What should I do if my dog has not pooped after being hit by a car?
My dog was hit by a car on Saturday afternoon and has not defecated since (Its now Tuesday morning) however he is managing to urinate time to time.
When I took him to the Emergency Vet after hours the veterinarian said that every thing was good apart from his left hip and that his hip could possibly be fractured or out of place but do not know for sure until my dog gets x-rayed. They then suggested a x-ray but I did not go through with it as it costed $1000 and I could not afford. The vet gave me some 3 types of medication; Gabapentin, Tramadol and Metacam to give my dog before we went home and since then I have been giving it to him everyday.
Yesterday, I went to do a follow-up at my regular vet and they said the same thing. His hip maybe fractured but do not know for sure until he gets an x-ray. They also mentioned that if his hip is fractured he will need surgery but could cost up to 10k which I cannot afford. The vet gave me laxatives to give him and I have given it to my dog but still nothing. I am really worried as the veterinarian told me if he is unable to poop, there could be possibilities of putting him down as the hip bone could be blocking the passage of him pooping and surgery is the only way. However, she mentioned if he is able to poop, this would be a great sign as there could be chances of my dog healing on its own through medication for 6 weeks. She has given me 2 more days until the next visit and I am hoping for the best that my poor baby defecates.
I can tell that my dog really wants to poop but can not as he keeps heading to the bathroom even when he is in pain. His farts also smell like poop so I am guessing that is also a sign? He is able to walk for a bit but has a very very hard time walking due to his left leg/hip and when he does get up and walk, he struggles with laying or sitting back down. He does not want us carrying or lifting him for moral support to use the bathroom. Its quite hard to make get him to the bathroom so we mostly place him in a blanket and carry him there.
He is drinking water and managing to eat but im very concerned as he has not pooped since the incident. Im on the verge of panicking and I cannot imagine the pain he is going through. Is this normal? What can I do to help him defecate?
My dog has not defecated after being hit by a car
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If your pet has a medical emergency, please contact a veterinarian immediately.
If your pet has a medical emergency, please contact a veterinarian immediately.
Re: My dog has not defecated after being hit by a car
Hi scndrose,
It's not too surprising if he hasn't defecated yet. You have him on pain meds, so that's good, but he may still have some discomfort and he's probably a little stressed out or tense from all this. He knows he can't do his business by squatting in the usual position, so that is kind of affecting his routine. He is also unwilling to mess in his bed or in the house because dogs have an instinct to keep their bed clean, and he was trained never to go in the house. I think you are doing the best thing possible when you carry him out to the grass. Dogs are perfectly capable of defecating while lying on their side, I have a dog who does it almost every day, so if he needs to go bad enough, don't worry, he will. When that time comes, don't be surprised if you see him trying to scoot away from it when he's done. You may want to lay him in the grass and go do something elsewhere in the yard (weed the garden or something, where you're not standing right by him) so he has some privacy and doesn't feel he is being watched. This is all new to him. If there is a certain area of the yard where he usually does his business, that would be a good place to put him. If you have more than one dog, I might leave the other dogs inside. Not sure, it's whatever you think would work best for him.
I am not a vet, but I am totally confused by what you were told about the x-ray. No way should an x-ray cost $1000.
Are you sure they were not talking about a CT or MRI? Here is a recent estimate on veterinary x-rays. Prices may vary by what part of the country you live in (at least in the US) but I think you're looking at a couple of hundred dollars or less.
I think an x-ray would be a really good idea. You want to be sure his pelvis is OK. It's super encouraging that he can get around a little bit, so I'm hoping that means it's OK, but it would be nice to know.
Don't panic about the potty situation. It's good you got a laxative.
It may take a little while to work. It is common for dogs to not defecate right away after surgery or an accident. If he's eating and drinking and you keep taking him outside for potty breaks, he'll probably go soon enough. The 4th or 5th day is about the time when people usually start to panic, you are not alone. 
Care Credit is an organization that will loan money for emergency veterinary bills. They've been around for many years and I've never heard anything negative about them. Many vets have a Care Credit application at their reception desk, so you fill it out and they submit it for you, or I think you can do it online. They let you know quickly whether you are approved or not. www.carecredit.com
I hope your baby can get his pottying taken care of soon, so you will both feel better.
