My puppy is constipated and only eats chicken. What should I do?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Without seeing Jessi it's hard to say. The diet you are feeding is lacking in vitamins and minerals but I doubt that is causing the issue. I recommend taking Jessi to a vet to determine she's constipated and not straining because of diarrhea. If that's the case, I recommend having her stool tested for parasites and an X-ray to confirm constipation. After she is well, I would transition her to a commercially made puppy food. In the US I like Hills, Royal Canin, or Iams. Good luck and kisses to Jessi!

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lily. There are two common causes for a dog struggling to defecate. The first is constipation which I suspect you are hoping to remedy by adding the pumpkin to her diet. This can be helpful, but she needs to eat it. With constipation, the dog can become so uncomfortable that she will refuse to eat. The second common is scenario is actually diarrhea. The dog can strain to pass very small amounts of liquid stool. It is easy to miss and most people will assume they are not defecating at all. The treatment options are different for the two causes. Since she is refusing food, she is not feeling well. She will need to see her veterinarian. In the meantime, continue to give her water so that she does not become dehydrated. I hope this information helps!

Travelling is always a stress on the system. Try to increase fluid intake & make sure she gets plenty of exercise while you are travelling. We often advise feeding canned pumpkin , 1- 2 tablespoons twice a day to help move the bowels. As long as she is not vomiting, try feeding her some special treats like some chicken or cooked hamburger. If she actually seems unwell, or starts vomiting, you will have to find a veterinarian to see her. I hope she is feeling better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Your instincts are right on this one. It sounds like she is just a [picky eater](https://www.petcoach.co/article/my-pet-is-a-finicky-eater). Small breed dogs tend to be picky eaters, and this is accentuated when the owner gives in and feeds people food. I know it is hard, but you have to try and slowly break this habit by refusing to give her the boiled chicken and only her dog food. Most dogs can go up to 3 days without eating and most will give in within a day or two when they realize nothing else is coming and their only option is the [dog food](https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food) that is available to them. It sounds cruel, but this is the only way to break this habit. You can also make sure that you are offering highly palatable, high quality [dog food](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/category/dog/dog-food). Typically grocery store brands are generic and low quality. Try foods like Royal Canin, Blue Buffalo, Halo, or Evo to see if these appeal to her picky nature. You can add canned food to her dry kibble to entice her to want to eat it regularly.

Poor Benzo! Sometimes after they have diarrhea it takes a little while to build up a full bowel movement so he could be straining simply because he has the urgency to go but there isn’t much there. On the other hand, with the hair he could be constipated. Either way fiber will be beneficial. You can give him 1/4 teaspoon of canned pumpkin twice a day to help balance his GI tract. If the chicken and rice, has any chicken broth or water in it then that could be why he is having decrease water consumption. If not, you could certainly add some water to his meal to help him drink more water. I am concerned that he is more lethargic. Since he is so small, I would have your vet take a look at him to assess his hydration and make sure he doesn’t have any parasites or anything more serious going on like parvo. Your vet will be able to give him some fluids if needed and prescribe his some medicine to help make him feel better. I hope this helps and he feels better really soon.

Hi there and thanks for your post! Dogs should defecate at least once every day. If it has been 1 and 1/2 days since Luna's last bowel movement but is still eating and drinking normally, she may be a little constipated. You can try adding a tablespoon or two of plain canned pumpkin to her food twice daily for an extra fiber boost to help move things along. If that doesn't help, I would recommend Luna sees her veterinarian to rule out other causes of constipation such as a parasitic infection or other cause. I hope this helps and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!