My senior dog with cancer seems constipated. What should I 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.

I'm sorry Nikita is struggling so much with constipation! Typically constipation is a chronic problem that must be managed for the entire life of the patient, but it is possible that she has cancer. It might be a good idea to talk to your vet about getting a biopsy sample of her intestines to check for cancer. This much be very hard for you to deal with, and even if she did have cancer, the prognosis is poor. I'm sure you don't want to hear this, but I would recommend looking at her quality of life. It sounds like you have done a lot for her with little to no improvement, and it may be time to consider letting her go peacefully. Letting her pass without any further pain and illness would be a kindness to her, and I would serious think about this. I'm sorry, this probably isn't something you want to read, but it may be best for her. I work for a home euthanasia service, and I face this problem with my clients all the time. If you'd like to consult with me further on this, I'd be happy to talk with you. Just click the "consult online" button under my answer. Otherwise, speak to your vet about the possibility of an intestinal biopsy or potentially letting her go peacefully.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. So sorry that Axle is not well. Unfortunately, you will not be able to distinguish between a blockage and constipation without an x-ray. I suggest you get him to your vet for an exam and some x-rays so you can figure out what is going on. I am always concerned when there is vomiting and extreme lethargy. Best wishes and I hope Axle gets well soon!

Hello, and thank you for your question. Mojo's symptoms may be indicative of gastroenteritis (a gut infection), gastrointestinal parasites, food intolerance or food allergies, pancreatitis, or inflammatory bowel disease. As you can see, the list of possibilities is long and varied. I would recommend taking him to the vet. They can perform a full physical exam and assess for any areas of pain, which would be supportive of pancreatitis (for example). They may recommend testing a stool sample for parasites, senior blood work, and/or taking x-rays of the abdomen. At minimum, they can prescribe medicine to help with the tummy upset and improve his comfort. In the meantime, I would continue with the probiotic, and try small, frequent meals of a bland diet such as boiled chicken and white rice. This may be easier for his tummy to digest. I would also think back to any new food or treats that were introduced prior to this problem starting, and if so, make sure to eliminate them in case they are contributing to his symptoms. I hope this helps, and that Mojo feels better soon!

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.

I'm sorry Pooh Bear has cancer. It sounds like your vet is doing a good job of trying to treat as best as possible, and I'm assuming the type of cancer diagnosed was transitional cell carcinoma since piroxicam has been prescribed. If that is the case, I have seen these dogs get many more months of good quality life, as long as clinical signs are controlled. If the type of cancer hasn't been determined and the diagnosis has been made on just the fact that he has an enlarged prostate, then I would caution that dogs can have adenocarcinoma of the prostate, another type of cancer which metastasizes readily and is quite aggressive, and ultimately difficult to treat. It typically does not respond to piroxicam. Straining to defecate and pain on defecation with prostatic cancers is usually due to the colon becoming trapped between the enlarged prostate and the enlarged sublumbar lymph nodes. If the cancer is a TCC, it should respond to piroxicam, and the prostate should shrink a bit, which will hopefully improve the symptoms. If the cancer is another type of cancer, unfortunately it's unlikely that the current treatment plan is going to help. Stool softeners such as lactulose may help to improve the consistency of the stool, and make it easier to pass. Your vet might also consider adding on gabapentin as an additional pain reliever to the current regimen, as that may add some additional relief.

Hi and good morning! Thank you for your question. If he has gone 3 days or more with no bowel movement, then I'd bring him into your veterinarian to check him out. He could have a blockage or a neurological issue causing dysfunction of the nerves innervating his colon, a GI tumor or kidney dysfunction causing a dehydrated colon. Keep an eye on him and keep feeding a high fiber diet as you have been. Hope he passes stool soon!