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My dog is gassy after diarrhea. Is this a sign of an upcoming BM?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Yorkshire Terrier | Female | spayed | 9 years and 10 months old | 3.6 lbs

Still no BM on bland diet and metronidazole after a bad bout of diarrhea and some vomit. Has not had a BM since Her last diarrhea Thursday morning. She is acting normal, eating and not trying to poop. She has started having some smelly gas. Can the bland diet (boiled chicken and pasta, will not touch rice) be causing gas? Gas is not normal for her. Could this be a sign she will have a BM soon?

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 15th, 2017

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, gas is good in this case. Bella had a bit of an ileus develop after the diarrhea & antibiotics, & the gas is an indication that her bowels are moving. She will probably have a BM in the next day or so. It might also be a good idea to include a good probiotic in her diet for the next 30 days. Fortiflora is an excellent pet product, or you can use Culturelle, a human probiotic. Hope all is well with Bella, soon. Take care.

9Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Ana M, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on December 16th, 2019
Thank you for submitting your question regarding Billy. It is not uncommon for a dog not to defecate for a period of time after being treated for diarrhea. If he is eating normally again without vomiting, I suspect that he will defecate again soon. If he is still vomiting, not eating or has more diarrhea, then he will need to see his veterinarian again. I hope this information helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on December 13th, 2019
The medication and bland diet don't work immediately. You need to give him a good 4-5 days on the medication before you can say it is or is not helping. Give it a bit more time. You don't need to freak out! He will be OK :)
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on August 17th, 2022
I'm sorry Romeo has been so sick lately, but I'm glad he went to see the vet. It is normal to see a period of no pooping after a dog has had diarrhea. It can take a few days for normal stool to form and work its way through the intestines. As long as he is eating, drinking, and otherwise acting normally, I would not worry about that. Nausea is a side effect of Metronidazole. I hope this helps!
6Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on February 12th, 2018
It is common for them to have a pause between the diarrhea and having their normal bowel movements again. As long as she's not showing signs of constipation (straining to defecate, bloated belly, painful, etc.), then it's nothing to be concerned about. She will likely have a bowel movement in the next day or two. If she went a week without defecating, or had other signs of GI problems (vomiting and not eating), then I would be more concerned and recommend she go to the vet for an evaluation. Otherwise, she should be fine and back to normal soon.

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

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