It's not too surprising if he hasn't defecated yet. You have him on pain meds, so that's good, but he may still have some discomfort and he's probably a little stressed out or tense from all this. He knows he can't do his business by squatting in the usual position, so that is kind of affecting his routine. He is also unwilling to mess in his bed or in the house because dogs have an instinct to keep their bed clean, and he was trained never to go in the house. I think you are doing the best thing possible when you carry him out to the grass. Dogs are perfectly capable of defecating while lying on their side, I have a dog who does it almost every day, so if he needs to go bad enough, don't worry, he will. When that time comes, don't be surprised if you see him trying to scoot away from it when he's done. You may want to lay him in the grass and go do something elsewhere in the yard (weed the garden or something, where you're not standing right by him) so he has some privacy and doesn't feel he is being watched. This is all new to him. If there is a certain area of the yard where he usually does his business, that would be a good place to put him. If you have more than one dog, I might leave the other dogs inside. Not sure, it's whatever you think would work best for him.
I am not a vet, but I am totally confused by what you were told about the x-ray. No way should an x-ray cost $1000.
Are you sure they were not talking about a CT or MRI? Here is a recent estimate on veterinary x-rays. Prices may vary by what part of the country you live in (at least in the US) but I think you're looking at a couple of hundred dollars or less.If they are really truly talking about $1000 for an x-ray, I would absolutely go to another vet. Do you have a back-up vet you sometimes go to? If not, I would call around, or maybe you have a friend or family member who can recommend a vet they like?https://www.thisoldhouse.com/home-finan ... -vet-x-ray
What is the Typical Cost of a Vet X-Ray?
On average, vet X-rays fall in the $150–$250* range, but many factors can impact this estimate. Your pet’s X-ray could cost as little as $75 or as much as $500.
I think an x-ray would be a really good idea. You want to be sure his pelvis is OK. It's super encouraging that he can get around a little bit, so I'm hoping that means it's OK, but it would be nice to know.
Don't panic about the potty situation. It's good you got a laxative.
It may take a little while to work. It is common for dogs to not defecate right away after surgery or an accident. If he's eating and drinking and you keep taking him outside for potty breaks, he'll probably go soon enough. The 4th or 5th day is about the time when people usually start to panic, you are not alone. Care Credit is an organization that will loan money for emergency veterinary bills. They've been around for many years and I've never heard anything negative about them. Many vets have a Care Credit application at their reception desk, so you fill it out and they submit it for you, or I think you can do it online. They let you know quickly whether you are approved or not. www.carecredit.com
I hope your baby can get his pottying taken care of soon, so you will both feel better.
Re: My dog has not defecated after being hit by a car
Hi Carol,
Thank you so much for your advice, it is greatly appreciated especially at times like this. Just an update on the situation so far, he had finally defecated on the fifth day which i was so relieved about. In terms of the x-ray, I have taken it all in and went to a different vet to do his x-rays. It turns out both hip joints were severely damaged and broken and required immediate surgery
He went into surgery last night, I picked him up this morning and now he is finally home. He looks very much in pain and was wondering if you could please give me any tips on how to care/support him as he goes through this painful recovery. Not to mention this is my first time taking care of a dog after surgery.
They are unsure if the procedure was successful and had said it is all depending on his recovery at home - crate rest etc. If it is unsuccessful, my dog(Bleu) will require another surgery but will cost $20,000
Thank you so much again for your response and your reassurance, it really means a lot. I hope to hear from you soon
Thank you so much for your advice, it is greatly appreciated especially at times like this. Just an update on the situation so far, he had finally defecated on the fifth day which i was so relieved about. In terms of the x-ray, I have taken it all in and went to a different vet to do his x-rays. It turns out both hip joints were severely damaged and broken and required immediate surgery
He went into surgery last night, I picked him up this morning and now he is finally home. He looks very much in pain and was wondering if you could please give me any tips on how to care/support him as he goes through this painful recovery. Not to mention this is my first time taking care of a dog after surgery.
They are unsure if the procedure was successful and had said it is all depending on his recovery at home - crate rest etc. If it is unsuccessful, my dog(Bleu) will require another surgery but will cost $20,000
Thank you so much again for your response and your reassurance, it really means a lot. I hope to hear from you soon
Re: My dog has not defecated after being hit by a car
Hi scndrose,
I'm glad to hear the update. I was wondering how you guys were doing. I'm surprised he was kind of standing on his injured hips after the accident, but it just goes to show how dogs manage to make the best of a situation and just keep on going! I'm sorry to hear about the expense, but at least now you know what's going on.
You didn't say what kind of dog he is, but if it takes two of you to stretcher him outside, he must be either medium or large. I'm guessing large, since often someone can carry a medium dog in a pinch. The very best thing now will probably be a really good harness. I have back issues and my biggest down dog was Merlin, a golden retriever. I absolutely believe that whatever you spend on a harness to get one that lets you assist him most easily for yourself physically will be money well spent. You want the least strain on your back, shoulders, etc. You want to be able to stand in a fairly normal position to avoid back strain, etc., when assisting him.
