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My dog has hard poop stuck halfway out. How do I safely remove it?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labradoodle | Male | neutered | 1 year and 1 month old | 63 lbs

My dog has a poop stuck halfway in halfway out. What do we do. I tried wiping it with tp but it’s fairly hard.

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. B. DVM, DACVIM (Oncology)

Veterinarian

Published on January 24th, 2019

You can try moistening the stool with warm water or a lubricant jelly. Sometimes if it is very hard it will need to be digitally removed which can be uncomfortable for the pet and not so fun for you. It would require gloves, lubrication, and trying to gently pull the stool loose while lubricating the sides of the anus. If you do not feel comfortable doing this or your pet acts uncomfortable or painful it will be safer and quicker to see your vet. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

33Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Davis
Veterinarian
Published on March 4th, 2018
You can use a warm damp cloth and wash around the area to stimulate defecation. Use a small amount of Vaseline or K-Y jelly around the anus and gently hold the stool and pull. Hopefully you can remove the hard stool so he can push out more that is probably backed up. Puppies need to be stimulated to pee and poop several times daily to keep them regular. If you are not able to get the stool out, call another veterinary hospital and bring him in. They can give a small soapy water enema with a tiny syringe to help lubricate the area and loosen the stool. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Baze Rivera.
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS
Veterinarian
Published on March 18th, 2018
I am assuming it got stuck in his fur around the anus, the fur will need to be clipped gently, this is not always possible to do without sedation especially when the dog is in great pain, i would recommend taking him to the emergencies in order to have it done by a professional and very possibly under sedation.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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Dog poop stuck to bum: Is it constipation? Should I use Lactulose?

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.

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My cat is yowling with poop hanging from her butt. How can I help?

You can try to ease it out. Use some vaseline and gently massage the outside of the rectum to stimulate her. If this doesn't work, then visit your vet to have some help here; however, unless it is stuck to hair it should come out on its own. You can also try a warm saline only enema to see if that can loosen things up. Best of luck to you and I hope that you get Fluffy comfortable soon! Take care.

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My dog has painful poop stuck to his butt. Should I see a vet?

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.

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My puppy has poop stuck on fur near his butt. How do I clean it?

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My dog's anus is swollen with poop stuck. Is flesh coming off? When to see a vet?

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My dog has dried poop on his bare skin. What's the best way to clean?

Often you can remove the dried feces with a comb or soft brush. Try to get under any fur if there is any and loosen it with the comb or do some circular brushing to loosen it. Also scrubbing the area will a soft brush during a bath and using a lot of warm water usually will take care of it as well. Once Koga is clean if you put a thin film of Vaseline on his fur below and around the anus and on the underneath of the tail it will keep the diarrhea from sticking to his skin or fur. I hope he is recovering after his veterinary treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Koga.

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My cat has something stuck on her butt. Is it dried poop? How to fix?

It is hard to tell for sure whether this is poop or a growth; however, at this age dried poop is more probable. You can try some KY jelly or Vaseline massages on it for a few days to see if it softens up and falls off. You may also need to do a mild soap and water rinse on the area, if tolerated. This is seen a lot with cats. The poop gets stuck to the mucosa as it exits the rectum and then just sits there for a period of time. As long as the skin itself is not red or irritated looking, or excessive licking ensues, then its fine to try to resolve this on your own. I must also mention though, there is a good chance this will repeat itself, so weekly or bi-weekly maintenance may be needed to help remove the feces and prevent further infections to develop on the skin. I hope this helps and best wishes with your pet Smoak moving forward! Take care.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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