Help! My sheltie seems to have been constipated over the last week or so. Normally she poos twice a day with no problem. However she keeps trying to go but not succeeding in doing anything, but then I am finding the poo stuck to her backside (half in and half out to put it bluntly)and I am having to physically remove it - it seems dry and hard and of course gets stuck fast to her "knickers".

I know this is not a pleasant subject but would appreciate advice. I will take her to the vet if necessary. I did notice a similar condition with my westie the other day although she seems okay now.

We have recently moved to Suffolk and are having a lot of fencing work done in the garden hence the dogs only have the patio area to toilet in at the moment and I am wondering if that has anything to do with it as they are used to going on the grass normally. I haven't changed their diet so I am a bit puzzled.  However exercise here is not what what it was as mostly they have to be on leads because walkling is mostly around farmers's fields - do you think this might have a bearing?  The two other dogs (hound and JRT) are okay though.

Any ideas/remedies?

Thanks

you could try a dose of liquid parafin , this would make it a little easier for her to go .

If your dog is on a raw diet then too much bone can cause this problem

However if their diet hasn't changed it's likely the conditions and/or lack of exercise.  One of my boys definitely needs a walk to get things moving - he can hold on for ages then, as you describe, he has trouble going!  My other boy is a creature of habit and he has preferences about where he'll perform: one or two places in the garden are ok but otherwise it needs to be a discreet overgrown patch, tucked out of the way AND you are not allowed to look.  If he catches me staring, he won't go or he turns his back to me!!  Neither of mine would ever willingly perform on a hard surface.  Whilst visiting friends my eldest dog even poohed in a flower pot once as there was nothing else and he was desperate :)

I'd suggest getting your sheltie out a bit more and if she prefers to free roam can you use a flexi lead for a while to give her some range?  She may feel more relaxed if she can move a bit further away from you.  HTH :)

Which part of Suffolk are you in? We've recently moved to near Bury and it is harder to find offlead walks than I'd thought, but I've found a lovely field in Woolpit, and there are walks along the river Gipping, and Rattlesden too. Also a country park which I've forgotten the name of somewhere a bit north of us...