As some of you know I have been hand rearing a bordeaux puppy.
She will be 4 weeks old on Monday and is now weaned on Royal Canin Starter, rice pudding and Winalot Friskies tinned.
She has between 5 and six meals a day.
This morning she has been going to the loo as normal but for the last couple of hours she has seemed to be straining every 10 to 20 seconds?
Nothing is passing when she is straining and she will strain even when lying down.
Any one experienced this before? If serious I will take her to the vets but at her age i do not really want to go unless absolutely necessary.

I would take her if I were you

Just to be on the safe side!! :)

but them I am completely paranoid when it comes to my dogs health and take her if she sneezes

Well not quite that bad but close :D

Thanks for your reply Rachel
Just after I posted she was sick twice - I know this sounds horrible but the food came back in as it went down (tinned food).
The straining now seems to have slowed down and she is sleeping at the moment.
I will see how she is when she wakes as maybe it could be that she just stuffed a bit too much on har last feed???
I have phoned the vet and as she has not been constipated she thinks maybe it is a urine infection such as Cystitus?? and wants a urine sample - that will not be as easy with a 4 week old pup.
Like you I am paranoid that is why I notice things as soon as they happen. I have worked so hard with this puppy tube feeding every two hours until I weaned her. At 10 days she showed the first signs of Fading Puppy so she received a plasma transfusion from her dad and has been great from then up until today. We are keeping her ourselves as she is very special to us so I do not want to risk another visit to the vets unless absolutley necessary. If the straining has not stopped when she wakes or she refuses her next meal then I will be straight off to the vets :-(

hi staffie, was just reading your post and i was quite shocked when i found out that dogs get cystitus aswell as female humans. i have posted a post on 'dog health' and it is called 'hair loss and licking' could you please read and tell me what you think? your help would be much appreciated. many thanks

Well she has refused the last two meals I have offered her so I am taking her to the vets at 4.30pm.
Fingers crossed everything is OK, what with her and Pepsi to worry about I think I will be totally grey - of course not forgetting it is the 6 weeks holiday and I have 3 kids driving me nuts too :-)

Well, just got back from the vets. Sods law the meal I offered her before going she ate and the straining seem to have stopped however she will have a normal wee then move around and have another small wee so I thought best to take her anyway.
Vet examined her and said how well she had come on especially as she has been hand reared. No rattling on her chest which I put down to tubing rather than bottle feeding :-) Any way she thought she had a touch of cystitis and gave her an anti-biotic jab and a 7 day course of Synulux drops. Fingers crossed it will be fully cleared in a couple of days :-)

Hi Staffie

How's your baby doing now?

Hello
She is doing fine now thank you. She is a real sweetie. :-)