My dog strains to poop and licks. Is it constipation or diarrhea?

It could be that Angel is suffering from diarrhea, which would cause her to act like she has to pass feces multiple times without passing anything. It could also be that she is suffering from constipation, and is having trouble passing feces. You are doing the right thing by taking her into the vet, who can diagnose what is causing her symptoms so she can be treated. Diarrhea can lead to dehydration, while constipation can be caused by dehydration, so I would feed her wet food and add water to it in order to get more moisture into her system. Good luck, I hope this helps!

It sounds like Ellie could have diarrhea and that's why she's straining. She could also be constipated but it's not common in dogs. Since she's also vomiting I recommend taking Ellie to the vet to find the cause. They can check for constipation or diarrhea and treat the cause. Good luck and kisses to Ellie!

She could have a parasite or an infection causing the problem. The best thing would be to have her examined by a vet to determine the exact cause. Your vet can test a stool sample for parasites and then prescribe medications to treat the diarrhea. She may need to a dewormer, antibiotic, or other medications. You could also add a probiotic to her diet and feed a bland diet of boiled chicken and white rice for a few days and see if that helps.

You could try giving him some canned pumpkin or medical grade liquid parafin as laxatives but if the straining does not resolve after a further 12hours he should be seen by a vet to rule out a complete obstruction - xrays may be required and in some cases enemas or even surgery is required, especially if fragments of bone become lodged

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Without seeing Gemma it is hard to say, but I would suspect diarrhea. I would not get her olive oil because you could make things worse. You didn't mention her age but I would be concerned about parasites, GI foreign bodies, parvovirus, or diarrhea from a diet change. If she continues to have diarrhea, starts vomiting, stops eating, or becomes lethargic, I would take her to a vet right away. They may need to check her stool for parasites, run a parvo test, or take radiographs of her abdomen. Good luck and kisses to Gemma!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Diarrhea resolving can take a few days, so it is normal that it isn't as solid as normal. The straining however isn't normal. I would recommend checking to make sure around her anus looks ok (no bleeding or wounds), and if you can feel under her anus at the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions, does it feel like hard marbles are under the skin. If this is the case she could have full anal glands which can be making her uncomfortable in her back end. This would require a vet visit to empty them before they burst. Otherwise, as long as she is eating/playing, I would just monitor her to see if the behaviour continues. If she is still straining tomorrow I would take Riley to the vet to make sure she isn't constipated, but it might just be a one-off episode. If her next poop is normal without straining then I wouldn't worry about it. Best of luck with Riley!

Owners typically think a dog is constipation when they have diarrhea at the same time. It's not constipation. The dog still feels like they have to go poop, but nothing is left to come out, so they are appearing to strain. You can't be constipated and have diarrhea at the same time. Anyway, the chicken is ok to feed him, but if he's not showing any improvement, I would take him back into the vet.