[Val O]

My 10 year-old Goldendoodle had to have her tail amputated in an emergency surgery on April 29. Soon after, though her recovery went well, she began doing exactly what Ryan K describes above. She seems to have normal enough bowel movements, but later, she falls asleep and she also releases those “poop balls” as Ryan describes. Does anyone have any idea of how this can be treated? When I first reported it to the surgeon who did her surgery, she said it was just a side affect of the medication, but now almost two months have gone by. Any suggestions from someone who has had this problem and found a solution would be greatly appreciated.

[anonymously]

“When I first reported it to the surgeon who did her surgery, she said it was just a side affect of the medication, but now almost two months have gone by”.

Give the surgeon another call. It could be a senior dog thing. Their anal sphincters don’t work as well. If he isn’t helpful, I would ask him to refer you to someone who can be.

Or, see what her regular veterinarian thinks. There a a few reasons that this could be happening….only a veterinarian who has examined your pet can give you an educated guess.

Are you feeding her too much?

PS: No free feeding.

[Val O]

Thank you very much for replying! Yes, I plan on calling the surgeon and asking if there are any surgical options to this problem, and I will report it to her regular vet as well as she is due for her regular physical in July. I don’t think it has to do with her feeding I have made a concerted attempt to keep her weight down since she lost her sight to macular degeneration early this year and I need to lift her on occasion. Also, I think it is important to keep her trim as she ages. I will be leaving my job on July 1 and I plan to feed her dinner earlier in the evening (4:30 versus 6:30) and that may minimize these nighttime ‘accidents.’ Keep in mind that I sleep with this dog and it is disconcerting to awaken with poop balls on the bed. Thank you again for your input.

[anonymously]

I have a 15 year old small breed, the vet told me that some dogs develop spinal degeneration as they age and it is painful when they squat, so they wait, try to avoid…hence the accidents.

Anyway, it made sense regarding my dog.

I agree, I do a 5a and 4p feeding for main meals, then in and out for bathroom breaks…. hopefully a bowel movement mid-morning and again by bedtime, or, first thing in the morning.

PS: Could she be constipated? Is she drinking enough water? Add a splash of water to her meals, sometimes that helps move things along.

[susan k]

When my golden hit the age of 13 he’d walk across the floor and poop balls would come out. He’s look around wondering who could do such a thing. It was age related.

[theBCnut]

This could be the first signs of a spinal problem. You may want to ask your vet for a referral to an acupuncturist. They are surprisingly helpful with issues like this.

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