Tight sphincter - defecation

For those seeking advice on caring for incontinent pets and animals with kidney-related problems.
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CarolC
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Tight sphincter - defecation

Post by CarolC »

If you scroll down this thread...

you will see closeup photos of a small dog in the process of defecating.

We do not wish to offend anyone.

If you do not want to see this...

please go to another topic now.
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CarolC
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Re: Tight sphincter - defecation

Post by CarolC »

Yes, the pictures are really going to show

everything in detail.

If you are squeamish or not interested

you may wish to go to a different topic...
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Re: Tight sphincter - defecation

Post by CarolC »

Are you still here?

The pictures are just below.

Last chance to avoid seeing them...
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CarolC
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Re: Tight sphincter - defecation

Post by CarolC »

Hi,

I am glad you are still here. :D

Please excuse us, this is slightly embarrassing, but it seems important.

This issue was mentioned briefly in the following topic, and I have never seen it anywhere else on the web.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13253&p=69254

The issue is that, with a paralyzed dog, they always tell you that you need to express the bladder, but the bowel will take care of itself. That is true, but not eqaully true for all dogs. With some dogs, stools drop out here and there during the day, but my dog has a tight bladder sphincter and a tight anal sphincter and if I leave her to pass her stools when her body just "does it", then she ends up with stools of a size appropriate for a golden retriever....and she is a chihuahua. So I help her by pinching her bottom every day to pop out the stools that have collected near the exit...but are not exiting.

I said in the above-referenced thread that sometimes it seems her stools move down the colon into the rectum, and then turn sideways because they cannot easily exit because the sphincter is closed. Then other stools continue to move down the colon, and they clump up near the exit, still not coming out. That is how you get a large diameter stool appropriate for a much larger dog. She has been on a stool softener in the past, and a different diet, because I thought maybe her stools were too firm or too bulky, however it turns out she has the same tight sphincter even when she has very soft stools, and she still does better with pinching to help her elimination, only then we're pinching messier stools. :roll: Soft stools or firm stools, she's just tight. Yes, I suppose she would go eventually as they say, but I think it's better not to wait for Nature to take its course. And anyway, having an accumulation of stool backed up in the colon makes expressing her bladder harder, so that alone is enough reason to express her bowel.
T1-400m.PNG
In the picture above, you see me palpating around her bottom, I am determining the size of what is inside. A chihuahua should have stools similar in size to the stools of a cat...but you can see this stool I am pinching is over an inch wide.
T2-400m.PNG
As you can see from the bulge of the rectum, this stool is pretty big...and I just expressed her bowel about 10 hours before this.
T3-400m.PNG
I am going to have to start squeezing, and I use a wiggling motion to get the crown of the stool to begin to force open the tight sphincter.
T5-400.PNG
In this final photo, you can see the first stool, the one nearest the exit, had not come out and had turned sideways inside her bottom, and the next stool in line collided with it and they kind of formed into one T-shaped stool. The other stools in line after this will come out as they should, one at a time and headfirst, not sideways.

I actually have this on video, I just haven't had a chance to edit the video yet because Moviemaker didn't install when I downloaded it and tried to install it on my computer. I'm not sure I want to post the video anyway, but if you don't believe me...let me know. This was real, not photoshopped or anything. :D
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Re: Tight sphincter - defecation

Post by Christine »

Carol, this is going to be so helpful to someone whose never had to deal with anything like this before. In my opionion, you should publish the video and of course, add this to our wiki. I love your introduction, warning, disclaimer :mrgreen: If anyone is offended by this :oops: , they didn't need the information and they sure didn't read the three warnings before it - they'll get over it :mrgreen:
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Re: Tight sphincter - defecation

Post by Shaz »

Great Visuals Carol, seriously going to help people. I do the same with Duchess 2/3 times a day, easier for me as hers don't turn. Never even knew this could happen! I live and learn.

Christine, you are right, they will get over it!! :D
2 x 10 year old Pugs, Duke and Duchess. Duchess has hind leg paralysis.
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Living in Spain.
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critters
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Re: Tight sphincter - defecation

Post by critters »

Christine wrote:Carol, this is going to be so helpful to someone whose never had to deal with anything like this before. In my opionion, you should publish the video and of course, add this to our wiki. I love your introduction, warning, disclaimer :mrgreen: If anyone is offended by this :oops: , they didn't need the information and they sure didn't read the three warnings before it - they'll get over it :mrgreen:
I agree! :mrgreen: :twisted:
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Re: Tight sphincter - defecation

Post by maine_coonz »

I'd like to add my 10 cents worth - this is an absolutely brilliant post. I have been having exactly the same problem with my cat, and this post would have been really helpful, instead of just having to work it all out plus trial and error. Thank you for posting it.
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Re: Tight sphincter - defecation

Post by catfan »

Hi all,
I have a kitten that is ten weeks old, and she has a bowel problem.
She attempts and even convulses but no joy.
I am looking for step by step intructions on how to manually stimulate her sphincter to help her out.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
This is one of 18 kittens that I have rescued over the last two months.

Thank You in advance.
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critters
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Re: Tight sphincter - defecation

Post by critters »

:whale: You'll find Poop on Demand info in this post. http://handicappedpet.net/helppets/view ... hp?f=5&t=4
marilynb
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Re: Tight sphincter - defecation

Post by marilynb »

I help Wally in this same way, and lucky for me his stools never came out side ways either. These were excellent photos. I say thumbs up on the video!

marilyn and wally
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Re: Tight sphincter - defecation

Post by catfan »

My 10 week old lost her battle to urinary and bowel issues and crossed the rainbow bridge earlier today. :(
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Re: Tight sphincter - defecation

Post by Christine »

I am so sorry you lost your little one.. Bless you for doing all that you could. Sometimes we only get them for a little while and when they choose to leave us, it is always too soon. Perhaps this short journey has given you some knowlege to help another along the way. Take care.
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Re: Tight sphincter - defecation

Post by marilynb »

I am so sorry that you lost your baby,my thoughts and prayers are with you



Marilyn and Wally
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