Pooping is a natural thing for your dog to do. It’s the body’s way of getting rid of waste materials. However, they cannot go too long without doing it, or else it can get dangerous, so we did some research on how long is too long.
How long can a dog go without pooping? Dogs can go up to 48 hours without pooping, but if they haven’t pooped in longer than 48 hours you should take your dog to the vet.
Keep reading for more information on how often your dog should be pooping and what it could mean if your dog hasn’t pooped for a long time.
BEFORE YOU CONTINUE READING: If your dog has not pooped in longer than 48 hours you should seek the help of a veterinarian.
Table of Contents
How Long Can A Dog Go Without Pooping?
How long can a dog go without pooping? Dogs can go about 48 hours without pooping. If your dog has not pooped for 48 hours it’s time to visit your vet.
These things need to pass from your dog fairly quickly to keep your dog healthy and happy. But what if your dog is sick, constipated? How long can a dog go without pooping?
Reasons Why A Dog Might Not Poo
A normal dog will poop 1-3 times a day.
This will vary depending on the amount of food a dog eats, if you are fasting your dog, how many times a day he is feed, and what the dog is fed.
There can be several other factors including stress, exercise, mineral intake, and sleep quality.
A dog may not poop because you have chosen to do some intermittent fasting with him.
Fasting can be a great way to help rest his digestive tract and allow his body to heal and cleanse. But he will poop less or not at all after fasting.
Another reason your dog may not poop is that he is constipated. This is a fairly rare thing for dogs to experience but it can happen.
What Is Constipation In Dogs?
A dog is considered constipated if they are straining to poo, have very hard poop, or if there is a lack of pooping.
This is generally not something that you need to be super worried about. You might want to talk to your vet or change up your dog’s diet if you notice that he is often constipated.
It could be the sign of an underlying disease or simply a food sensitivity. You should visit your vet if your dog has not passed a stool for 48 hours or more.
Puppies on the other hand poop way more often! If you notice that your puppy hasn’t pooped for 12 hours this could be cause for concern.
Symptoms Of Constipation In Dogs
Your dog may be constipated if you notice these symptoms:
- Straining
- Crying while attempting to poop
- Hard, dry stool
- Small round stools
- Bum scooting
- Trying to lick their rear end
- Hindquarter weakness
- Pain
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
Possible Reasons For Constipation
Less Serious Possibilities:
- Lack of exercise
- Not drinking enough water, dehydration
- Too much or too little fiber/roughage in the diet
- Food sensitivity
- Stress
- Medications
- Internal parasites
More Serious Possibilities:
- Tumors or masses
- Cancer
- Hernias
- Pain when crouching to poop (possibly indicating back, pelvic, hip, or knee pain)
- Enlarge prostate
- Kidney disease
- Thyroid issues
- Injuries
- Nervous system issues
Home Remedies For Constipation
The first and most important thing that you can do to prevent/treat constipation is to feed your dog a raw, species-appropriate diet. If your dog’s diet is on point, then his poop should be too.
Feeding pro and prebiotics to help the microbiome can also prove very useful in preventing constipation. Adding in a quality digestive enzyme may be beneficial as well.
It is also very important to make sure your dog always has access to fresh, clean drinking water. Yes, that means even when your dog is created they should have access to water. It also means that you bring water along for your dog on walks.
Speaking of walks, making sure your dog gets plenty of appropriate exercises is another way to prevent constipation. If your dog is currently suffering from constipation taking them for a walk may help work the stool out.
Feeding a constipated dog organic canned pumpkin can also help. Canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix, can help with diarrhea or constipation.
Add in 1-4 tablespoons (depending on the size of your dog) of organic canned pumpkin to help ease constipation.
Try to get your dog to drink more water. Water can help to hydrate those hard dry stools your dog is trying to pass. If your dog doesn’t want to drink any more water try bone broth or a little coconut water.
Both of these options offer added benefits of minerals and electrolytes that should help your pup.
You could also use the herb slippery elm.
Slippery elm can help to soothe and lubricate. To give your dog slippery elm open the capsule and mix it with your dog’s food or a bit of yogurt.
Use 1/4 of a capsule twice daily for small dogs, 1/2 capsule twice daily for medium dogs, and 1-2 capsules twice daily for large and giant breeds.
Conclusion
HOW LONG CAN A DOG GO WITHOUT POOPING? DOGS CAN GO UP TO 48 HOURS WITHOUT POOPING.
Now you know that dogs can go up to 48 hours without pooping, but any longer and you should definitely seek help from a veterinarian.
Thankfully there are lots of things that you can do at home to relieve your dog’s constipation or prevent your dog from getting constipated.
But it cannot be stressed enough that you should get a proffesional’s help in a situation where your dog’s health is at risk.
RESOURCES
https://www.petmd.com/dog/care/dog-constipation-why-its-medical-emergency
https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/dog-constipation-causes-treatment
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-soothing-qualities-of-slippery-elm/
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-you-should-fast-your-dog/
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-health-benefits-of-coconut-oil/
https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/can-pumpkin-help-with-dog-diarrhea/