back end problems

Question
Hi,   
  I have a Yorkie terrier.  He is 6 years old.  We had another Yorkie for 18 years before this one who had the same problem (they were not related)
  Our dog occasionally gets his poop half stuck in his bum.  It's hanging out.  He pushes and pushes and makes a big mess.  I try to help him by making him sit in a pale of warm water.  But could you tell us why this happens and what we can do to help him?
   Our previous Yorkie eventually died because he couldn't push his poop out.  We don't want this one to follow.

Answer
Don -

I recommend adding a tablespoon of canned pumpkin (not the pie filling, the plain pumpkin) to his meal once a day.

The other thing you can do is to see if he'll eat green beans or carrots as treats (canned or frozen).  If you act like he's getting it handed to him from your own plate, he's even more likely to eat it.

The fiber will help move things along. Another thing that often helps is a tablespoon of yogurt once a day.

A vital thing is to make sure he has access to plenty of clean water.  People often accidentally dehydrate their dogs because they don't want to have to walk them more times than they already are.  Being dehydrated will cause this problem for certain.

You may also want to consider adding 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to his meal every couple of days.

I'm sure you can get your kiddo eating one or more of these options and solve the problem.

-Beth