Your dog squats down, pushes and pushes, but he can’t defecate?
Maybe you suspect that your fur nose Digestive problems or even an intestinal blockage has.
In this article you will find out which symptoms you can use to recognize an intestinal obstruction in dogs.
Intestinal obstruction symptoms in dogs: what are the typical signs?
Can you observe your dog vomiting or refusing to eat? This, combined with a lack of stool, can indicate an intestinal obstruction.
Your dog’s digestion usually works like clockwork, but today it seems a little different? He sits down, but no stool comes out.
You may have noticed that your dog stretches strangely several times and puts its behind in the air.
These are symptoms of an intestinal obstruction in dogs. If you add fatigue, weakness and a bloated stomach, you can also recognize an intestinal obstruction in the dog.
Fever or a sharp drop in temperature can also be a sign of advanced intestinal obstruction in dogs.
Just when a dog shows some of these symptoms for an intestinal obstruction together, the alarm bells should be ringing for you.
Good to know
Intestinal obstructions are often caused by a dog swallowing a foreign object. These can be stones, parts of sticks or toys.
But intestinal parasites, tumors or an inflamed pancreas can also severely impair intestinal function.
problems with defecation
If your dog is squeezing but just won’t defecate, this can be a sign of a dog’s intestinal obstruction.
Chewed food travels through the digestive tract for about 24 hours.
Due to this long way, however, it is possible that an intestinal obstruction in the dog is not recognized until late.
If your dog doesn’t defecate within a day, it may have an intestinal obstruction. Therefore, you should keep a close eye on him and look out for other symptoms of an intestinal obstruction in the dog.
prayer posture
If there is also a very strange posture in addition to the lack of poop, you can see this as another sign of an intestinal obstruction in the dog.
At the so-called prayer posture the dog stretches its hindquarters in the air and its head downwards.
He occupies this position several times in a row.
Bloated stomach
When you have an intestinal obstruction, your dog’s body is on high alert. Because of the bottleneck, the mash of feed in the intestine comes to a standstill.
Where you can’t go any further, the food pulp accumulates.
NThe mass of the pulp, which stretches the intestines, can also produce gases. This will further inflate your dog’s stomach.
An unusually gassy stomach is therefore a symptom of an intestinal obstruction in dogs.
In addition, your dog has abdominal pain and is very sensitive to touch in the abdominal region. Your dog will not like to be petted and may even react aggressively.
food refusal
Your dog gets progressively worse with an intestinal obstruction. The mashed food is stuck in his intestines and stretches it greatly.
This can result in the Intestine shifts and presses on other organs. That causes pain.
Therefore, if your dog has an intestinal obstruction, it will stop eating.
fatigue
In connection with other symptoms, fatigue can also be a sign of an intestinal obstruction in the dog.
Because your dog will be in pain. He also lacks the energy to move.
Fever is another symptom that can indicate an intestinal obstruction.
Danger
Especially young dogs in the change of teeth tend to chew everything that comes in front of their snout.
So it can quickly happen that pieces of the toy, chestnuts or other foreign objects are swallowed.
It is therefore better to always offer your young dog chews to satisfy its great need to chew without any danger.
When should I go to the vet and what are the treatment options for an intestinal obstruction?
If you suspect an intestinal obstruction in your dog based on the above symptoms, you should contact an animal hospital or your veterinarian immediately.
An intestinal obstruction requires veterinary treatment.
If you wait too long with an intestinal obstruction, parts of the intestine may die, the contents of the intestine may break through the intestinal wall, your dog will go into shock and may die.
During the veterinary examination, the abdomen is checked with an ultrasound, among other things. In this way it can be determined whether and which intestinal obstruction is present.
Because the causes can be very different.
X-rays may also be necessary to determine what is causing the bowel obstruction.
Depending on the type of intestinal obstruction, the vet will give your dog antispasmodic or laxative medication. In some cases, surgery is also required.
Especially when parts of the intestine have already died or been injured, sections of the intestine have to be removed or sewn up.
It is also possible that an object is blocking the bowel and needs to be surgically removed.
Does your dog sometimes swallow objects and have needed surgery as a result? Tell us in the comments.