Dog constipated, left anal gland extracted

[JackieM]

@Dr. Jeff, @Dr. Sara
Minnie, my mini poodle dog is 2.7 years old.
On Jan 13th I noticed she pooped twice,
Jan 14th I noticed she was trying to poop and nothing came out & she was scooting her bottom on the floor, I felt her belly warmer than usual and no big appetite for a few days.
Jan 14th afternoon I took her to the vet hospital. The vet advised me her temperature was 40.4 and left anal gland was infected and recommended cut and extraction.
I gave the ok, she was sedated and the surgery was performed around 3pm.
It is now Jan 17th at 11:30pm and she still has not pooped.
She ate and drank Jan 15,16th and 17th. I mixed chicken thighs, pumpkin purée, carrots and a meat loaf I got from the petstore all together.
She is on rheumocam 1.5mg/ml once daily and clavaseptin *62.5mg* tables every 12 hours
I’m wondering why she is constipated and if there is something I can do to help her naturally go poop.
I am taking her tomorrow for a follow up with the same vet.
I am worried I made the wrong decision and don’t want to be pressured to spend more money if it won’t help her.
I don’t care about the money, I just want to make the best decision for her.
Thank you so much for offering a different perspective on healthcare for our fur friends.

 

[JackieM]

@Dr. Jeff, @Dr. Sara
Minnie, my mini poodle dog is 2.7 years old.
On Jan 13th I noticed she pooped twice,
Jan 14th I noticed she was trying to poop and nothing came out & she was scooting her bottom on the floor, I felt her belly warmer than usual and no big appetite for a few days.
Jan 14th afternoon I took her to the vet hospital. The vet advised me her temperature was 40.4 and left anal gland was infected and recommended cut and extraction.
I gave the ok, she was sedated and the surgery was performed around 3pm.
It is now Jan 17th at 11:30pm and she still has not pooped.
She ate and drank Jan 15,16th and 17th. I mixed baked chicken thighs, pumpkin purée, white potato, white rice, carrots and 1 packet of royal canin digestive care a meat loaf I got from the petstore all together and portioned ir our into small meals.
She is on rheumocam 1.5mg/ml once daily and clavaseptin *62.5mg* tables every 12 hours
I’m wondering why she is constipated and if there is something I can do to help her naturally go poop.
I am taking her tomorrow for a follow up with the same vet.
I am worried I made the wrong decision and don’t want to be pressured to spend more money if it won’t help her.
I don’t care about the money, I just want to make the best decision for her.
Thank you so much for offering a different perspective on healthcare for our fur friends.

 

[GinnyW]

Update, please? I don't think this was too long to wait for poop, given the depressive effect of the meds and the relatively low fiber content of the meal you gave. Where are we now? What did the vet say?

 

[JackieM]

She pooped yesterday January 18th right before the vet appointment. The vet said her wound may heal with scar tissue but everything seems fine. He kept pushing canned dog food and kibble to give her a balanced meal.

 

[aruna]

@Dr. Jeff , do you have any suggestions for Jackie?

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Hi Jackie and Aruna!

Sorry to not respond, but I missed the why is she constipated question.

My reply would be that there are many potential physiologic causes for not pooping (including anal sac discomfort). And as Ginny said, this really was not too long to wait for a poop.

Energetically (vs. physically/physiologically) constipation (or diarrhea, vomiting, etc.) are all manifestations of the internal equilibrium (balance) which is constantly changing (dynamically).

How is Minnie doing now Jackie? What has she been eating (in the past few months)?

Has she had prior pooping or anal sac issues?

 

[Dr. Christina]

Jackie, now would be a great time to evaluate her health overall and work to improve her vitality and balance so the other anal gland does not need to be removed in the future.

Even if it fills up and causes some problems, you can deal with it at home or with holistic veterinary care.

Step one - read the fundamentals course and begin to make changes suggested there.
Step 2 - start keeping a journal
Step 3 - do the work to find and begin to work with a holistic vet - locally or by phone - how to is in this article. Then work with them to maximize health now since you have such a young dog.

Keep us posted on how he is doing since the surgery
Dr. Christina