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My dog ate wood chips, hasn't pooped in 24 hours. Is it a blockage?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Wirehaired Pointing Griffon | Male | neutered | 1 year and 1 month old | 32 lbs

My dog ate pieces of a branch and some bark. He had diarrhea for two days and vomited twice (bile with wood chips). He keeps his food and water and is still active. We talked to the vet and switched to a special food and fortiflora fortiflor. Plus we give him vaseline to help pass the chips. He hasn't pooped in 24h. Is this normal or is there a blockage from the wood chips? He still wants to eat and drink. How long should i wait before taking him to the vet? Thank you for your help!

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Massimo Orioles, DVM, Cert AVP, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on February 27th, 2018

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.

5Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Ana M, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on June 3rd, 2018
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Finn. If he continues to act normal, but does not defecate then he will need to see his veterinarian tomorrow. Wood will not show up well on an x-ray, but it could cause a change in gas patterns in the intestine if it is causing a blockage. If he refuses food or starts to vomit, then he will need to see an emergency veterinarian today. In the meantime, observe him closely and offer small frequent amounts of food and water. I hope this information helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on June 2nd, 2018
You may be able to see it in the stool if the pieces are big enough. I'd expect that you would have seen it by now if you thoroughly checked the stool, but it's possible that it will take a few more days for it to pass.

This is definitely a concern for causing an obstruction in the stomach or intestines, but there's nothing there's not much that can be done for this now.
The only option is waiting to see if it passes OK. Normal GI transit time is 3-5 days for such things. During this time you would just be waiting to see if he has any signs of an obstruction. Signs of an obstructions are vomiting, not defecating, acting very painful/depressed and a decrease in appetite. If you notice these signs, then Finn would need to go to the vet immediately for emergency surgery.

I hope that helps and all is well with Finn.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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