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My unneutered Shih Tzu is constipated. What can I do to help him?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | unneutered | 4 years and 9 months old | 15 lbs

Hi my shih tzu has been on and off constipated for about a month now, I feared it mightve potentially have been caused by feeding him human foods, so ive stopped and have only been feeding him royal canin for his breed and have been encouraging him to drink water whenever possible. But he still has horrible days, I give him very small appropriate quantities of milk of magnesia and in emergencies Ive used small quantities of suppositories. My parents aren't very helpful and am desperate for a sol

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on May 30th, 2020

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Cosmo. Poor boy. Try adding a teaspoon of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) with his food to see if that helps. You really should have him checked out by a vet for this as I see he's not neutered and prostate problems can cause constipation in dogs. I hope this helps!

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    Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 26th, 2019

    Hi, and thanks for your question. Mild constipation that lasts no more than two days can usually be resolved at home with increased fiber and hydration. Canned pumpkin (not pie filling, just the straight-up pumpkin) or liquid paraffin can be used, and should work straight away in the following 8 hours from administration. DO NOT TRY to give an enema as it could be dangerous and cause electrolyte imbalances and colon perforation. If constipation lasts more than 24 hours from administration of those or 48 hours in general, a check up at your local vet is required. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

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