Puppy can't poop after vet shots, bum is red and swollen. What to do?

It looks like he might have a little rectal prolapse. If your vet isn’t available, you can try to treat this at home as follows: This will sound weird, but bear with me. ;) Get some table sugar, dissolve it in a little water (say maybe 3 tablespoons of sugar and just enough water to dissolve it. Soak the corner of a washcloth, paper towel, or a piece of gauze with the sugar water and then apply it directly to his bottom. Let it be in contact for 10-15 minutes. (Be PATIENT here.). The osmotic pull of the sugar will reduce the swelling in the prolapsed tissue and it may got back in on its own. If it does not, using a gloved hand, use some KY jelly and VERY GENTLY try to push it back in. Be aware that it may pop back out. If it’s a recurrent problem, he may need to see a vet to have a temporary “purse string” suture placed. Make sure he’s been dewormed. Add a little fiber to his diet, about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of canned pumpkin daily may help “regulate” him, and a dog probiotic would also be a good idea. I hope that’s helpful! Thanks for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

This small red bulge is likely his rectum, and he is clearly pushing very hard if that is appearing. He will be in discomfort if he's straining that hard to poop, and I would have Koda seen by a vet today. It's not normal to have his rectum bulge out when he's trying to pass feces, and he may need medications to stop this.

Hi there and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! She may be experiencing pain or discomfort while defecating and this can occur for a variety of reasons. Swelling around the anal region could be an indication of an impacted or infected anal gland. The constipation you describe could be due to lack of fiber in the diet, eating something out of the ordinary, or perhaps an infectious cause such as an intestinal worm infection. If Mila has not seen her veterinarian for this yet, I would recommend this happen soon. Her veterinarian may recommend an exam, anal gland expression, and fecal test to help determine a cause so she can be treated appropriately. I hope this helps!

Hello, as long as the puppy is defecating then he should be ok. Continue to clean his rear with a damp, warm cloth, and make sure that he is otherwise eating and drinking ok. Puppies should be checked by their veterinarian between 6-8 weeks of age to receive their first vaccines and deworming. Hope this helps and best of luck.

It looks like there may be some rectal swelling/possible prolapsing if your puppy is straining hard to go to the bathroom and can't. If he is unable to pass stool at all and the swelling is still there or growing in size, it would be best to seek veterinary care in person ASAP. If he is able to pass some stool and is a little constipated, some pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) or plain yogurt can help, but if he is straining to the point of causing rectal swelling/protrusion or is retching like there is something stuck preventing him from going potty, veterinary care is needed.

Hello. It is very uncommon for puppies to have constipation, so I would be worried that maybe a piece of stick or mulch or bone (most common culprits) may be stuck in the colon or rectum. You can always look and if something is stuck try to gently manoeuvre it out, however be very careful not to cause a cut, as a cut in the bum is hard to heal due to the bacteria in the poop. If you are seeing something stuck it may be best to have it removed by a vet. If it is constipation, I would be switching the food that you are feeding to a better quality food. Canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling, just plain canned pumpkin) is very good as well at increasing the fibre and helping with constipation. Also, if you are feeding any bones then stop this, and it could be that Boo has a colon full of re-formed bone bits and this will require a veterinarian to remove bit by bit, likely under anaesthesia. (yet another reason to never feed bones to dogs). I would overall recommend that Boo be seen by a vet as there could be many different things causing his issues. Good luck with Boo.

Since the diarrhea has lasted for 48 hours, he should be seen by your veterinarian. The swelling could be an anal gland abscess or a tumor. An abscess will need to be lanced and drained. A tumor should be aspirated or biopsied to collect samples for pathology. Place an e-collar (cone) on him to prevent licking until he sees the doctor. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. Night may go home with a bland diet, antibiotics and pain medication depending on the diagnosis.