Reduced defecation in dogs post-surgery

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.