Will not poop away from home-help?!

[srennie]

We have a 5y/o female boxer, Darby, who we adopted from the rescue almost a year and a half ago. We also have a 7y/o male boston, Hurley, who we adopted 6 years ago. We like to take our dogs with us whenever we can on day or weekend trips. We went away this weekend (left friday around noon) and Darby would not have a BM while away from home. She held it to the point that by Sat. night she could not hold down her food. She had MANY opportinuties to 'go' and our boston had no problems doing his normal twice a day BM. We encouraged Darby to sniff his BM in hopes that she would want to go but it didn't work. She always has to pee over his pee though so that is not a problem. We found an area where she could be off leash on grass, no go! I even massaged her rectum(through a doody bag), by Sunday morning I was desperate for her to go, but that didn't work either. We arrived home Sunday evening around 6pm and she ran straight to the back yard and had a BM, and then she was able to hold down her meals. We have another weekend trip (Thurs-Sun.) planned this summer and really want to take the dogs but not if it is going to make her sick. I really need some help figuring out if there is a way to stimulate her to go or if there is any way to modify this behavior over the next few months and if so, how???

Side note-she will also hold it if it is raining and will go out to pee but won't poo until the rain stops. She is also unable to hold down her food when she does this. She has never, since we've had her, had a BM while on leash. She did have a BM while camping last summer but it took from Thurs.-Sat. for her to 'go'.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated. I'd hate for her to miss out on our family trips because of this problem.

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

I'd be making a call into your vet and if that doesn't produce results then possibly a behaviorist. But your vet may be able to give you a doggie laxative or smething to give her while you are on the road that won't give her a choice but to go.

 

[LILYLARUE]

Buster is the same way! It's so annoying. But, if I walk him, a looonnnngggg walk, we will eventually poop while he is peeing. A good little jog helps a lot to get things moving.

I was always leary of laxatives.....worried he'd go where and when it would be inappropriate. He gets diahrrea pretty quickly.

Awaiting other's suggestions cause I could use them too (well Buster, not me ).

 

[Silly Goose]

Our breeder suggested that we use a soft match or two as a suppository, inserting into the dog's rectum. She said that it is a common trick on the show circuit. Between the sulfur in the match and the fact that the dog wants to expel whatever the heck is in it's butt it's supposed to make them go pretty quickly. Didn't work with our little guy the one time we tried it tho.

 

[BxrMommieNAZ]

Buster is the same way! It's so annoying. But, if I walk him, a looonnnngggg walk, we will eventually poop while he is peeing. A good little jog helps a lot to get things moving.

I was always leary of laxatives.....worried he'd go where and when it would be inappropriate. He gets diahrrea pretty quickly.

Awaiting other's suggestions cause I could use them too (well Buster, not me ).

Well I used laxative for lack of a better word, but like doggie Miralax (which is not a laxative but an aide). Not a laxative per se where they can't control it but something that gives them more of an urge where they will have no choice but to go.

 

[srennie]

Thanks, I'm glad to know she isn't the only boxer that has this issue. I just wish I knew where it came from. My husband thinks maybe when she was running stray (we adopted her from the boxer rescue who pulled her from the shelter where she was picked up as a stray) she had a bad experience while pooping and she is leary to poo outside the security of her yard. She has overcome so much in the year and a half we've had her. She was frightened of SO much and now she is just so wonderful! I feel like this is one more thing we need to overcome so she can be a happier dog. I'll look into those laxitives but I'm really afraid that she'll hold it in and then 'explode' in our hotel room or tent. I also read somewhere that just inserting a finger and holding it there until they try to push it out works. I'll do it if it works, I'll just need to remember to pack gloves when we go away.