My dog keeps trying to poop but can’t. What is the cause and treatment?

Hi Padame,

Thanks for your question.

Having intestinal parasites tends to cause soft stools that would easily pass. When you say nothing comes out, there are two general possibilities as to why this unproductive defecating or straining is occurring. If there is a state of inflammation in the intestinal tract, especially the colon, which could be caused by not just parasites, but bacterial infection, dietary sensitivities, pancreatic disease or other ailments, your dog may have the feeling of needing to defecate because of the inflammation alone despite there being no stool present (this is comparable to a person who experiences diarrhea and uses the toilet multiple times even though very little material comes out). The other scenario is that there is some level of constipation, which means that the stool is large, firm and dry making it difficult to pass. This is an uncommon scenario for dogs but certainly possible.

I would recommend that you visit your veterinarian for a physical examination and consultation to determine which may be occurring. I would also encourage you to perform another parasite test and make sure that the treatment I assume you performed 2 weeks ago was successful and that the intestinal parasites are not still present. It’s possible that the treatment did not resolve the infestation.

I hope this helps.

Dr. Clayton Greenway

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Article Name

My dog keeps trying to poop but can’t. What is the cause and treatment?

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Having intestinal parasites tends to cause soft stools that would easily pass. When you say nothing comes out, there are two general possibilities as to why this unproductive defecating or straining is occurring.

Author

Dr. Clayton Greenway

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Healthcare for Pets

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