Back when Merlin was down, I used the Hartman hip harness. The beauty of the Hartman was you could put it on your dog and leave it on during the day. This is going to matter a lot, because you don't want to have to be wrestling a harness onto him every time you need to take him outdoors or move him from point A to point B to change his bed. Especially if you start to have a stiff back or something later, because recovery is more likely to be weeks than days. Not sure how long they said to rest your dog. They don't make the Hartman anymore but there are a lot of different brands and styles to choose from. Here is a picture of the Hartman, where the owner (pet parent) is helping her German Shepherd up the stairs, to give you the idea. (may take a second to open)
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409040 ... rness.com/
Since they don't make the Hartman anymore, the Help 'Em Up harness is about the closest thing, and it can stay on during the day if you want, or there's a similar one from Walkin' Pets.
If you are trying to save money, people have made their own dog harnesses. There are ideas in DIY forum. This one using a tote bag has been popular for large dogs, though I think it might be better for the females.
helppets/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=21612&p=109106
The other thing I would recommend is about that crate rest? If you are doing crate rest with a large dog, it is easier not to use an actual crate. It is just too hard to have to lean into the crate to get him out every time. If you think about the position you must be in, leaning into a crate to lift your dog, it's not good for your back. It is a lot easier to use an x-pen, or even just section off a corner of a room (block him in with furniture). I remember somebody who blocked off the end of a hallway, that was a good idea. Or maybe baby gate him in the laundry room. It depends on what options you have in your house that are easy to do. This way you can just open the x-pen and bring him in and out, or move a piece of furniture if you have him in a corner and walk him out, or open the baby gate. You can stand more normally when helping him, you are not bent clear over from the waist. Also, it is way easier to manage in an X-pen versus a crate, if he is wearing a cone collar.
Here is a picture of Tinker (a beagle) doing crate rest in an x-pen.
Hopefully he'll sleep a lot during the early days of recovery. If you are having a problem with him wetting his blanket (maybe the meds relax him while he's asleep) then getting a male doggie diaper (aka malewrap) will save you doing a lot of laundry. It's a wide belt that goes around the dog's waist covering the male area and fastens with velcro. You put an absorbent pad inside to catch any leaks or dribbles.
They also make disposable malewraps now. I tried them with my quadriplegic dog when he had surgery. They're OK but they had a kind of strong odor. Not sure what it was, didn't smell like plastic. I managed to use them for him by taking them out of the package and unfolding each one and letting it air out on the bunk bed to get rid of the worst of the smell before he wore them.
One more tip, which you may not need, is about underpads. Your dog is not incontinent, he just had hip surgery, but you are going to want to keep him on soft bedding while he heals. The quickest way to develop a sore is lying on wet bedding. (This is another reason malewraps are such a godsend.) Many people think that the way to keep the dog bed clean and dry is to put a disposable underpad (like a large puppytraining pad) under the dog. The problem is, those pads are not absorbent enough to trap urine. If he pees a decent amount onto a disposable underpad it will spread out in the pad. If he is on soft bedding, the moisture will tend to go toward the low point by gravity, which is usually under the hip. Right where you don't want it. So I would not rely on underpads. Washable hospital pads are better, but still won't keep him dry. A dog on a wet underpad is a wet dog. I would use malewraps if he is leaking at all. If you want to protect an expensive dog bed that is hard to fit in your washer and dryer, people have enclosed them in a garbage bag and covered that with blankets that can be washed. Hope that makes sense.
I have not had a dog with surgery on both hips, and my dog who had hip surgery was small. I am not sure what kind of mattress or bedding will be best. You might ask the vet what they use in their hospital, for guidance. Here is my small dog after her hip surgery. You can see she looked surprisingly chipper after it all!
As far as him being in pain, if he continues to seem in pain I would contact the vet about it. They have excellent pain meds for dogs, there is no reason for him to have a lot of pain during recovery, and pain will make his care much more difficult for you. I'm sure he is on meds, but the vet is relying on you to let them know how he is doing and whether he is comfortable enough. If he seems OK part of the time but painful at other times, you can tell them it's helping but he's still having "breakthrough pain". Right now it may be hard to tell as he's also getting past anaesthesia and decompressing from the stress of going to a hospital after being in an accident. But you know him best, so you may need to ask them to increase his dose or give him something stronger or add another med to his "cocktail" of pain meds. I wouldn't hesitate if you think he needs it.
You'll get through this! I'm glad you were able to find what was going on.
