My dog ate a raw bone and hasn't pooped in 48 hours. Is he blocked?

It is likely that the bone is causing some constipation and obviously as the bone fragments try to pass they cause lots of inflammation and pain. If you have any lactulose or liquid paraffin at home you could give him two tablespoons three times a day mixed with a bit of food to ease the passage. I would definitely have him checked over tomorrow, starved from midnight in case he needs an enema or x rays. The fresh blood is indicating that the problem is in the lower tract of the gastro-intestinal tract so almost made its way out, however bones absorb a lot of water due to the high Calcium content, and can become extremely hard and difficult to pass. If at any times he should appear lethargic, vomiting I would try to get him seen earlier than tomorrow.

Oh poor Rex! Unfortunately, it sounds like the bone may be stuck. The best thing you can do for him is to take him into your vet right away. Your vet can use x-rays to determine if the bone is stuck, and he may need surgery to have it removed. The bone could also be causing constipation, and he may need an enema to help him poop. Your vet is the best person to determine this, and administer the enema if needed. Because he is having troubling pooping, he does need to see a vet immediately, so please take him in now.

Considering your description I would say other 24 even 48 hours. The important clinical signs to monitor at this stage are appetite (must remain good), mental status (bright), and being comfortable (not any pain or discomfort especially on abdominal palpation or when walked around or laying down). At this stage there still good chances he will pass everything without any obstruction, so I would recommend just to keep monitoring him. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You need to monitor your Dolbie for the next 24-48hrs. Bones usually are digested in the stomach but they may form gastro-intestinal obstruction or cause constipation. If Dolbie starts to vomit, strain to pass faeces, is passing stools with blood or not passing any stools at all for longer than 24hrs, you will have to take him to your local vets right away. If after 48hrs he does not develop any symptoms, it will mean that he is out of danger.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! In general, if there hasn’t been a problem for 48 hours, you’re in the clear. Continue feeding Indy as usual. If there is some diarrhea but Indy is still eating and playing and active, im still not terribly concerned. But if vomiting starts or you’re seeing lethargy or loss of appetite, it’s time to head in to the vet as soon as possible. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Indy!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sometimes if the foreign material is small enough compared to the size of the patient, it may be digested or passed in the stools. This will of course take 24-48 hours to be determined. You can monitor her closely for clinical symptoms that could indicate an obstruction such as nausea (lip smacking, decreased appetite and/or drooling), vomiting, inappetence, lethargy and/or abdominal pain. If you see any of those clinical symptoms, have her evaluated by a veterinarian right away. Otherwise, if she is acting normal, it is ok to continue to monitor her for now. She should be using the litter box soon. I really hope she is able to pass the foreign body. Good luck and have a good night!

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Bones and raw food of any kind are a huge danger to any dog as they can cause serious infections, can perforate (poke a hole in) the intestines, cause gastritis, pancreatitis, and other issues. I would be very worried about a septic abdomen with Rowdy. If he is still not acting normally I would have him rechecked with your vet ASAP to do x-rays, a possible abdominal ultrasound to make sure there is no free fluid in his abdomen. If these are normal then your vet will likely treat for a gastritis/pancreatitis. If he can't stand and is having diarrhea, he could be very dehydrated and need IV fluids as well. I would strongly suggest pursing these other tests, especially if Rowdy is still acting the way you have described, with diarrhea and unable to stand. Best of luck with Rowdy.