How do you tell if a dog is constipated or has blockage?

In the life of raising pets, the health of dogs concerns every owner. When they have abnormal defecation, the owner often falls into worry and anxiety. Is it ordinary constipation or severe intestinal blockage? The following article will analyze the key points for you professionally and warmly to help you protect the health of your dog.

When we observe that the dog has difficulty defecating and abdominal discomfort, the heart-wrenching feeling is indescribable. To distinguish whether the dog is constipated or intestinal blockage, first start with the defecation characteristics. Constipated dogs can usually excrete a small amount of dry, hard, granular feces. When defecating, they may show movements such as exerting force and arching their backs, but they can still excrete some with difficulty. This is just like us humans occasionally have poor defecation due to improper diet. Although the process is painful, there is still feces discharged. Dogs with intestinal blockage may not be able to defecate at all. Even if there is a defecation movement, it is in vain, and the anus is empty. This is because the intestines are blocked by foreign objects and feces cannot pass normally. Imagine that the intestines are like a busy transportation channel. Once blocked by foreign objects, the transportation work will be completely stagnant.

The dog's behavior and mental state are also important criteria for judgment. Although constipated dogs will feel uncomfortable due to abdominal distension, their overall mental state usually does not change much. They will still respond to the owner's call and maintain a certain interest in their favorite toys and food, but they may reduce their activity due to physical discomfort. Dogs with intestinal blockage will show obvious mental depression, listlessness, and no interest in everything around them. They used to be lively and active, but they may lie on the ground all day long. Even if the owner tempts them with their favorite snacks, they will only look up reluctantly, with pain and helplessness in their eyes. This change in mental state is as if the dog is telling the owner about his discomfort in silent language.

In terms of appetite, constipated dogs may have a loss of appetite because the distension of the abdomen will affect their desire to eat, but they will not completely refuse to eat. Just like when we are uncomfortable in the stomach, although we don't want to eat, we can still eat a little. Dogs with intestinal blockage often refuse to eat completely, even ignoring their favorite food. This is because the pain and discomfort caused by intestinal obstruction make them unable to have an appetite at all, and they may even vomit after eating. The nature of vomitus is also different. Dogs with constipation generally do not vomit, or only occasionally vomit a small amount of undigested food; dogs with intestinal obstruction will vomit more frequently, and the vomit may contain foam, mucus, and even blood or yellow-green bile in severe cases, which indicates that the intestinal obstruction is very serious and the dog's body is suffering greatly.

Abdominal examination can also help us make a preliminary judgment. Gently touch the abdomen of a constipated dog, and you can feel hard feces in the intestines. These feces are like small lumps, accumulating in the intestines. The dog may dodge slightly because of the discomfort when touched, but generally will not show severe pain reactions. The abdomen of a dog with intestinal obstruction may be locally swollen, and the dog will show obvious pain when touched, and may whine or even resist touch.

However, observation of these symptoms alone is not enough to make an accurate judgment. Because some early symptoms of intestinal obstruction may be similar to constipation, it is easy to cause misdiagnosis. Therefore, once you find that your dog has abnormal bowel movements, it is very important to take them to the pet hospital for professional examination in time. Veterinarians usually use X-rays, B-ultrasound and other imaging examinations to clearly see the situation in the intestines, determine whether it is constipation or intestinal blockage, and the specific location and severity of the blockage.

Whether it is constipation or intestinal blockage, it will cause great pain to the dog. As owners, we must always pay attention to the dog's physical condition, start with daily diet, ensure that they consume enough water and dietary fiber, and prevent constipation. If you unfortunately find that your dog has abnormalities, you must stay calm, seek professional help in time, and use our love and actions to help the dog overcome the disease and regain its former vitality and health.