Why isn't my dog pooping after foreign body, bland diet, and meds?

I would call your vet to see if it could be a side effect of the medications prescribed. Remember, if no food goes in, there won’t be stool to come out, so I think the biggest problem is not wanting to eat/nausea. Some medications can cause this to happen. Or there could be a second issue causing the poor appetite. You can try bland human foods like boiled chicken breast and cooked white rice to entice Lucky to eat.

Sometimes a dog will not "go" for 24 - 48 hours after anti-diarrheal medications have been started. Think of it like this: the system was essentially empty due to the [diarrhea](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/diarrhea-1/), and if the medication is effective, it will slow down the transit time of food through the GI tract and it will take a couple of days for him to actually need to poop again. As long as he is eating and drinking and feeling good, I would not immediately panic. I do often see dogs recovering from diarrhea go as much as 48 - 72 hours before having a bowel movement. If it's longer than this, or if he's not feeling well, get him rechecked immediately.

I would continue to watch Midnight. If she ate part of a bedsheet that gets stuck in her small intestine, dogs will often be lethargic, have a decreased appetite, belly pain, or vomiting. Sometimes things like a sheet will move slowly through the intestines, and it could take 3-5 days to come out. If the dog is feeling ill, then often IV fluids and enemas can help it pass a little faster. If the dog is very ill, then surgery would be needed to remove the obstruction.

Sometimes when they have diarrhea and haven't eaten as much it takes a few days to build up enough stool to have a proper bowel movement. If he is struggling or straining to poop then yes, I would be concerned. But if he is eating, drinking, not vomiting and acting normally, then I wouldn't be concerned. If he hasn't had a BM by tomorrow morning, I would have your vet take another look at him. I hope this helps!

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!

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!

I am very sorry to hear that Lelani has been so unwell. It sounds as though she is on a great treatment Plan. It can be normal for some constipation to follow a gastrointestinal upset. I would continue to monitor her at home for a few hours. If by the end of the day she still hasn't had a bowel movement, or if she seems in pain or lethargic I Would take her back into the veterinarian. The concern is for a foegein body obstruction. But because she seems happy and active it is less likely.