Why is my 10-year-old dog constipated, not eating, pacing, and clingy?

Poor Alexia! This constipation could be due to impacted anal sacs, not enough exercise, GI tumors, a foreign body, intestinal worms, not enough fiber in the diet, or a neurological disorder among other causes. I would try taking her for a short walk to see if that helps her poop, and mixing in a tablespoon of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) in with her food to see if that helps her poop. Because this has been going on for a few days, should these methods not work, I would take her into the vet tomorrow. She may need a laxative or an enema to help her pass feces, and the vet can diagnose what is causing the constipation in order to treat her appropriately.

Poor Abbee! It sounds like she could be constipated. Dogs can become constipated from ingesting a foreign body, intestinal parasites, anal sac impaction, neurological problems, too little fiber in the diet, too much fiber in the diet, lack of exercise, or gastrointestinal tumors. Dehydration can also be a cause of constipation. As feces pass through the colon, water is normally reabsorbed via the colon. When a dog is dehydrated, the colon absorbs more water, leading to dry feces and causing constipation. Neurological problems can include injury to the spinal cord or the nerves leading from the spinal cord to the intestines. Exercise helps stimulate the gastrointestinal tract, and not having enough exercise daily can prevent a dog from passing feces normally. I would try adding a tablespoon of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) mixed in with her food to see if that helps her poop. Canned dog food will add moisture to a dog’s diet, and it may help with constipation. Taking her for a walk may stimulate her to pass feces as well. If it does not help after 24-48 hours, or she stops eating, drinking, becomes lethargic, or starts vomiting, then I would have her seen by a vet right away. Do not give her a human enema to try to help her poop. This can cause electrolyte imbalances in your dog, which can be fatal. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

It sounds like Nal is experiencing some constipation, which would cause her appetite to decrease. You can try to make her feces softer by getting more moisture in her diet and trying a home remedy. I would soak her food in gently warmed low sodium beef or chicken broth, or by mixing her dry food with some canned food. In addition, mix in a tablespoon of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) to see if that helps with her constipation. If these methods do not help over the next 48 hours, and her appetite continues to be less than normal, I would take her into the vet for an exam.

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A few tablespoons of plain canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) or a tablespoon of Psyllium powder (unflavored) can help move things along. However the other symptoms you mentioned do sound concerning to me. Decreased appetite along with drinking more water frequently and constipation may signal a kidney function issue, liver issue, or may be due the development of diabetes among other causes. My recommendation would be to have Pretty girl seen by her veterinarian as soon as possible for an exam and perhaps some blood work to check her organ function as there may be an underlying health issue here. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!

I'm sorry to hear that Buddy is not feeling well. If a dog is very constipated oftentimes they will stop eating because they have an overall feeling of fullness. Since I don't know what other medications Buddy is on it is hard to know what to recommend in this instance. Of course calling or taking him to see your vet that prescribed the medication would be a good starting point. If you are unable to do that at this time some things you can do at home are making sure he's drinking plenty of water (because sometime dehydration can lead to constipation) and trying to get him to eat something with a lot of fiber such as canned pumpkin. If these suggestions aren't working I would take Buddy in to see your vet. Sometimes there is a serious underlying problem to constipstion and you dog may need fluid therapy, an enema and/or a diet change.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lily. There are two common causes for a dog struggling to defecate. The first is constipation which I suspect you are hoping to remedy by adding the pumpkin to her diet. This can be helpful, but she needs to eat it. With constipation, the dog can become so uncomfortable that she will refuse to eat. The second common is scenario is actually diarrhea. The dog can strain to pass very small amounts of liquid stool. It is easy to miss and most people will assume they are not defecating at all. The treatment options are different for the two causes. Since she is refusing food, she is not feeling well. She will need to see her veterinarian. In the meantime, continue to give her water so that she does not become dehydrated. I hope this information helps!

Thanks for the question. If Ruby has been dehydrated, this will slow down the movement of food through her colon and lead to constipation. If it is constipation that is making her uncomfortable, there is usually a reason they are becoming constipation, but if you are not able to do any testing, this may be difficult to figure out. Adding a tablespoon or two of canned pumpkin to her diet can help constipation. Hopefully, that will help her be more comfortable. If she doesn't want to drink, sometimes offering ice cubes to eat can help increase their water intake, or putting a little low sodium chicken broth in the water. I hope Ruby is feeling better soon.