My dog hasn't pooped in 4 days. What should I do immediately?

Excellent question. Some pets can go 48 hours before they have a bowel movement and this can be completely normal, as long as you don't notice your dog straining to defecate. If you see your pet straining to defecate, that can indicate your pet is constipated, and he should then be seen by your veterinarian as soon as possible to relieve this issue. Best of luck with your pet and I hope he goes soon!

Thanks for using Pet Coach! Sometimes after not eating and having severe diarrhea, it can take time for a solid stool to reach the "end of the pipes" so to speak. I would say that 4 days is on the long end of what I expect so if she does not defecate in the next 12 hours, I would recommend seeing your vet to make sure she is not constipated (which could happen with serious dehydration). Overall, I'm happy because the playing and eating is a great sign. Best wishes to you and Hannah!

I recommend giving Chico a bland diet, boiled chicken and white rice. If he becomes lethargic, there is blood or he isn't eating then I recommend taking Chico to a veterinarian. Also if the diarrhea isn't resolving after another day I would consider taking him to a veterinarian. They can make sure he is not dehydrated and run a stool sample to make sure he doesn't have intestinal parasites. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Poor Lemon Drop! Given that she has not pooped in four days, I do think it's best she sees a vet immediately. I would take her into a vet now. Best of luck.

You can offer Charlie some canned pumpkin and add plenty of water to his food to help with the constipation. There are no safe over the counter enemas for dogs so please have Charlie examined by your veterinarian if he doesn't have a bowel movement soon.

You don't want to see them go longer than 48 hours without pooping, which should put you at Monday. It could something Cosita ate causing this poop, it could be an illness, a foreign body, or it could be trauma to her GI tract. The vet should hopefully be able to diagnose the cause.

Oh no, poor Molly! I would take her into a the vet right away. It's quite serious that she hasn't pooped in three days, and it could be caused by anal sac impaction, intestinal parasites, a foreign body, too little fiber in the diet, lack of exercise, or even tumors in the GI tract. The vet can give her a laxative or an enema to help her poop, or it may need to be removed manually under sedation. The vet can also diagnose the cause of the constipation and can treat her for it. Please do not give her a human enema. In addition to potentially causing trauma to her colon, human enemas are not safe to use in dog's due causing electrolyte imbalances.