Dsychezia in Dogs

Dyschezia in dogs can sometimes be accompanied by a condition called tenesmus which refers to the straining involved with the difficult defecation.  Here are the symptoms you would notice if your canine companion is suffering from these maladies:

• Obvious straining by your canine can be noted by the extended period of time he remains in the defecation position with or without making a deposit
• Repeated attempts to defecate with little or no success
• The presence of blood or mucus in the feces when it is produced

Types 

The types of dyschezia pertain to the known causes of the condition:

• Constipation - Colorectal diseases which include foreign bodies, obstructions, inflammatory bowel disease, colitis, rectal strictures, histoplasmosis and neoplasms

• Anal Sacculitis, Impaction or Abscess -  Perianal diseases which include anal sac neoplasia, perianal fistulas and hernias

• Cystitis, Urethritis, Vaginitis - Urogenital diseases which include urinary, bladder, urethra calculi, prostate issues and neoplasm of urethra, bladder, prostate and vagina

• Caudal Abdominal Mass - includes pelvic fracture and neoplasia

The causes of dyschezia in dogs are many and they are all related to the colorectal system.  Here are some of the causes of this condition in canines:

• Constipation causes are related to colitis and proctitis (inflammation of the lining of the rectum), inflammatory bowel disease, histoplasmosis, clostridium enterotoxicosis (bacterial inflammation of the colon which can be fatal), rectal stricture, neoplasia (cancers), polyps, foreign materials
• Anal sacculitis, impaction or abscess causes are anal sac neoplasia, perianal fistulas and hernias
• Cystitis, urethritis, vaginitis causes are urinary bladder-urethra calculi (a type of stone like a kidney stone), prostatitis, prostatomegaly (prostatic enlargement), neoplasm of bladder, prostate, urethra and vagina
• Caudal abdominal mass includes pelvic fractures and neoplasms

There are a number of diseases or conditions which your veterinary professional will need to consider when he searches for the cause of your canine companion’s dyschezia.  To this end, he will need a good deal of information and history from you like dietary regimen, travel history of your canine, did the condition come on suddenly or gradually and how frequently does it occur.  Also, it would be helpful for the attending vet to know if there has been any changes in diet and did those changes have any positive or negative effect on the dyschezia in your dog.

Your veterinary professional will do a physical examination and will need to get some blood work, fecal samples, urine samples and perhaps some other tissue samples from the anal/vaginal areas to be evaluated under a microscope by a laboratory.  He may need to utilize some imaging modalities like radiography (x-ray) or CT scanning or MRI studies to ascertain if there are blockages or other obstructions in the intestinal system of your canine companion.  Once he has all of the results compiled from this testing, he will develop and initiate an appropriate treatment plan.

Treatment options and recommendations for dyschezia in your pet dog will depend upon the cause found for the condition.  Here are a few treatment options which might be utilized:

• If a bacterial infection is found, appropriate treatment in the form of an antibiotic medication administered orally or via IV if necessary would be expected
• If a parasitic infestation is found, appropriate parasitic medications would be administered in the most appropriate manner for the parasitic organism found at fault
• If a foreign body is found or other obstruction, your vet will probably want to schedule surgical removal and repair as soon as possible
• Dietary changes will likely be recommended for several of the causes and there may be a trial and error process involved to find the right fit for your pet
• If there are neoplasms (cancers) found, the treatment options will be dependent upon the type, location and severity of the cancer

If the dyschezia in your canine companion is cured with dietary changes then it is likely that you will be able to control it with those same or similar dietary changes.  In the event that your pet has either a bacterial or parasitic infection, the treatments for those are pretty successful.

The surgeries to remove and repair fistulas and hernias are pretty successful, though there will be some recuperation time which will require some extra care at home on your part.  In a few weeks, your canine companion will be feeling much better.

If, however, your pet is diagnosed with a neoplasm, the prognosis is more guarded just as it is with the human condition.   Your veterinary professional will provide you with as much information and palliative options as possible in these cases.