4 Apr 2016

Reduced defecation in dogs post-surgery

Many dogs will not pass faeces for the first 4 to 5 days after surgery.

Anonymous, Victoria Woolfe

Job Title



Reduced defecation in dogs post-surgery
Dog sign
Image ©iStock.com/timurka

Many dogs will not pass faeces for the first four to five days after surgery.

Reasons include, but are not limited to:

  • The dog has been fasted prior to surgery.
  • Dogs do not eat well during the hospital stay.
  • They frequently do not eat well when they go home, as they are still recovering fully from anaesthesia.
  • They are fed highly digestible recovery food that produces little faeces.
  • Analgesia that contains narcotics (such as morphine, fentanyl patches and tramadol) can cause constipation.

Most dogs respond well to laxatives, such as lactulose, or a little vegetable oil in their food.