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My puppy hasn't pooped in 3 days. Is it serious? When to see a vet?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Maltese | Female | spayed | 1 year and 6 months old | 10 lbs

my puppy has not gone to the bathroom (po-po) for 3 days.now. what can i do. she will be 2 in august

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on March 5th, 2017

Oh no, poor Molly! I would take her into a the vet right away. It's quite serious that she hasn't pooped in three days, and it could be caused by anal sac impaction, intestinal parasites, a foreign body, too little fiber in the diet, lack of exercise, or even tumors in the GI tract. The vet can give her a laxative or an enema to help her poop, or it may need to be removed manually under sedation. The vet can also diagnose the cause of the constipation and can treat her for it. Please do not give her a human enema. In addition to potentially causing trauma to her colon, human enemas are not safe to use in dog's due causing electrolyte imbalances.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on January 30th, 2019
Poor girl. I can see how this would worry you based on what your vet has told you. An enema can cause some irritation of the colon, especially as the hard feces exits out of the system. This is not uncommon.
I would treat her with antibiotics and a probiotic to see if this improves the bloody stool first before having to do x-rays unless there is additional information that the vet is aware of to cause concern. As long as she is acting normal and eating well, she likely will improve with probiotics and antibiotics alone over the next 4-7 days. I am not sure what kind of injection your vet gave, but a probiotic and bland diet should be started right away. You can even use over the counter probiotic Culturelle daily for now and then ask your vet for Metronidaozle (antibiotic) to help with the inflammation of her gut.
I hope that Dora recovers soon from her recent bout of constipation and now irritation. Best of luck and take care!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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