A dog with a broken a leg will have a hard time performing a lot of tasks that are normally easy for them. One of the hardest things to do for a dog with a broken leg is to poop. This is because when dog’s normally poop, it requires them to get in a crouching position, which requires flexibility and weight to be put on each foot.
Obviously, this is not an option for a dog that has a broken leg. In today’s article, we are going to explain the best way to help a dog with a broken leg poop.
How to help dog with broken leg poop
Below are the best ways to help a dog with broken leg poop:
- Harness
Harnesses are the best way to help a dog with a broken leg poop. Most harnesses allow you to lift up both the front and back half of the body, depending on which leg your dog broke. All you have to do is put the harness on like a jacket and then attach the strap.
Make sure to not pull too tightly on the strap. If you lift your dog too height, they will tense up and not be able to poop. You should only lift up the legs 2-3 inches off the ground. Below is our favorite harness to help a dog poop.
- Dog wheelchair
Dog wheelchairs are another great way to help your dog poop if they have a broken leg. However they only work if your dog has a broken back leg. You can find cheap ones for under $100 here. Dog wheelchairs are great because they allow your dog to stay active even with a broken leg.
- Water and ice
If you are unable to get a dog harness or wheelchair, there are other ways to help your dog poop. The key is to encourage movement in their bowels. You can do this by spraying water directly on their anus. You can also put an ice cube on it.
This will cause your dog to retract their anus, and poop should quickly come out. You might have to hold your dog up while doing this in order to avoid them putting pressure on their broken leg.
- Tummy rub
Another great way to get a do with a broken leg to poop is to rub their tummy. If you do it correctly, you can massage a dog to make them poop. You should lay them on their side or back, and then repeatedly rub up and down their abdomen. This should help them release their poop. You should do this around 5 hours after they have eaten to ensure the food is completely digested and ready to come out.
While one of these tips should definitely work, sometimes dog’s won’t poop outside because they are uncomfortable.
Tips for helping a dog with broken leg poop
It is important that you keep your dog clean after they poop. It is very common for a dog with a broken leg to get some poop or urine on themselves when they use the bathroom. It is important that you clean the area thoroughly in order to ensure their body is clean.
You should also make sure that the harness or wheelchair is clean after every time your dog goes poop. This is important because any left over pee or poop can cause your dog to develop skin sores or rashes. If possible, we recommend getting your dog a haircut in order to prevent the poop or pee from getting stuck in their fur.
Another great way to help your dog with broken leg poop is to feed them a high fiber diet. This includes foods like meat that are also usually high in protein. These kinds of foods will help stimulate your dog’s digestions system. We also recommend giving your dog a lot of water to help pass food through their stomach.
You can get cheap high fiber dog food on amazon.
Your vet will also most likely have advise on how to help your dog poop. Remember that a dog should poop at least once a day. If you notice that your dog has not gone poop for over two days, you should contact your vet. There is a chance that they have become constipated. Constipation is a very serious condition in dogs, and in the worst cases it can cause death.
All of the advice in this article can also be applied for a dog that suffers from arthritis. Dogs with arthritis have very similar issues when trying to go poop or pee, especially when the arthritis affects their limbs.
It is important to always pick up your dog’s poop and dispose of it properly. Dog poop can cause a lot of damage to your yard, so it is best to teach your dog to poop in the woods if possible. If your dog does poop in your yard, you should check out our article on how to decontaminate soil from dog feces?