constipation

Question
I have a toy poodle puppy 13 wks. male.  he eats fresh meat in the afternoon and puppy biscuits in the morning.  a few more biscuits in the middle of the day.  just lately he has been trying to push a stool out and it gets half way.  he gets distressed and a couple of times i have had to help him out then bath his rear end as it gets all over his fur. it feels like it is all gathering there ready to go but he can't get it out.  do you have any suggestions.  i don't think he drinks enough but surely he would drink if he was thirsty? is this a common problem for poodle pups?

Answer
Hello Madeleine,
Your dogs diet sounds like it could be the cause of your dogs constipation situation.  Fresh meat is fine for your dog, but you should add some greens in his diet also.  Foods like apples, carrots, cucumber, or potatoes are good for dogs to eat and most dogs like them alot.  I would not give him the biscuits as food, but offer them as treats instead.  If you want to feed him a dry food diet, get him a high quality food such as Iams Puppy or Nutro Max Puppy.  You can mix it with the diet below or feed the diet alone and just offer the dry food for him to nibble on throughout the day.
 
This diet is full of Vitamins and Minerals that are very good for your dogs health.  It will most likely make him more regular too in the end.  I would have your dog eat this diet for about 2 weeks to see if his stools are more normal.  If not, you may want to get him to a Vet to see if he can't prescribe some medication to make your dog regular.  
To insure that your dog is drinking enough, you can add some chicken broth to his water to encourage him to drink more.  
You can test to see how much water he is drinking by giving him a specific amount (say about 1/2-1 cup) for the day and measure the amount left at the end of the day.  Do that for about 3-4 days and that will give you an idea of how much he is drinking.  

Here is a diet that you can fix for your dog if you want to feed him a more healthy diet.
1 lb Cooked Hamburger or Turkey Burger (70-30 because of higher fat content)
1/2 lb Spinach
1/2 lb Broccoli
1 can Sardines in Olive Oil (use the oil of the sardines and blend it with the Spinach and Broccoli to make a juice
2 eggs scrambled
1 Apple Blended (or you can use 1/2 cup of Applesauce)
1/4 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 cup brown rice, cooked using chicken broth for better flavor
1 grated carrot

This is a recipe for a large dog so if you want to half it, that is fine.
Mix these ingredients together and try it with your dog.  He will most likely love it and think he is getting a treat.  This mixture should last you about a week in a sealed container.  If your dog isn't interested in eating this mixture, try lowering the amount of or removing the greens.  Some dogs don't like the taste.
You can add a Tbs of Cottage Cheese to encourage him to eat it if he doesn't like the taste.

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions, please feel free to ask.  

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim