My dog has a blockage. Should I give her laxatives to help pass it?

Constipation can be a very serious condition, it can be caused by a physical blockage (foreign body like a bone) or a functional peristalsis deficiency of the intestines. In order to treat simple constipation, you should increase the fibers in the food (e.g. canned pumpkin) and can add a little mineral oil to the diet.

Hello. I would try feeding him a laxative & one way to do this is to take 1-2 pieces of bread & slather with Vaseline. You can repeat this in 6-8 hours & hopefully this will push the rest of the towel material through. If your dog vomits, do not feed any more & you may need to see your vet. But several small bites of cloth in a 45 pound dog should not cause a significant blockage. Give this a try & see if he becomes more regular. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Unfortunately whenan object becomes lodged in the intestines and nothing is passing through it, then nothing given by mouth will reach theforeign object because the intestinals go through a process called lieus, where nothing is moving. Therefore the only fix in that situation is surgical removal of the foreign object. You know that your pet is expereincing ileus if they are excessively vomiting (even water), forming little to no stools, are extremely lethargic, and dilated loops of intestines are seen on their abdominal radiograph. If it is a partial obstruction, then you can try feeding your pet 1/2-1 slice of high fiber bread and taking them on short 30 minute brisk walks twice a day to encourage GI motility. No oral oils are recommended because of the high risk of aspiration pneumonia. Oils don’t go down the mouth very well in dogs. I hope this helps answer your question and I hope that if your pet is the one affected by this that he will be able to make a full and speedy recovery. Best wishes and take care.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’m sorry to hear that CoCo seems “off.” If you have not noticed her straining to pass stool, it is unlikely that she, as a young dog, is constipated. Most commonly whining will be due to pain/discomfort, stress, or boredom. Since she is eating and it doesn’t sound like she’s vomited, as long as her attitude seems normal (not dumpy) it is reasonable to give her some time and see how she is in the morning. However if she seems dumpy/lethargic, if she is limping noticeably or is not wanting to walk, or is having any vomiting, I would recommend you take her to a vet tonight. As far as a laxative, for future reference, hold off on giving any laxative until a vet has evaluated her and given specific instructions. A laxative could make another underlying problem worse due to its potential to cause dehydration. I hope you can both get some rest this evening! Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there. If Titan is eating and drinking normally, not vomiting, and having regular bowel movements, it should be okay to continue monitoring for now. However, if he stops eating, has repeated episodes of vomiting, or goes more than 48 hours without a bowel movement, I would recommend taking him to the vet for an exam and possible abdominal x-rays, as these can be signs of an intestinal blockage that may need surgery. I would not recommend giving any kind of laxative, as this isn't likely to help - just continue to feed him his normal diet, and monitor to make sure he's pooping.

Hello, sorry to hear about Tomas. I would be worried that if he is having complications from his diabetes that a laxative could do more harm (cause dehydration) than good. Most constipations in pets are associated with dehydration, so administering a laxative could worsen his dehydration and thus make him feel more ill. For this matter, I would recommend having Tomas evaluated by his veterinarian so that you can rule out any complications with diabetes and administer the appropriate medical therapy. In the interim, ensure he has adequate to plenty of water. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Fortunately, these small wrapers do not easily cause blockages, but unfortunately there is nothing that can be given to prevent a potential blockage. It's also not advised to give anything like a laxative, because this can be dangerous in a potential blockage. The only thing you can do is wait 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 she 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 Betty would need to go to the vet immediately for emergency surgery.  I hope that helps and all is well with Betty.