Dog Intestinal Blockages & Dog Enemas
Is your dog having trouble going to the bathroom? Looking to learn more about constipation and dog enemas? Like humans, dogs can get constipated too! What you feed your dog can cause constipation. Sometimes it can be caused by what they are eating, because dogs can get into foods when you’re not watching. Whether it be waste from the garbage or inedible household items, dogs can be causing harm to themselves.
Is Your Dog Eating Garbage?
We often throw away food scraps we don’t want but they still smell yummy to dogs. Hazardous foods that end up in the garbage include: chicken bones, cobs from corn, peach pits, and steak bones. Of course we all know our dogs would be happy to get their paws on any of these items. Unfortunately, if a dog ingests these he/she can suffer from severe constipation, an intestinal blockage, or a puncture to their digestive system. So it is important that your dog doesn’t have access to the garbage. Don’t let your dog access your garbage barrels, keep them covered. If they find those barrels, your dog could eat garbage.
Is Your Dog Eating Toilet Paper?
Dogs don’t always look for food in the kitchen. They may look for treats in other rooms of your home as well. Shoes in your closet, toys in your child’s room, or toilet paper in the bathroom are all possibilities. Ultimately, chewing on any these objects can cause serious damage. If your dog chews and swallows these items, you may face a real problem. Ingesting small toys and pieces of shoes can cause choking. If these objects make their way through your dog’s digestive tract into the colon, bleeding and blocked bowel movements can occur.
On the other hand, if your dog is eating toilet paper and tissues it can also cause blockages in your dog’s digestive system. Your dog may swallow it easily, resulting in less worry. While toilet paper may not cause any bleeding or punctures, it is likely to cause extreme constipation. The tissues and toilet paper will bind up with your dog’s bowels and this will prevent their bowels from properly moving through their intestines.
Dog Constipation
So, what should you do if your dog is constipated? The best answer is to consult your vet first. Adding Miralax to their food is one option. Dogs can ingest Miralax even though it is not a dog laxative. Miralax works best for dogs who ingested something like corn. Miralax is not good dog laxative if he/she ingested an object like a toy or rigid item. Forcing this object to move further through your dog’s digestive system could cause more damage. Your best bet is to bring your dog into the vet for them to surgically remove the object.
Dog Enemas
If your dog ingested toilet paper then your vet may recommend an enema. During an enema your vet will flush your dog’s rectum with liquid. The liquid helps expel the contents inside your dog’s intestines and colon. Before performing an enema an X-ray of your dog’s digestive system to locate the blockage is required. Once the dog enema is performed the blockage is released. Next, to see what caused the blockage, your vet will inspect your dog’s bowels. Like most procedures performed at the vet, dog enemas are expensive. For example, Vets local to our area charge approximately $280 for an enema. Contact your vet for potential expenses. Although medical procedures can be costly, never avoid bringing your dog to the vet to avoid an expensive bill because your dog’s life may depend on it!
Kimberly Mattar
Published October 6th, 2015
Updated September 3rd, 2020
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Kim is the co-owner of DogLoverStore with her husband, John. She earned her BS in operations management at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. She enjoys walking in nature, gardening in the sun, eating sour candy, going on drives, yoga, and reading.