Constipation means feces are passed rarely or with difficulty, and what does come out is usually hard and dry. In dogs it is a sign rather than a diagnosis: the job is to relieve the impaction safely and then find out why it formed, whether that is a bone-heavy diet, an enlarged prostate, a perineal hernia or an old pelvic fracture.
Key facts
Constipation at a glance- Species and system: dog; colon and rectum (large intestine).
- Definitions: constipation is infrequent or difficult defecation; obstipation is constipation that cannot be relieved because the dry fecal mass cannot be evacuated (it can extend back to the ileocolic valve); megacolon is a dilated, hypomotile colon, far more common in cats than dogs.
- Typical dog: in a 58-dog series of colonic impaction, 78% were intact males and the median age was 7 years.
- Common causes: ingested bone, hair or other material; dehydration; prostatomegaly; perineal hernia; narrowed pelvic canal after fracture; drugs such as opioids.
- Classic presentation: straining (tenesmus) with little or no hard, dry feces; thin, ribbon-like feces if something is compressing the rectum.
- Key safety point: never give a sodium phosphate (Fleet-type) enema; rehydrate before giving laxatives.
What's inside
12 sections in the full guide- Key facts
- How the NAVLE tests this
- Cause and pathophysiology
- Clinical signs
- Diagnosis
- Differential diagnoses
- Treatment and management
- Prevention and control
- Prognosis
- Quick review
- Test yourself
- References
The full guide also has 6 tables, 2 figures, 3 self-test questions and 13 references, available to NAVLE members.
Read the full study guide
The full guide is part of every NAVLE plan, with diagnosis and treatment tables, figures, a quick review and self-test questions. Start a free trial to try the question bank, or log in if you are already a member.