My 10-day-old orphaned puppies are constipated. How can I help?

Hello. Wow, you really have your hands full, but all I can say is thank you for caring so much. As for this pup, if it is nursing, I would not be too concerned. The time to administer a enema is if the pup seems really uncomfortable. You can use 2-3 mls of warm water as needed. Were you supplementing the first week & now the puppies are nursing well from mom? If so, they may be just needing to adjust. Try to do as much stimulation as you can. Make sure the puppies have excellent footing as the more they move the more this will help to stimulate a BM. I like something like fake sheepskin. Weigh the puppies daily, or at least the one(s) that concern you. Puppies should gain 5-10% body weight daily. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Make sure you are simulating her to poop. Puppies this young cannot defecate without this. (Rub the anus gently for 10-20 seconds with a warm wet cloth/paper towel.) This needs to be done before or after every feeding (about every 2 hours). If that is not working within 8 hours, you need to see a vet. Do NOT attempt an enema on a puppy this small. Also make sure you’re feeding the puppy mild replacer EXACTLY as directed on the can. Diluting it or feeding too little can cause problems. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Topani!

Mom kicks them to stimulate then to go and invest all urine and fecal material. You generally won’t see it until they get a little older or she backs off taking care of them. If they are eating and growing then she is doing a good job and I would not worry

I don’t believe that this can be caused by the mothers milk. However, it could possibly be caused by GI parasites. You did not say if the puppies had been dewormed by the veterinarian. If not, you should speak to your veterinarian about obtaining deworming medications for the puppies and possibly also for the mom.

Young puppies can become constipated with milk replacer. I would recommend making an appointment with a veterinarian for an examination. They may give an enema if Marvel seems constipated, and they can also show you he proper way to stimulate him to urinate or defecate. At two weeks old he may also need a deworming.

I recommend taking diamond to a veterinarian due to her young age. It is possible diet or parasites are causing the constipation and painful rectum. Unfortunately their are not great ways to fix this without a veterinarians help.

Hydration and exercise. Get him to drink some water or a water/unflavored PediaLyte mix. Walk him around the house or play for 20-30 minutes. You can also try stimulating elimination by using a warm, wet washcloth and circle the rectum gently. If he doesn't defecate, see your veterinarian.