (especially Chihuahuas) will squint their eyes a little during pain, stress, or anxiety.

Hello. There is no need to give the Lactulose at this time. If he is not constipated or having difficulty defecating, the Lactulose could give him a very soft stool that might get stuck even more. In most cases, clipping the hair around the rectum & keeping it short is the best remedy for this. Thanks fpr contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It sounds like Sheila may be suffering some GI distress. If this has been ongoing for a while, it would be best to bring her into your vet for a full exam to rule out issues such as parasites, constipation, GI inflammation, food allergies, or issues such as blocked anal glands, etc. Until you can get to the vet, you can try offering a bland diet of boiled rice and chicken to help settle her stomach, but it is best to bring her into your vet if her symptoms continue.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I suspect that what you describe could be actually liquid feces or if not it could be anal sac fluid which can be expressed excessively in cases of gastrointestinal issues. Soft stools can be observed with conditions such as colitis, gastroenteritis, dietary indiscretion, intestinal parasites, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Blue evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They may choose to check for parasites and to start medications depending on the results. Good luck! Hoping for a speedy recovery!