My dog is straining to poop but nothing comes out, after soft stool?

Sometimes irritation in the colon or problems passing her full amount of stool (like a constipation). If she has not been checked for parasites in the last month, I recommend to have this done. You can try changing her food as well to something like Royal Canin which tends to be low residue and very easy on the colon. If this looks more like constipation, canned pumpkin may help. Lastly, a visit to the veterinarian would be helpful as well to check for constipation or painful anal glands. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

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!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Molly. A lot of times a dog is actually having diarrhea when they are straining to defecate. It will appear as if nothing is coming when there are actually small liquid drops being produced. If her good attitude continues and she does not have any further problems defecating, she is likely fine. If she struggles to defecate again or acts like her back is bothering her, she will need to be seen. I hope this information helps!

Good Evening....thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! When dogs are frequently straining to poop, this can indicate irritation within the large bowel of the intestines - this is called tenesmus (or straining). Diarrhea may be coming, so be on the lookout! If signs persist more than 12-24 hours, you may want to consider a veterinary exam. I hope this helps, good luck!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Diarrhea resolving can take a few days, so it is normal that it isn't as solid as normal. The straining however isn't normal. I would recommend checking to make sure around her anus looks ok (no bleeding or wounds), and if you can feel under her anus at the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions, does it feel like hard marbles are under the skin. If this is the case she could have full anal glands which can be making her uncomfortable in her back end. This would require a vet visit to empty them before they burst. Otherwise, as long as she is eating/playing, I would just monitor her to see if the behaviour continues. If she is still straining tomorrow I would take Riley to the vet to make sure she isn't constipated, but it might just be a one-off episode. If her next poop is normal without straining then I wouldn't worry about it. Best of luck with Riley!

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.

Typically after dogs have diarrhea they will not defecate for a few days. If he is straining to go or he still has diarrhea I would recommend a veterinarian. It is never a bad idea to take Moko in to have the veterinarian perform a rectal and make sure there is no cause for concern but it is fine to wait another day. Your veterinarian can check his stool sample for intestinal parasites, dispense a prescription bland diet and even medication to help with his diarrhea. I hope Moko feels better and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.