My injured dog on pain meds hasn't pooped in days. What to do?

Hi. I'm so sorry about Bella's diagnosis. Be sure to talk with her veterinarian about palliative care and pain management. If she is straining try to differentiate if she is trying to urinate vs defecate. If she is having difficulties with defecation you can try increasing the fiber of her food with a bit of canned pumpkin and/or moisture content with wet/canned dog food. Make all diet changes slowly so as not to cause diarrhea. If this isn't enough ask her vet about stool softeners or laxatives she can have.

Oh no. Poor guy. Loss of appetite and decreased mobility can indicate that he is painful or has an infection of some sort. I would highly recommend taking Bentley in to your local vet for some bloodwork analysis to check his organ function as well as a thorough exam to try and pinpoint what the underlying problem is exactly so that we best know how to treat him. I am sorry your furry friend is so ill and hope that he is able to make a full and speedy recovery soon! Best wishes and take care.

Poor Bella! This is a situation where you should absolutely have your pet seen by a veterinarian. They can do a physical exam to determine where and why she is painful, also blood work and x-rays could also be done. At the very least, it sounds like she needs a pain medication, which your vet can provide. Hope this helps, and best wishes.

Congratulations on your new puppy! If Bella is acting completely normal otherwise and defecated a large amount yesterday, I wouldn't be too concerned. It is common for puppies to take some time to regulate their bathroom habits after changing homes and/or changing foods. If you do notice signs of illness (vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, poor appetite), then I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam.

Not being able to poop isn't a side effect of the medications Trixie is on, and I'm concerned that her not being able to poop is due to her back. Back problems are common in Dachshunds, and pressure on the nerves of the back can cause bowel problems. I'd take her into a vet immediately.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Mila. I am sorry to hear about her injuries. Was she placed under anesthesia to clean and treat her wounds? If so, anesthesia can slow down her gastrointestinal tract. It is normal not to defecate for a day or two afterwards. Otherwise, it may be painful for her to hold the position to defecate. I would talk to her veterinarian today to see if her pain medications need to be adjusted or if she just needs more time. I hope this information helps!

Please contact your vets office to discuss her progress as without a full history of all of her injuries and wounds, how much she ate or drank when she was in the clinic and how well she had been toileting before she went home it is impossible to guess whether this is expected or if it is a set back from how well she had been doing. Tehy may need to adjust her pain medications, or assist her either with enemas or manual expression of the bladder which would require an extended hospital stay until she is more stable or they may be able to demnostrate some handling and exercises to help support her balance and encourage her to toilet normally