My dog won't drink water, eats ice, and has soft poop post-surgery?

I'm glad Lou is recovering well from his surgery! While it is concerning he won't drink water, it's good he will take the ice chips. He's still getting water if he's taking the ice chips . Try putting the ice chips in water, and you can also give him ice chips alone as well. If after a couple of days he's still refusing to drink water, then I'd give his vet a call. Best of luck!

She may not have a drive to drink if she received iv fluids during her procedures and you are meeting what she needs through her diet. If she is otherwise happy with normal appetite and energy level and no vomiting or diarrhea you can continue monitoring. If any of these change in addition to not drinking then that would be more concerning as dehydration could ensue. I hope this helps and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If the dental surgery was yesterday I would give it some more time for the interest in water to come back. I've seen this commonly post operatively where the patient does not want to eat or drink for 1-3 days after the procedure and is then fine after. If she is not taking in any water at all, you can syringe feed her some water throughout the day to ensure she is taking in enough water. Adding moisture to the kibble will give her water but likely not enough if you are only adding a small amount. I would add in 1/2-1 cup of water to the kibble and see how she does with this. If the decreased thirst continues beyond 2-3 days, I would call your veterinarian again and discuss this with him / her over the phone about what they would like you to do next. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. Please take the time to mark this question as helpful or not as it helps us to improve on the quality of our answers to other pet owners. Thank you kindly!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lucy. Anesthesia will slow down the gastrointestinal tract and make bowel movements less frequent. Plus she was probably not eating well before surgery due to being ill and most patients are fasted for a bit after surgery. This means there is likely less food in her system to come out. Unless she is straining to defecate, it is typically not worrisome that she is not defecating regularly yet. As far as the drinking, she most likely received IV fluids under anesthesia and while hospitalized. This would have provided her with a large amount of fluids. Now eating the canned food, this is supplying her with moisture as well. As long as she is eating and is acting normally, then I suspect her recovery is going well. If you have any concerns though, I would seek emergency care this weekend just to be sure. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. It could be there was something in the water that has upset Bentley’s stomach, leading to the softer stools and drinking more water. I’d keep an eye on him for now. If he develops diarrhea, starts vomiting, becomes lethargic, and/or stops eating, I would have him seen by a vet. I hope this helps!

Poor guy. The fact that he is producing urine and pooping means that he is getting something in his system. Is he getting people food instead? If he is eating some people food, try mixing the food in with his normal kibble. Or you can try another brand of dog food that is perhaps more palatable for him. Some good dog food brands to consider are: Royal Canin, Eukanuba, or Purina One. If he still doesn't want to eat his normal food after 2-4 days or starts acting abnormal or lethargic in any way, then at that point it is best to get him checked by your vet just to make sure everything is ok. Best of luck with your pet Shadow moving forward and I hope that he regains his normal appetite soon! Take care. : )

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. I would recommend adding 1 tbsp of canned pumpkin to his diet and see if this helps normalize his bowel movements. If by the bandage change he has not defecated, you can discuss other options with your veterinarian. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.