Chihuahua straining to poop, bloody anus. Is it just constipation?

Poor Roscoe! It's not normal to bleed from the anus after bowel movements, and the thing you see sticking out of his anus could be a tumor, impacted and infected anal sac, or his rectum could be prolapsed. Roscoe could see a vet right away for this, and I would bring him into a vet ASAP to be examined so this can be treated.

Good that the full workup last week was normal. Isabella may be straining to pass hard stool, and I'd recommend adding a bit of fiber like pumpkin to her diet, or ask your vet for a stool softener. She may be straining so hard that she is causing bleeding in her little anus area, or her anal glands could have some bloody discharge. If she is eating and drinking and not acting painful this is a good sign that nothing major is going on. I like Royal Canin Fiber diet for these issues as a long-term diet.

Hi there! I'm sorry to hear that Peanut isn't feeling well. It sounds like he has soft stool or diarrhea, which makes dogs strain to defecate as the irritation and inflammation of the rectal area makes them feel like they have to go. This can also cause the rupture of tiny blood vessels in the rectal area, which may cause the red liquid you are seeing. I don't recommend giving him anything over the counter, but if he is acting okay otherwise and not vomiting, you might consider withholding food for the evening and then try feeding him boiled chicken with rice to see if his stool will firm up. If he still has the soft stool and straining tomorrow, I highly recommend bringing him to the vet. At the vet's office, they will examine him, take his temperature, and likely check his stool for parasites, which can cause soft stool. They may also recommend an abdominal x-ray. I hope Peanut feels better soon!

Hello! I'm sorry to hear that Boss is bleeding. There's a couple of things I'm concerned it could be. Dogs have two anal glands, one on either side of their anus. They can become impacted and abscessed, which sometimes causes a bloody discharge. If this is the case, he may need to have the infection flushed out thoroughly under sedation and take a course of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. If Boss is experiencing any changes in defecation, such as constipation or diarrhea, this can sometimes irritate the colon and cause bleeding as well. This would be solved by finding the cause of and treating the underlying constipation or diarrhea. Serious problems, such as blood clotting disorders or cancers, are unfortunately possibilities as well. However, I don't think they are very likely due to his young age. I would recommend having Boss seen by a vet. They can do a physical exam and hopefully find an easily fixable problem and make a plan to get him feeling better. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

It's not normal to have blood in the stool, and if Lola didn't go at all yesterday and her stool is currently hard, it could be that she has constipation. Constipation can be caused by anal sac impaction, intestinal parasites, a foreign body, too little fiber in the diet, lack of exercise, or even tumors in the GI tract. I recommend giving her a tablespoon of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) mixed in with her food to see if that helps. If she is still constipated in 24-48 hours, she will need to see a vet as she will likely need a laxative or an enema. Your vet can diagnose the cause of the constipation as well.

I would fast Charlie for 24 hours and then put him on bland food for two days, such as boiled white rice and boiled white boneless chicken meat, fed in small quantities over several feeds and then transition back to regular food slowly over a few days. You can also add canned pumpkin to help with retaining moisture in the feces and so soften them. The blood is likely caused by pushing hard poop scratching on the surface of the rectum. Make sure he drinks enough water. Should the constipation not improve within the next two or three days then you need to see your veterinarian for an exam and an enema.

He may be scooting on his rear due to his anal sacs being full or from intestinal parasites causing itching in the area. I recommend an exam to check and express his anal sacs. They can get full and become itchy and infected if the fluid isn’t emptied. Usually dogs express some of this fluid when they defecate but the opening can become plugged and the fluid builds up and can become infected. Dogs with tapeworms can have tapeworm segments come out the anus and be around the fur by the anal opening. This can cause itching and make the anal opening inflammed. You can give canned pumpkin with wet food and green beans to increase the water and fiber in the diet. That can help with the constipation. I do recommend an exam and have them empty the anal sacs. If needed they can give an enema to get the poop out. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Max.