Dogs generally adapt to their new surroundings pretty easily, and therefore owners very rarely have to face problems like this. However, it can be a massive headache if your dog plain out refuses to poop outside. Dogs tend to defecate while you take them for a walk, and that’s just the natural way to do it. If your dog is refusing to defecate outdoors, then it can be a sign of medical and/or behavioral problems. We have compiled this article in order to inform our audience about this issue.
Why won’t my dog poop outside?
As mentioned above, dogs can refuse to defecate outside for a number of different reasons, and therefore owners must have a working knowledge of all such reasons in order to help them understand what their dog is going through. Following are some common factors that can contribute to your dog refusing to poop outdoors.
1. Constipation
Probably the most common reason why dogs show such irregular behavior. Constipation is simply a lack of any bowel moments, and therefore it might seem to you that your dog is refusing to defecate outside.
Common symptoms of constipation include hard, dry stools, mucous in stool, and blood in stool in severe cases.
Constipation is in itself caused by dehydration, and therefore the most common way to tackle this problem is to provide your pooch with lots and lots of clean, drinking water.
2. Obstruction caused by a foreign object
Dogs are highly curious beings, and their go-to action whenever they see a new object is to check if it’s edible by literally eating it. Now, this behavior might have helped them in their evolutionary race, but it does not mean that they should eat every shiny button or rock they see.
If you have a cat in your house, one of the biggest culprits of obstruction occurs if your dog ate cat litter.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for a dog to eat something that gets stuck in their small intestine. This can affect their defection routine. You should check with your vet if you see your dog straining too much while trying to defecate and producing nothing or some diarrhea at best.
3. Obstruction caused by medical problems
Medical problems can also cause your four-legged best friend to stop pooping, and therefore you should not take this problem lightly. Refusal to defecate, especially outside, can be a sign that your dog is suffering from medical disorders and therefore is under mental stress as well. A medical disorder like tumors, enlarged prostates, and polyps can cause obstruction in the excretory system of your dog.
4. Blockage in the Rectum or anus
Your dog might also fail to defecate outside if he is suffering from rectum or anal blockage. Any blockage or obstruction in those parts can make the process of defecating extremely painful and virtually impossible for your dog. Several medical disorders can cause anal blockages, which are listed below.
- Anal Tumor
- Fistulas
- Prolapse
- Rectal abscesses
5. Medicine side effects
Your dog can also develop constipation as a side effect of medicines he is already taking. Not all medicine is suitable for every pooch, and therefore if you’re dog suddenly starts refusing to poop outside right after you changed his medicine, then we suggest you recheck with your vet and change your dog’s medicine according to his health.
As a reminder, it is always important to double check the side effects on any medicine you administer to your dog.
