Thread: puppy constipation... need advice asap!!

I have a 3 wk. old puppy (before this turns into a discussion about how he should be with his mother) whose mother passed a few days after the littler was born. The family could not take care of 6 newborn puppies.

Anyway I feed him Esbilac puppy formula. The liquid not powder. My problem is that he's extremely constipated. He doesn't cry about it or anything. He only cries when he wants to play or eat. I took him to the vet for his first check-up and I let the doctor know that he hasn't gone poopoo with me since I got him. She gave me Laxatone (laxative for cats to pass hairballs...).

The first time the vet gave it to him he went poopie twice. Now he hasn't gone for two days. I don't know whats going on with him but I'm extremely worried. His tummy isn't hard from what I can tell and I massage his rectum with a warm wet cotton ball. That's the advice she gave me other than giving him laxative every 12 hours.

I'm on this board because the doctor said if he doesn't poop he might need to get x-rayed and maybe even an enema. I really can't afford that right now so I need advice before I try to scrounge up money for this exam... Any tips?

Thanks in advance!!

Are you massaging his rectum several times a day, or only every so often? If his mom was with him, she would be washing him and licking the anus and penis areas many times during the day. Be sure you are doing lots of that.

I never fed the Esbilac when I was raising puppies, so I can't comment for sure about its effect on a three week old puppy but if its just liquid he is getting, he may not have enough in the bowel to go as often as you think he should. Is he growing well, and does he seem comfortable?

My puppies were started on raw meat, in tiny amounts at the age of two weeks, but again, they were still nursing from their mom at the same time and she was licking and cleaning to keep the bowels and bladder active. I wonder if you will find that by letting him suck a bit on a tiny amount of canned food a few times a day, will help get something more solid in the intestines and start the bowels working.

You should still be continuing to work on the anus and penis area meanwhile since he is not fully able to do that on his own yet at three weeks. I'd be looking at his overall health and growth rate, his comfort level, etc, before I'd be starting xrays just yet.

If his tummy is not hard or distended, and he seems comfortable, maybe he is not really constipated as much as you think he is. He may just not have much waste material because of the liquid diet... Just some thoughts, you will have to use your own gut feeling about wether he is in trouble or not. By the way, just a swipe or two around the anus may not be enough, if you watch a mom licking young puppies, she is nuzzling, tipping them around, moving them quite a bit sometimes when this cleanup is going on. Are you simulating any of that at all?

That's what I thought but then again, he went poopie a few days ago. I'm done giving him laxatives seeing as how that doesnt really do anything and knowing from what laxatives can do to your bowels when there's too much, I'd rather not make it worse.

He seems perfect. He plays, sleeps all through the night. He's honestly the most comfortable puppy I've ever taken care of. There's no sign of discomfort at all...

And his tummy is perfect. I feel it everytime after he eats and he just has the puppy belly that they all get. I rub a cottonball over and over directly on the little hole the same way the momma dog would...

We'll just wait a few days and see if things haven't improved. Maybe he really doesnt need to go that much. He pees like a race horse though, haha. I'll be switching him over to a thicker formula that it more of an oatmeal consistency soon enough.

Thank you for the information. It was helpful.

I also was just going to add, if this puppy really is constipated, you would know by his general attitude. He would be moaning, and even at this young age, you would see some sort of straining, or discomfort and restlessness.

I suspect that you think he is constipated because he doesn't defecate that much, but again I would think the Esbilac liquid is just not forming that much stool. I don't know about goat's milk, I've never had to use it, perhaps PM cshellenberg and ask more about it, I don't know how it stacks up against the old formula we used to use of canned milk, egg and a touch of cornsyrup, that worked before we had the liquid Esbilac, I had to rescue orphan litters a couple of times and they were fine on that formula.

I personally tend to think that the more natural product like goat's milk is probably a good choice, but still at this point I think you should run it by the vet before you switch him over yet, and for sure when you switch, do it gradually. When you think of it, if you and I were just drinking liquids, we wouldn't be forming a lot of solid fecal material either, but we'd sure pee a lot like he is doing.

Well he's pooing regularly now that he's eating Esbilac 2nd step. Thanks for all the advice!

Yay poop!!!

try goats milk it is easy on his tummy also you can put a little bear molassas in his milk it will keep him regular if constpated also make sure you keep him hydrated i have bottle fed all kinds of baby animals and this works just make sure you keep and eye on poo it tell all it loose back off molassas if formed to solid give a little more

I'm another one that will say goat milk. I raise dairy goats and supply umteen dog breeders with it. I also breed Pembroke Welsh Corgi's and have a litter due the 25th. The mom is on the goat milk now and the pups will be also when the mom weans till they go to their new homes.

So happy to hear the pup is doing well. As your pup didn't show signs of distress I would say that he was absorbing everything he was getting. Some human babies do that also when in a growing sturt.

Again, happy to here he's doing well.

Originally Posted by blackgavotte

If his mom was with him, she would be washing him and licking the anus and penis areas many times during the day. Be sure you are doing lots of that.

NOT THE LICKING...I Hope!!!!!! lol.

use vegtable oil a tsp spoon in mounth .and termometer.put in put hole very little in you are just popy a bubble like.my vet told to do .it work for me.but you may have to do again later. heagy

This is a thread from 2006 I am sure that the puppy either went to the vet or is not longer constipated.....

actually the puppy is almost 15 mos old now.
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Here is my 1st post.Constipation is the major problem now-a-days raising for the animals.I am also expecting some suggestions on that.Thank you.