Question
We live in the San Francisco/east bay area (warm and dry).  Our lilac is 4 years old - until this spring, it has been wonderfully healthy and this spring started out promising with lots of nice, fat swollen buds.  But then the buds dried up and died and the only leaves produced are itty-bitty (but not deformed) stunted versions of the usual full leaves we've gotten in the past.  And, not surprisingly, the bush did not bloom this year.  I see no signs of bugs or other pests.  However, the plant is located in the area where my dog poops and (sorry for the indelicate subject!!), my husband buried some dog waste in the area where the bush is earlier this spring.  Could THAT harm the bush so significantly?  And if so, is there a remedy?  Any and all advice greatly appreciated.  

Answer
For lack of a better explanation, I would say the dog poop could definitely be the cause.  Although a fertilizer to some degree, the poop contains urea, which in high doses, can burn the root system causing no blooms and stunted foliage.  Try to make the dog go somewhere else if possible.  Also, you can try watering heavy in the area to attempt to leach the urea out of the root zone.  Tell pooch hello for me.  Good Luck.