I'm glad to hear the update. I was wondering how you guys were doing. I'm surprised he was kind of standing on his injured hips after the accident, but it just goes to show how dogs manage to make the best of a situation and just keep on going! I'm sorry to hear about the expense, but at least now you know what's going on.
You didn't say what kind of dog he is, but if it takes two of you to stretcher him outside, he must be either medium or large. I'm guessing large, since often someone can carry a medium dog in a pinch. The very best thing now will probably be a really good harness. I have back issues and my biggest down dog was Merlin, a golden retriever. I absolutely believe that whatever you spend on a harness to get one that lets you assist him most easily for yourself physically will be money well spent. You want the least strain on your back, shoulders, etc. You want to be able to stand in a fairly normal position to avoid back strain, etc., when assisting him.
Back when Merlin was down, I used the Hartman hip harness. The beauty of the Hartman was you could put it on your dog and leave it on during the day. This is going to matter a lot, because you don't want to have to be wrestling a harness onto him every time you need to take him outdoors or move him from point A to point B to change his bed. Especially if you start to have a stiff back or something later, because recovery is more likely to be weeks than days. Not sure how long they said to rest your dog. They don't make the Hartman anymore but there are a lot of different brands and styles to choose from. Here is a picture of the Hartman, where the owner (pet parent) is helping her German Shepherd up the stairs, to give you the idea. (may take a second to open)
https://web.archive.org/web/20150409040 ... rness.com/
Since they don't make the Hartman anymore, the Help 'Em Up harness is about the closest thing, and it can stay on during the day if you want, or there's a similar one from Walkin' Pets.
If you are trying to save money, people have made their own dog harnesses. There are ideas in DIY forum. This one using a tote bag has been popular for large dogs, though I think it might be better for the females.
helppets/viewtopic.php?f=66&t=21612&p=109106
The other thing I would recommend is about that crate rest? If you are doing crate rest with a large dog, it is easier not to use an actual crate. It is just too hard to have to lean into the crate to get him out every time. If you think about the position you must be in, leaning into a crate to lift your dog, it's not good for your back. It is a lot easier to use an x-pen, or even just section off a corner of a room (block him in with furniture). I remember somebody who blocked off the end of a hallway, that was a good idea. Or maybe baby gate him in the laundry room. It depends on what options you have in your house that are easy to do. This way you can just open the x-pen and bring him in and out, or move a piece of furniture if you have him in a corner and walk him out, or open the baby gate. You can stand more normally when helping him, you are not bent clear over from the waist. Also, it is way easier to manage in an X-pen versus a crate, if he is wearing a cone collar.
Here is a picture of Tinker (a beagle) doing crate rest in an x-pen.- 22932261_b6991596f7_m.jpg (21.56 KiB) Viewed 746 times
They also make disposable malewraps now. I tried them with my quadriplegic dog when he had surgery. They're OK but they had a kind of strong odor. Not sure what it was, didn't smell like plastic. I managed to use them for him by taking them out of the package and unfolding each one and letting it air out on the bunk bed to get rid of the worst of the smell before he wore them.
One more tip, which you may not need, is about underpads. Your dog is not incontinent, he just had hip surgery, but you are going to want to keep him on soft bedding while he heals. The quickest way to develop a sore is lying on wet bedding. (This is another reason malewraps are such a godsend.) Many people think that the way to keep the dog bed clean and dry is to put a disposable underpad (like a large puppytraining pad) under the dog. The problem is, those pads are not absorbent enough to trap urine. If he pees a decent amount onto a disposable underpad it will spread out in the pad. If he is on soft bedding, the moisture will tend to go toward the low point by gravity, which is usually under the hip. Right where you don't want it. So I would not rely on underpads. Washable hospital pads are better, but still won't keep him dry. A dog on a wet underpad is a wet dog. I would use malewraps if he is leaking at all. If you want to protect an expensive dog bed that is hard to fit in your washer and dryer, people have enclosed them in a garbage bag and covered that with blankets that can be washed. Hope that makes sense.
I have not had a dog with surgery on both hips, and my dog who had hip surgery was small. I am not sure what kind of mattress or bedding will be best. You might ask the vet what they use in their hospital, for guidance. Here is my small dog after her hip surgery. You can see she looked surprisingly chipper after it all!
You'll get through this! I'm glad you were able to find what was going on.
Re: My dog has not defecated after being hit by a car
I had a cat, hit by a car, with a broken pelvis, and we had the same concern for poop. I'm glad he finally pooped! Do you know a welder? Maybe a walker might be the way to go with a big dog during healing? Since he'll probably only use it temporarily it may not be worth it to put a lot of money into it.Re: My dog has not defecated after being hit by a car
Glad he finally pooped! That must've been such a relief.
fragile!