QuestionI have a 47 day old male Yorkshire Terrier who seems to be struggling to have bowel movements. One time when he goes, his stools are hard as stones and one other time, they're softer. I just noticed him struggling (pushing and straining) to have a bowel movement with no success. Any suggestions?
AnswerSonja,
What are you feeding him? If he is only 47 days old his stools should be a very light brown in color and very soft. Puppies are usually not weaned until they are around 7 to 8 weeks old, if he has been weaned already then that could be part of the problem. I have given full grown yorkies one half a teaspoon of vegetable oil (how much depends on their size) to help them pass their stools but usually if they are having problems you should take them to a vet because there could be an underlying problem that you are unaware of. If he has just started on solid food you might want to try using Puppy Chow that has been soaked in warm water. You can make it a paste and feed it to him that way which should make it easier to pass his stools. Another thing that I would do with puppies that were to young to stop nursing but their mothers wouldn't nurse anymore was get some baby cereal (rice works best) and mix it with warm water. The baby cereal comes in a box and it looks like tiny flakes. I believe that the problem you are having is probably because your baby is physically not ready to handle solid food and may need the baby food for a short time until his body matures a little more. If the baby food makes his stools runny you can decrease the water and make it thicker, its kind of hit and miss but you get the idea. If the hard stools continue I would suggest you take him to the vet or at least call and ask what they suggest.
If I can be of any further assistance please don't hesitate to write me again. I hope everything goes well with your baby.
Thanks,
Melinda