My friend Jenny has a 2 months old Yorkie girl Bony that recently had a problem with her poop. The thing simply didn’t want to get out! Since Bony is her first Yorkie, she called me for advice.
I know that Yorkies can have poop stuck if the fur is too long around their rear end but I also have found that changes in diet, overeating, or mushy feces can lead to the same problem.
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Yorkie Has A Poop Stuck, Why Is This Happening?
If it’s not some medical issue and your dog doesn’t have a problem with constipation, it might happen that the poop starts sticking to your dog’s hair. That can prevent poop to come out completely.
Keep the back area of your dog trimmed or even shaved to prevent this problem. Sometimes when poop gets stuck to the hair, it dries out and becomes very hard, cemented.
In that case, that dirty, poopy hair can seal the anal opening and prevent some future poop to come out and here we go again!
In case your Yorkie has a mushy or softer stool, this problem can become chronic. In that case, you need to do something with his diet and to offer more fibers.
For example, you can add some green beans. They can be either steamed or canned ( no salt ). Your Yorkie will be thrilled with a new ”treat” and the fibers from the green beans will help his poop to become more firm.
Firm poop won’t stick to the hair.
Let me just say few words about the term ”firm poop”. Firm poop is hard enough that can be picked up easily but it’s not too hard nor dry.
Improper diet can cause soft stool and lack of fibers is not always the reason. Sometimes the dog will grab something that he isn’t supposed to eat. Or you jump from one dog food to another very quickly which can cause upset stomach and stool issues.
You might think that some small treat every now and then cannot harm your little friend. But even a tiny piece of cheese given to the dog that weighs only a couple of pounds may cause a problem. So be careful as small dogs can tolerate less than big ones.
How Do You Get A Stuck Yorkie Poop Out?
First, make sure your dog has a nicely trimmed butt area to prevent feces become matted in the hair the surrounds anal opening.
How To Trim Yorkie Anal Hairs?
Don’t be confused with the information that the right time for the first hair cut is between 9 and 12 months.
You can take your Yorkie to the professional groomer’s earlier as this is not about a stylish haircut. Another alternative is to ask your vet to help you with this.
If you like, you can trim your dog’s rear end by yourself. You can find tons of videos on Youtube explaining how to do this.
It’s important to put your dog on some non-slippery surface and to secure him with the leash. It’s recommended to use a pair of scissors and not a clipper as it can irritate the skin.
Wash Yorkie’s Butt Area Regularly
Check your dog’s but at least every evening. You can use some gentle baby wipes to clean this area, just in case. Instead of baby wipes, you can also find canine wipes on the market or to use a simple damp washcloth.
If you notice dried poop tangled in your dog’s fur, prepare a shallow, soapy bath and let your dog sit in it. Put some latex gloves on your hands and gently try to remove poop, dirt, or debris. Don’t forget to dry thoroughly any wet parts of your pet’s body.
If your Yorkie has a clean and trimmed anal area but still having issues with poop maybe it’s time to seek a vet’s help. Maybe some sort of blockage obstructs the normal defecating process or your pet suffers from constipation.
How Do You Tell If Yorkie Has a Blockage?
Yorkie that has blockage will experience:
- abdominal pain
- stomach bloat
- diarrhea or loose stool
- weakness
- loss of appetite
- dehydration
*List of symptoms are from American Kennel Club official web page
Bowel blockage in dogs can be either partial or complete. In the case of complete blockage, the situation is extremely urgent as the untreated dog will die in 3 days.
Fortunately, most blockages are partial so the consequences are not so severe but still, something needs to be done.
The major problem is dehydration as Yorkie is not capable to keep the water in the body. Even partial blockages may lead to death in 3-4 weeks if left untreated.
The most common reasons for intestinal blockage are foreign bodies ( toys, rocks, bones, sticks, coins…) or tumors and severe inflammations of the GI tract which cause swelling.
Take any sign of intestinal blockage seriously and rush to see the vet.
What To Do For A Constipated Yorkie?
If it’s obvious that your dog doesn’t have any intestinal blockages, you keep his butt area impeccable ( trimmed and clean ) but he still having poop issues. If your dog spent 3 days without pooping, that’s a red flag. Do seek vet help.
What Causes Constipation in Yorkies?
The major culprits for constipation in dogs are : low -fiber diet, low intake of water and lack of exercise
In most case, the problem with food is that has low fiber content but other things can also lead to constipation. Eating spicy food, food rich in fat or calcium will contribute to constipation in dogs.
As per water intake, some general rule of thumb for Yorkies is about 1-1,5 ounces for each pound of dog’s body weight. So if you have a dog that weighs 3 pounds that he needs between 3 and 4,5 ounces of water ( 90-140 ml).
Of course, these depend on the weather and level of activity. For more sedentary dogs during cold days, less water will be needed. Totally opposite is for active dogs during hot, summer days. They will need more water.
Exercise is super important for any dog, so Yorkie is not an exception. A good level of activity is important for his muscles, bones, GI tract health, good sleep, mood, and appetite.
Yorkie is a small dog and therefore 30 min daily exercise ( walking, running, playing fetch or Frisbee, obstacles course, hide and seek games) is just enough to keep your pet happy and healthy.
Constipation may be related to intestinal blockage. That means that ingesting any foreign body no matter how small it is may cause constipation ( tiny piece of bone, paper clip or coin ).
How To Help Constipated Yorkie?
In the case of mild constipation, there are some things that you can do at your home which might help your furry friend.
Add some fibers to his food. As I mentioned before some steamed green beans are an excellent source of fibers but you can also treat your dog with a teaspoon or two of pumpkin puree ( real pumpkin, not the filling for pies).
Most dogs love it! You can either put it in his food and let him lick the precious puree from the spoon. Also, one teaspoon of oat bran to his food may help.
Make sure your dog always has clean and fresh water available.
Don’t give your dog food out of the schedule. Dogs like routine and they should have 2 meals a day ( adult ones). They shouldn’t be eating for the whole day. That would disrupt the normal digestion process and could lead to constipation.
If your Yorkie is not feeling any better, maybe it’s better to see the professional. The vet will perform some tests, prescribe laxatives if necessary. If the cause of constipation is the presence of a foreign object, then surgery must be performed.
Conclusion
A poop stuck is rather a normal issue in the Yorkies. Sometimes the problem has a very quick fix and all you need to do is to trim the butt area of your dog to prevent poop from sticking on his hairs and clogging the anal opening.
Remember the softer stool is more prone to stick on hairs so make sure you feed your dog with high-quality food rich in fibers.
Water intake and required level of activity is also needed to avoid issues with stuck poop.
