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Puppy constipated, crying, and has a painful swollen rear. What to do?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Male | unneutered | 2 lbs

My new puppy is constipated. Our veterinarian is not in today. His rectum is concerning--like he has a hemorrhoid. He cries when he tries to poop but has pooped a little today. What can I do to help him?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Stacey Anstaett, DVM

Answered By Stacey Anstaett, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 31st, 2019

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!
Vote Icon6Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

  • Answered By Rodrigo Roca, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Hello, thank you for your question about Chipper.

    Constipation and straining to defecate can be a sign of many different problems in puppies. Intestinal parasites are the most common cause of straining to defecate.

    I would recommend having Chipper seen by another veterinarian in the area so that they can perform an examine and discuss the need for other testing (potentially including fecal testing for GI parasites). In the meantime you could try offering him a small amount of canned pumpkin with his food or adding water to his food.

    Hope this helps, good luck!

    Vote Icon

    0Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My puppy is constipated, retching, and straining. Is it serious?
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.
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Why is my puppy's rear swollen, constipated, and painful when pooping?
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!
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Puppy constipated after new kibble? Pumpkin not helping, what now?
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.
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How to help a dog with a rectal prolapse and straining to poop?
I can’t really tell from the photo but it looks like a possible rectal prolapse. I suggest you deworm this dog and use granulated sugar on the prolapsed tissue. That should shrink it so it goes back in. This happens from straining to defecate so feed soft foods that are easy to digest. You can use amoxicillin if you have it. Be advised sometimes surgery is needed to fix this. ( https://mobile.petcoach.co/amp/article/rectal-prolapse-protruding-rectum-in-the-dog ) If you need more assistance you can post again or opt for a private one on one consultation so we can chat back and forth. Best wishes.
Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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