Why isn't my 4-week-old puppy pooping? Her belly is swollen.

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.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. Poor Lemon Drop! Given that she has not pooped in four days, I do think it's best she sees a vet immediately. I would take her into a vet now. Best of luck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It could be big if it recently ate. You can also rub the rectal area with a wet cloth to stimulate the puppy to poop. If it really isn’t poopIng at all, then I would be concerned there is a defect preventing the puppy from pooping. If it’s just not going often, continue to stimulate with the wet cloth every 2-3 hours. Good luck and kisses to the pups!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I wouldn’t worry yet at just 36 hours. Some dogs are particular about their pooping habits. As long as she is eating, playful and not straining give her more time. If she can urinate in her own she can poop on her own. You can also call the person you got her from to double check what she did with them. Since you are seeing your vet tomorrow she should be fine. Have a good day!

Oh no, it's not good that Ellie is so constipated! It could be she has such a heavy burden of worms it's causing the constipation despite the deworming treatment. It is concerning that she hasn't pooped for two days and she is crying when she tries to go to the toilet. In such a young puppy, this is something that needs to be treated now by a vet. She may need a laxative or an enema to help her pass feces, which should only be given by a vet. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

It's not normal to have blood in the stool, and if Lola didn't go at all yesterday and her stool is currently hard, it could be that she has constipation. Constipation can 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. I recommend giving her a tablespoon of canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) mixed in with her food to see if that helps. If she is still constipated in 24-48 hours, she will need to see a vet as she will likely need a laxative or an enema. Your vet can diagnose the cause of the constipation as well.

Hi. If Aloy is bottle feeding she may still need to be stimulated to poop. Use a damp warm cotton swab and wipe around her anus to try to stimulate her to poop. Mom licks the puppies to stimulate them to pee and poop so that is what you are trying to imitate. If she had been on cows milk before and no formula this can cause some GI issues. If she still does not produce any stool today she may need a gentle enema but I recommend taking her to a vet for that the first time and have them teach you if it's necessary. Good luck with little Aloy.