My dog has vestibular disease and is constipated. What should I do?

Hello and thank you very much for your question. I am jealous that you live in Australia. It seems great. As long as your poodle is eating, drinking, and playing normally, I would not be concerned yet. In fact, many older animals don’t have as many bowel movements daily as younger dogs do. I have even heard situations about completely normal animals not defecating for an entire week. But, If your pet has not defecated in another 48 hours, you may want to call the veterinarian just to see if they will prescribe a laxative or a fiber supplement to help the bowel movements along. If your dog, however, starts to feel lethargic or if they do not eat as much as they normally do, I encourage you to contact the veterinarian sooner than the 48 hour waiting period. I hope I have given a satisfying answer to your question. Have a great day.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry that Coby isn't feeling well. I recommend following the diet plan that his veterinarian outlined for him. Often, bland foods that are easy to digest are recommended, canned food such as Hills I/D or Proplan EN are often recommended. If he has any more vomitting (especially after medications), straining or is painful/uncomfortable I do recommend having him evaluated or hospitalized overnight. It can take anywhere from 6-20 hours or so for food to move through the digestive tract, a lot depends on what food was ingested. If he has any further signs, additional diagnostics such as an ultrasound or contrast study may be recommended to further rule out GI obstruction or other disease. I hope Coby is back to normal quickly!

I'm sorry to hear that Buddy is not feeling well. If a dog is very constipated oftentimes they will stop eating because they have an overall feeling of fullness. Since I don't know what other medications Buddy is on it is hard to know what to recommend in this instance. Of course calling or taking him to see your vet that prescribed the medication would be a good starting point. If you are unable to do that at this time some things you can do at home are making sure he's drinking plenty of water (because sometime dehydration can lead to constipation) and trying to get him to eat something with a lot of fiber such as canned pumpkin. If these suggestions aren't working I would take Buddy in to see your vet. Sometimes there is a serious underlying problem to constipstion and you dog may need fluid therapy, an enema and/or a diet change.

It is not entirely clear from your post whether Chase has had diarrhea or if you are concerned he is constipated. If he has been having diarrhea for the past three days you should consider seeing your veterinarian. There are many, many potential causes ranging from stomach upset, eating non-food items, to intestinal parasites or even more serious diseases. Your veterinarian might recommend testing a stool sample to start, and depending on Chase's physical exam may then recommend prescription treatments. I would continue with the bland diet until he can be examined and make sure he has access to plenty of water. I typically don't get too concerned about a lack of bowel movements unless a dog is straining without producing stool. That being said it is a little concerning that Chase's appetite is decreased so if this behavior continues or you are concerned he is straining and may be constipated you should again see your vet. He could have ingested a foreign object causing constipation or might have electrolyte changes that lead to decreased motility in the bowel. I hope this answers your question - feel free to repost and clarify if necessary!

Poor Rascal! It is very concerning that he hasn't passed stool in 5 days and he could be constipated. He could also have a back or hip issue making it painful to defecate. Dogs can sprain their tail which can be very painful so that is also a possibility. If your vet is not able to diagnose and treat then you could go to a different vet for a second opinion. He might just need an anti-inflammatory and pain medications. Hope he feels better soon!

Hello and thank you for your question and reaching out to our consultation service. If your dog has not eaten in three days, this is something you should be very concerned about and should seek veterinary attention immediately. If your dog, however, is eating completely normal but has not defecated in three days, this is nothing to be worried about yet. As long as your dog continues to eat normally, drink normally, Urinating normally, and plays, it sometimes can take up to a week to have a bowel movement. But if at any point your dog starts to act or look sick, you need to go to the veterinarian soon as possible. I hope I’ve given you the information you needed. Thanks for your question

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! A few tablespoons of plain canned pumpkin (not the pie filling) or a tablespoon of Psyllium powder (unflavored) can help move things along. However the other symptoms you mentioned do sound concerning to me. Decreased appetite along with drinking more water frequently and constipation may signal a kidney function issue, liver issue, or may be due the development of diabetes among other causes. My recommendation would be to have Pretty girl seen by her veterinarian as soon as possible for an exam and perhaps some blood work to check her organ function as there may be an underlying health issue here. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!