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Originally Posted by Bluebells  I understand why you’re worried, and I know you don’t want to wait too long if little Cody needs medical treatment. However, I suspect that what you’re worried is constipation is actually just his digestive tract getting back to normal after his bout of diarrhea. You said he normally poops about 30 minutes after he eats. Keep in mind, though, that the poop after he eats isn’t the undigested remains of what he just ate, it’s the undigested remains of a meal he ate ten or twelve hours ago, sometimes even longer.
A dog’s entire digestive tract is about four times the length of the dog, all curled up in his abdomen. Picture it kind of like a garden hose. If you’re watering flowers, turning the water on and off between flower beds with a nozzle at the end of the hose you’re holding, water flows out as soon as you open the nozzle. But if you pick up the hose tomorrow, it will have mostly drained out overnight, and you’ll have to wait for the hose to refill from its source before water comes out your end. Cody’s digestive tract is kind of like that. It got emptied out by the diarrhea, and now it’s filling back up.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t contact your vet. It’s awful that you’re being left to figure all this out by yourself. I’m just saying that you shouldn’t panic. It sounds pretty normal after all that diarrhea. |
Very good description of digestive tract.
If I ever have to go through this again, I will not go into panic mode after your post and nanajoy's.
I know when he poops it's not from what he just ate, it's from the night before. His normal amount of food (kibble) is 2/3 cup a day, split into 2 feedings, AM and PM. I am now giving him 1 cup of chic/rice per day, that's 1/2 a cup in AM and PM. He pooped Thurs. night at 10PM which is very very late for him. Friday he did not poop at all and had a cup of food Friday, this morning he had his 1/2 cup of chic/rice, when I let him out I saw his I am going to poop trot, I was sooo excited. The dog trots in L formation, trots the width of the deck then length of the deck and repeats this 5, 6 7 times before he squats to make. I'm thinking mamma mia, I'm gonna need a shovel for this lol, only to be surprised he made a normal amount. Hopefully tonight his poop will be a bit firmer.
I cannot express how very upset I am with my vet, I just cannot believe how she just ignored my emails, this is the first time ever I cannot get to talk to her or a tech and I am with her since the early 80's.
Thank you very much for your input, it's greatly appreciated.