Are you a cockapoo owner who has discovered poop clinging to your puppy’s fur? Or maybe found some poo stuck in your cockapoo’s bottom? Fear not, we’ve been there too! Here are some quick methods to try to help you clean your cockapoo’s bottom. Why quick? Because no one wants their cockapoo to be scooting their bottom inside their house!
Step 1: Use a dog poop bag to pick off larger pieces
If your cockapoo has poop stuck in their bottom, or clinging to their fur, the first thing you’ll want to do is try and remove the bigger bits manually. By manually, we mean with your hands.
Now, no one wants to get messy, but we might not always have some latex gloves around to help with this.
A really easy trick is to cover your hand with a dog poop bag and use it as a makeshift glove. Not the most glamorous of things, but it also allows a convenient way to dispose of any chunks you manage to pick off.
Step 2: Wipe their bottom thoroughly
Get hold of some cleaning wipes, like these cheap wipes from Amazon, and wipe away as much poop as you can from your cockapoo’s bottom area. The wipes will get dirty quickly, so make sure you’ve got enough on hand.
In a pinch, damp kitchen towels can also work, but they can come apart if too moist, so they’re not the best!
Step 3: Give your cockapoo a good soaking
Once you’ve done all you can to pick off the big bits of poop from your cockapoo’s bottom, and you’ve given them a good wipe, you’ll then need to get your cockapoo to some water pronto.
Give them a really good soak (read more on how to bath a cockapoo here). Use a shower head or measuring jug to direct as much water as you can at their bottom! If you do this for long enough, even the most dried on pieces of poop will start to soften. This also applies to cases where the poop is actually stuck in your dog’s bottom.
Then, using a glove (or dog poop bag) wipe their dirty bits and this will start to dislodge the poop. Carry on wiping and spraying water until all that’s left is a clean bottom, or the stubbornest pieces of poop.
Using a good lathering shampoo also helps, again – check out the article link above to read about our preferred shampoo for our cockapoo.
Step 4: Get some scissors and do an emergency trim
Just like gum stuck in a child’s hair, sometimes the only solution is to do a little hairdressing!
With your cockapoo still in the bath, get yourself some scissors. Cut away at any pieces of fur that the poop is clinging on to. Hopefully, if you’ve followed the above steps, there won’t be much cutting needed.
This will inevitably mean that your cockapoo won’t look their best, but better than having a crusty poop transporter in your house!
Sorted – poop gone! If this doesn’t work, or there is a bit of poop well and truly stuck, it’s time to get the vets involved. If you just leave it there, then they might develop something called pseudocoprostasis. Trust us – not pleasant, but you can read more about it here if you want.
Step 5: Make a resolution to let it never happen again
Often, the two main causes of poo getting stuck in your cockapoo’s bum or fur are:
- Their diet has changed
- Their fur is too long
If it’s a diet issue, then make sure to invest in some decent dog food. Make sure to also introduce your dog to a new food slowly, mixing it with their existing food. If you’ve been giving them any extra treats recently, stop until their bowels go back to normal.
If their fur is too long then invest in some dog clippers (see our two recommended ones). Then, between groomer trips do a little hygiene trim of their bottom and tail.
Not only will getting some good dog clippers help to stop poop issues, they will also save you money as you’ll be able to visit the groomers less often!
Step 6: Prepare for your next poop emergency
Chances are your cockapoo having poop in their bum caught you off guard. Sadly, even if you are super careful it will happen again at some point. Preparing for it helps to reduce any extra stress.
To help us, we make sure:
- We’ve always got an emergency pack of doggy wipes in the house, and in the car (in case it happens when we’re on a trip)
- And we’ve always got some cheap surgical gloves stored in our bathroom just in case!
Hope that’s helped! We also have a less disgusting, helpful guide about cleaning cockapoo teeth if that’s of interest, and an article all about Cockapoo eye care.
