How to Massage a Dog to Poop – Smart Dog Mom

If you have a dog, then you may have faced the problem where your poor pup got constipated and can’t poop.

It is not a fun feeling for humans to be in that situation, let alone your dog who doesn’t understand and only knows he is uncomfortable. So, if you are facing this dilemma you may wish to know how to massage a dog to poop.

Symptoms

So, how do you know if your dog has constipation? The following symptoms likely appear:

  • The dog hasn’t pooped for a few days
  • The dog’s poop is hard and dry
  • The dog keeps trying to poop but nothing happens
  • The dog has tiny amounts of loose bowel poop mixed with blood
  • The dog’s poop is filled with mucus

So, if your pet is experiencing these things, how can you make him feel better?

Firstly, you can try feeding him some dietary supplements meant to help him poop. These include:

Canned Pumpkin – Just mix a teaspoon for each ten pounds your dog weighs into his food. It is filled with lots of fiber and fiber helps both people and pets to poop. Just make sure it is NOT pie filling and is pure pumpkin.

Related Post: 12 Life-Saving Pumpkin Benefits For Dogs

Coconut Oil – Mix a teaspoon for every ten pounds your dog weighs into his food. It works because the fatty acids in it get absorbed directly by the dog’s GI tract and get turned into energy and helping him to go poop.

Dark, Leafy Veggies – Again, mix one teaspoon for each ten pounds your dog weighs into their food. The fiber in these greens (i.e. zucchini) helps to prevent as well as cure constipation.

Ginger and Broth – In this case, mix a quarter teaspoon of ginger along with a half a cup of beef or chicken broth. Let your dog eat this and it will help him to go poop.

These things will assist in your dog being able to poop, and never give them human medications for constipation like mineral oil, stool softeners, suppositories, or enemas. If the above doesn’t work, contact your veterinarian for advice.

How to massage a dog to poop

How to Massage a Dog to Poop 

So, you tried the above and your dog still can’t seem to poop. If you have already called your veterinarian, they may suggest using a massage method to stimulate the dog to poop. Here is how to massage a dog to poop:

Stroke the dog’s entire body

Run your hands down the dog’s body beginning with his head, then to his tail and his legs. This can loosen things up and get the dog relaxed so he can poop. Use gentle but firm pressure as you go.

Stroke the dog on the back

Begin by stroking his head and go down the spine, this helps relieve tension in the back, which helps a dog to be relaxed so they can poop.

The dog can be laying down or standing or sitting. Use light pressure and move the hands slowly down both sides of your dog’s spine and all the way to the end of the tail. Your hands should remain on the sides of the dog’s spine, not the bone itself.

Rub the dog’s belly using circles

Run the dog’s stomach clockwise. Sometimes this is all the dog needs to be able to poop. Use light pressure and your palm and rub the belly.

Rub the dog’s sides

Going clockwise, use your hands to rub the sides of the dog’s stomach and go up and down lightly.

Then travel up to their left side and gently pat along his side while the dog is on his back or on his right side. The intestines are on the left, so this can stimulate them to poop.

Trace the dog’s intestines

Follow the dog’s lower stomach area in the shape of an upside down U. Go from right to left, if the dog is on their back, place a bit of pressure on the stomach’s right side and move your hands up, and then go left, over their genitals, then back to the left of the groin, always in a U shape. Push and release your hand gently over their intestinal area to stimulate the bowels.

Knead the dog’s glutes or thighs

Do circles with your thumbs on the base of your dog’s back legs. Sometimes this helps to relieve tension. The dog can be sitting up or lying down. 

Then put your thumb on his thigh or the muscles of the glute. Use light pressure and go clockwise as you rub. As you go, make the circles larger and rub each area between 30 to 60 seconds.

Compress the dog’s back legs

Then squeeze and release as you go along the length of each of the dog’s leg. Have him lay on his side.

Then put your hands around his thigh and squeeze gently and then let it go. Do this a few times on each of his legs. This can be done on the front legs as well if the dog likes it.

Massage the dog’s head

Massage his head with your thumbs starting with his nose and going to the back of his head. This helps because a constipated dog might get all nervous and tense and this releases the tension and helps him relax enough to go poop.

Related Post: How to Massage Gas Out of Dog?

Finish by rubbing the dog’s ears

Gently pinch both the inside and outside of the dog’s ear and slide your thumb from the base of the ear to its tip. Do this several times and end by gently tugging your dog’s ears.

You can also try gently rubbing your dog’s anus with wet wipes to stimulate pooping or gently squirt some water on his anus to accomplish the same thing.

Conclusion

But if none of this either relaxing massage or stimulating with water or wet wipes works, it’s time to likely take him to the veterinarian to make sure there is no sort of intestinal blockage keeping your dog from pooping.

It is vital that you do this as not pooping for several days could cause a build up of toxic issues or your dog’s intestines could even perforate from hard stuck poop in it.

All in all, even dogs can suffer from constipation, and trying the above things could help alleviate the issue, but if not, always call the veterinarian.

FAQs:

How long can a dog go without pooping? 

If your dog hasn’t pooped for two to three days, it is time to call the vet and get it checked out.

Can I massage my constipated dog? 

Yes, use the above technique in this article to massage your dog.

Why do dogs refuse to poop? 

Your dog may be refusing to poop because it hurts due to dry, stiff poop. If so, he needs to try things like fiber or canned pumpkin, etc. to help his poop soften up. Talk to a vet.

How do you unblock a dog’s intestines? 

You need to get your dog to the veterinarian fast if you think they have a blocked intestine as this is an emergency and not something you can fix on your own.

How much olive oil can a dog take for constipation? 

You can mix one or two teaspoons of olive oil into a dog’s food to help them to poop.

What if my dog hasn’t pooped in 3 days? 

You need to get the dog to the veterinarian to see if there is a blockage and get advice on what to give him for constipation.

Will a warm bath help a constipated dog? 

No, this will not work. It only helps if the dog has poop clogging up his anus and needs it washed off.

What can I give my dog for constipation besides pumpkin? 

You can give a dog canned pumpkin for constipation, as well as a mix of ginger and broth, or try a teaspoon of olive oil or coconut oil in their food, or feed him some green leafy veggies.

What oil can I give my dog for constipation? 

You can give a dog olive or coconut oil for constipation, but don’t give mineral oil without a vet’s advice.

How do you make a constipated dog poop? 

There are several methods that may help a constipated dog to poop. These include massage, adding olive or coconut oil to their food, feeding green, leafy vegetables, etc. Talk to your vet for more advice.

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Dog trainer, Author & Life coach at SmartDogMom.com

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