Constipation in dogs

Meet Tilly. She ate a large volume of potting mix. Some compost and small stones might also have been consumed.  Her family noticed that she had lost her appetite. Other signs that she was not feeling well included: vomiting, just not looking right and unable to pass a bowel movement.

Her family bought her to the hospital where the veterinarians found her to be severely constipated. The recommendation was that she stay and have an enema. Her family agreed as they were keen to see her happy and healthy again. Her treatment began with a combination of some pain relief, light sedation and fluids. That night, the vets still had concerns regarding her well-being and kept her in hospital overnight. By morning, she was well enough to be reunited with her family.

Home remedies for constipated pets are numerous on the internet. The emergency centre does not recommend trying this because the bowel wall can be very easily damaged as made up of many delicate layers. If any of these are torn, then your pets well-being is placed at significant risk. Also, it is important to treat the cause. Constipation is also a symptom of other underlying causes that require a different treatment plan.

Severe constipation is very toxic for our pets. If left untreated it has been know to be a life threatening situation. The best approach is to be aware of  bowel movements.  If there have been none for 2 days or more,  it is of concern. Other things to be aware of are straining, crouching, or crying when attempting to toilet. Should you see any of these symptoms, we recommend a visit to your regular vet or nearest emergency vet centre.