My dog Bear is breaking my heart...

[woogiebehr]

Bear is a 9 year old lab/golden retreiver/? /mix. He is the love of my life. He was diagnosed with spinal arthritis 2 years ago. Although he's slowed down a little, it's been as if he doesn't know he has trouble..until recently. 2 weeks ago, we began to notice that he was having trouble pooping. He had very yellow-mucus stools. I took him to the vet and found out that he had an anal gland that was very infected. We took approriate measures to clean it out. The stool became normal, but he continued to seem to have trouble getting into his famous poop crawl! Further, he'd moan when he tried to go. But the weird thing is that he seems obsessed with making a bowel movement. It's all he tries to do when we go out. He does pass stool, but not like in the old days. I took him back to the vet who checked his glands and said they were much improved. She feels the problem is his arthritis. We put him on a stool softener and started him on new arthritis medicine. Another weird thing is that he either cannot or will not hold his tail up. He has a big bushy tail like a golden retreiver. He now keeps it between his legs like he's afraid. If I try to touch it, he snaps at me.

Has anyone out there ever had a dog with arthirits that affected the way he holds his tail? Anybody think something else might be going on?

[Lucky Rescue]

Sorry about your dog.

My dog too had severe arthritis in his last few years. Yes, it can make it very difficult for them to eliminate properly, as the usual position can be extremely painful for them to assume. Your dog may not be able to hold that position long enough to completely empty himself and that be why he is always trying to go. This is just my opinion and there may be another reason.

And yes my dog got sensitive and would sometimes growl and snap if touched in certain ways that may have caused him pain. But my dog was a lot older than yours and had some senility too.

Since your dog has spinal arthritis, lifting his tail may be very painful for him.

I hope the meds will help your dog to not be so painful!