Rectal Prolapse in Dogs: Causes and Treatment

What Is Rectal Prolapse in Dogs?

Rectal prolapse in dogs is a condition in which rectal tissue protrudes through a dog’s anus.

A prolapsed rectum in dogs is usually caused when your pet repeatedly strains while pooping and/or peeing.

Types of Rectal Prolapse in Dogs

There are two types of rectal prolapse in dogs: 

• Partial prolapse—Only a small portion of the anal and/or rectal tissue is visible as it protrudes through a dog’s anus. This small portion may only be visible while the dog is straining, then spontaneously returns to its normal position inside the rectum.

• Complete prolapse—All the anal tissue and some of the rectal tissue and lining protrude from a dog’s anus, even when the dog is not straining. This tissue does not return spontaneously to its normal position.

Prolapsed tissue will often appear bright red in color, and it may look like a swollen tube because it’s filled with fluid.

A prolapsed rectum in dogs is a medical emergency.

If caught early, a rectal prolapse in dogs can often be treated and may require surgery, especially if it reoccurs.

However, if left untreated, the tissue can die which can lead to a potentially life-threatening situation.

Rectal Prolapse in Dogs Symptoms

In addition to straining during defecation and/or urination, symptoms of a prolapsed rectum in dogs include:

• Dehydration

• Diarrhea

• Weight loss

• Painful defecating (dyschezia)

• Decreased energy

• Decreased appetite

• Abdominal pain

What Causes Rectal Prolapse in Dogs?

The most common causes of a prolapsed rectum in dogs include: 

• Straining to poop because of severe diarrhea 

• Chronic constipation 

• Parasites

• Inflammation of the intestinal tract (enteritis)

Other causes of rectal prolapse in dogs may include: 

• Straining to pee because of a urethral obstruction or enlarged prostate gland 

• Obstruction of the bowel because of something unusual your dog ate or the presence of a foreign object

• Straining in pregnant females with dystocia (difficult birth) 

• Birth defects in your dog’s anatomy

• Rectal polyps (clumps of cells)

• Tumors in the rectum or anus

• Severe dehydration

How Veterinarians Diagnose Rectal Prolapse in Dogs

A complete physical examination, including manually feeling the rectum, is key to diagnosing a prolapsed rectum in dogs.

X-rays and/or ultrasound of your dog’s abdomen are both important diagnostic tools. These tests allow your vet to identify the following: 

• Obstruction or a mass in your dog’s bowel

• Kidney or urethral stones 

• Thickening of the bladder wall 

• Enlargement of the prostate in male dogs 

• Retained fetuses in female dogs that have recently given birth

A fecal examination should be completed to check for parasites. Blood work is often valuable in identifying an elevation in your dog’s white blood cell count, which can signal inflammation or widespread infection.

Prolapsed Rectum in Dogs Treatment

The main goal of treatment for rectal prolapse in dogs is to restore the protruding rectal and anal tissue to its normal position. This will reduce damage or the risk of tissue death.  

General anesthesia is often required to replace the prolapsed tissue. After your dog is under anesthesia, the vet will gently massage the exposed tissue with lubricant gels or a topical application of 50% dextrose solution to shrink swelling.

This will help reduce the prolapsed tissue back to its normal anatomic position through the anus.

Once the prolapse has been reduced and is back in place, a purse-string suture (a special type of stitch) should be placed around the anal opening for five to seven days to prevent a recurrence of the prolapse.

In cases of severe prolapsed rectums in dogs, dead or dying rectal tissue may need to be surgically removed.

Your vet will use resection (cutting out the tissue) and anastomosis (reconnecting the ends of the rectum where the dead tissue was cut away). 

This surgery is designed to remove dead tissue, reduce the risk of further damage to the tissue, and reduce the risk of a serious inflammatory reaction called sepsis.

Surgery to fix a prolapsed rectum in dogs typically costs between $2,000 to $6,000.

Some underlying causes of rectal prolapse in dogs will also need to be addressed at the same time as the prolapse:

• Bowel obstruction: If the prolapse has occurred because of a foreign body obstruction in the bowel, it should be addressed at the same time as the prolapse. This will avoid additional tissue damage to other sections of the bowel.

• Urethral obstruction: Urethral obstructions should also be addressed while your dog is anesthetized, to avoid continued straining and prevent damage or rupture to the urinary bladder and urethra.

• Dystocia: Pregnant females with a puppy they cannot push out will also require emergency surgical intervention to safely remove the puppy via cesarean section (c-section).

  • Prolonged straining with a difficult birth can lead to maternal exhaustion, potential rupture of the uterus, and possible death of the puppy.

• Enlarged prostate: Intact (not neutered) male dogs who suffer from rectal prolapse should be evaluated for an enlarged prostate, which can cause straining as the prostate partially obstructs the flow of urine through the urethra.

  • Most dogs will require neutering to prevent reoccurrence and reduce the size of the prostate.

Can You Heal Dog Rectal Prolapse at Home?

Anesthesia is often required to manually reduce the rectal tissue, don’t attempt to fix a do’s prolapsed rectum at home.

However, you can lessen complications by preventing your dog from licking or potentially chewing the tissue. You can also keep the area clean and moist with saline.

Recovery and Management of Rectal Prolapse in Dogs

Full recovery from rectal prolapse in dogs is possible. However, after the prolapse has been resolved, additional treatment should address the underlying cause(s) of the prolapse.

If a fecal examination is positive for parasites, your dog should be dewormed and placed on a monthly oral or topical heartworm and intestinal parasite prevention to reduce the likelihood of reinfection.

Stool softeners and a low-residue diet may also be recommended in the post-surgical period so your dog can pass bowel movements more easily.  

In cases of recurrent rectal prolapse in dogs, long-term management of the condition may require that your dog undergoes a colopexy.

This is a type of surgery in which the vet attaches your dog’s colon to the left side of the abdominal wall so it can’t come out of the anus.

How To Prevent Rectal Prolapse in Dogs

The best way to prevent rectal prolapse is to avoid or minimize the possible causes:

• Provide your dog a healthy, high-quality diet and keep him at a healthy weight.
• Ensure you dog receives monthly flea and heartworm prevention (which also serves as an intestinal dewormer).
• Block access to foreign material like the trash can; pick up small toys and debris that could become ingested; refrain from feeding any people food.

Be sure to monitor your dog’s urination and defecation habits and seek veterinary care at the onset of any discomfort or trouble urinating/defecating, including diarrhea.