Why is my dog grunting when pooping and drinking too much water?

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A few tablespoons of plain canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) or a tablespoon of Psyllium powder (unflavored) can help move things along. However the other symptoms you mentioned do sound concerning to me. Decreased appetite along with drinking more water frequently and constipation may signal a kidney function issue, liver issue, or may be due the development of diabetes among other causes. My recommendation would be to have Pretty girl seen by her veterinarian as soon as possible for an exam and perhaps some blood work to check her organ function as there may be an underlying health issue here. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!

Constipation can be a very serious condition, it can be caused by a physical blockage (foreign body like a bone) or a functional peristalsis deficiency of the intestines. In order to treat simple constipation, you should increase the fibers in the food (e.g. canned pumpkin) and can add a little mineral oil to the diet. I strongly advise taking Max to the vet in order to check if there is a serious condition causing the constipation first.

Excess salivation can be a sign of pain or nausea. Is she straining to go to the bathroom and pushing with no production? You can always add canned pumpkin or canned green beans to her diet to help increase fiber and make going to the bathroom easier. If she starts vomiting or starts eating, and you see no improvement after 24 hours with a BM then I would get her checked by a vet.

Have Max examined by your veterinarian to diagnose medical causes. Sometimes this can be a neurological issue or a congenital condition. You can try mixing one teaspoon of plain canned pumpkin (NOT pie filling) per 10lbs body weight into the food once or twice daily. Continue to make sure he is drinking adequate amounts of water. Dehydration, even minor, can cause difficult defecation.

Thanks for the question. If Ruby has been dehydrated, this will slow down the movement of food through her colon and lead to constipation. If it is constipation that is making her uncomfortable, there is usually a reason they are becoming constipation, but if you are not able to do any testing, this may be difficult to figure out. Adding a tablespoon or two of canned pumpkin to her diet can help constipation. Hopefully, that will help her be more comfortable. If she doesn't want to drink, sometimes offering ice cubes to eat can help increase their water intake, or putting a little low sodium chicken broth in the water. I hope Ruby is feeling better soon.

Why don't you just try giving him some canned pumpkin for a few days. Dogs usually eat it readily. I suggest 1/4 cup twice a day. Used only pure pumpkin puree - not the pie filling. If he won't eat that the you can use canned dog food. I wouldn't change the diet unless this becomes an ongoing problem.

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.