My dog can't poop after enema, only gas. Is this an emergency?

Your dog probably feels like she needs to poop but there is nothing left in her colon if your veterinarian did a complete enema. At this point I would try offering her a small now easily digestible food like some plain boiled chicken and rice, and see if she eats. She may need additional pain meds for a few days to get through the discomfort being impacted. I would also recommend you put her on a prescription diet that is specifically made for dogs with G.I. issues because it will help her stay regular. You may also want to ask your vet about a medication called lactulose. This medication can be given daily and can help keeps two songs and make them easier to pass. Make sure Coco has plenty of water as well. If she becomes dehydrated it will make it more difficult for her to poop. If she is still straining to poop, starts vomiting, stops wanting to eat, or has diarrhea, then I would recommend taking her back to your vet for a recheck. Otherwise just trying to keep her comfortable, exercising regularly, and drinking plenty of water and hopefully her stools will return to normal. Please let us know if you have any additional questions or concerns. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

All of this could be caused by her being dehydrated and still impacted with feces. Her panting is a sign of possible pain, from her impaction. Also she may not want to eat or drink because she is full of poop and/or nauseous. It is hard to say for sure without looking at her myself, but it sounds like she needs another enema, subcutaneous fluids to hydrate her, an anti-nausea medication (Cerenia) and then be placed on an easily digestible diet (i.e. Any hypoallergenic food or Iams limited ingredient, Evo brand, or Royal Canin hypoallergenic hydrolysis protein). Also your vet should rule out any type of foreign body in her intestinal tract. I hope your fur baby feels better soon.

It's not been 2 days yet, I wouldn't be too worried yet, after an enema a dog can go without pooping for 2-3 days and it is considered normal, as the enema has emptied all his intestines. If he is eating and overall himself- continue monitoring him.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, the effect of a warm water enema is only temporary and he should be able to go back to his normal defection habits within hours of the enema so he should be ok. Good luck and have a great day!

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!

It's possible he is still in pain and is reluctant to defecate. It's also possible a medication may have caused constipation. I recommend to call the clinic and tell them what is happening. They may recommend a stool softner or a change in medication. Here is a link about pumpkin and taking him for a walk may also help. https://www.petcoach.co/article/constipation-in-dogs-101-what-you-need-to-know/ I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Diarrhea resolving can take a few days, so it is normal that it isn't as solid as normal. The straining however isn't normal. I would recommend checking to make sure around her anus looks ok (no bleeding or wounds), and if you can feel under her anus at the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions, does it feel like hard marbles are under the skin. If this is the case she could have full anal glands which can be making her uncomfortable in her back end. This would require a vet visit to empty them before they burst. Otherwise, as long as she is eating/playing, I would just monitor her to see if the behaviour continues. If she is still straining tomorrow I would take Riley to the vet to make sure she isn't constipated, but it might just be a one-off episode. If her next poop is normal without straining then I wouldn't worry about it. Best of luck with Riley!